Over the past two and a half years, GlassHouse Systems has had the privilege of engaging five major banking institutions in transformational cloud infrastructure projects. These projects have involved advanced IBM technologies such as IBM Power Virtual Server and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) on IBM Cloud—solutions that are ideally suited for mission-critical workloads. But let’s be clear: these banks didn’t choose us just because we know the technology. They chose us because we know them—their regulatory environment, their approval processes, and the high-stakes scrutiny they face from financial regulators.

Yes, we are IBM’s largest global partner for Power Virtual Server. And yes, our team has deep technical expertise in VCF and hybrid cloud design. But when it comes to winning complex projects in financial services, technical knowledge alone is not enough. What differentiates GlassHouse Systems is something we call “Regulatory Approval as a Service.”

The Real Barrier Is Not Technology—It’s Permission

When a bank decides to move critical workloads—like core banking systems, payment platforms, or regulatory reporting—to the cloud, the most challenging aspect of the project often isn't architectural design or implementation. It’s regulatory approval. Cloud initiatives in financial services are heavily scrutinized by national regulators, data protection authorities, and risk committees. The cost of getting it wrong isn’t just technical failure—it’s reputational risk, compliance violations, and operational downtime.

That’s why every cloud project in banking starts not with provisioning servers, but with securing permission. And that’s where GlassHouse Systems brings unique value.

28 Years of Banking Experience

We have spent nearly three decades working with banks, credit unions, insurers, and financial institutions across North America. We understand the frameworks: OSFI in Canada, the OCC and FDIC in the U.S., GDPR in Europe, and others globally. More importantly, we understand the language of compliance—business continuity planning, data residency, encryption, auditability, failover scenarios, operational resilience, and risk mitigation. 

We don’t just propose technical solutions—we co-author risk assessments, prepare responses for regulatory review, and sit with our clients’ compliance and legal teams to map out how the project aligns with regulatory expectations. We know the questions that regulators ask, and we help answer them before they’re raised.

Regulatory Approval as a Service

When a bank engages with GlassHouse Systems, they’re not just buying infrastructure—they’re buying a playbook for regulatory approval. This includes:

• Joint workshops with risk and compliance stakeholders
• Documentation mapping technical controls to regulatory frameworks
• Templates for regulator-facing project plans
• Language to support internal business case approval
• A proven history of successful regulator engagements

This is not something you can download from a vendor portal or replicate from a case study. It’s built on experience, trust, and domain-specific credibility—earned over decades, not months.

Why Banks Are Choosing GlassHouse Systems

We’re incredibly proud of our technical capabilities. But banks aren’t just buying cloud compute—they’re buying confidence. They’re buying the assurance that the project will not only be delivered on time and on budget, but that it will also clear internal governance and external regulatory hurdles. That’s why we win—and that’s what sets us apart.

GlassHouse Systems delivers more than managed services—we deliver Regulatory Approval as a Service. And for banks, that’s the difference between cloud ambition and cloud execution.