European DataWarehouse to Provide a Free Software Application for Preparing and Submitting ABS Loan-Level Performance Data

FRANKFURT, Germany, October 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The European DataWarehouse (ED) today announced that it will offer to all interested parties a free software application that will help them prepare and submit ABS loan-level data in compliance with the European Central Bank's (ECB) ABS Loan-Level data requirements. The application will provide a toolkit that will help companies with the conversion of data from spreadsheets or flat text files into the XML format supported by ED and conforming to the ECB defined ABS templates.

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Starting in December 2012, companies using ABS transactions as collateral under the Eurosystem collateral framework will need to provide ABS loan-level data following the ECB prescribed loan level data templates. For those companies using different file formats in their internal systems, the free toolkit will significantly help reduce the time and effort of mapping, translating, validating and communicating the ABS loan-level data. It will allow companies to convert data into the XML format, pre-validate the resulting XML, and compress and digitally sign the XML data file in prior to uploading the data to ED. Should the file fail the pre-validation process the tool will provide a report summarizing a sample of the error's encountered thus providing the firm with the ability to correct the errors prior to re-submitting the file to the European DataWarehouse.

"The new service will make providing loan-level performance data for ABS significantly easier for any firm looking to post collateral under the Eurosystem collateral framework and meet the ECB's time frames for compliance with its eligibility criteria," said Paul Burdell, Managing Director, ED. "We thought this was important and could see that there was a vital requirement for someone to develop an application that made it as simple as possible to access ED".

"This tool will facilitate the circulation of ABS data and further enhance disclosure of key information for the entire European Economic Area", said Fernando Gonzalez, Head of Risk Strategy Section, European Central Bank.

Supporting high volume interactions, the stand-alone utility will transform data from Bank of England or other ECB compliant spreadsheet templates into the XML templates validated from ED. In addition, the tool will directly interact with the Application Programming Interfaces for uploading the XML files to ED to help ensure fast, timely and accurate communication.

The toolkit, to be developed by Sapient Global Markets, will utilise Microsoft.NET technologies and feature an intuitive user interface. Initially the tool will support the ECB RMBS and SME loan-level data templates with support for further templates to be considered as they are made available by the ECB. The toolkit will be packaged with installer and supporting documentation and will be deployable on PC desktops running Microsoft Windows XP and Windows 7 operating systems.

The currently defined web interface and Application Programming Interfaces that have been developed for the European DataWarehouse will continue to be available for firms that want to directly submit XML formatted files conforming to the ECB defined templates.

Launch date for the toolkit is currently scheduled for the week commencing the 5th November 2012 and will be freely available for download from its website at http://www.eurodw.eu

For further information and a schedule of upcoming events please visit http://www.eurodw.eu
or contact:

European DataWarehouse
Paul Burdell
paulburdell@eurodw.eu

MHP Communications
Andrew Jaques
Ian Payne
t: +44(0)203-128-8100

SOURCE European DataWarehouse