8,468 live users | 208 countries | 1,257,110,454 messages (April YTD) | 2008 — A smarter and simpler SWIFTSWIFT’ Distributed Architecture programme completes Phase One successfully, SWIFT records two peaks in the same week in the message traffic 16,327,668 messages on Wednesday 23 January and 16,550,075 messages on Friday 25 January: a first in SWIFT history. First live SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) Credit Transfers is sent from major European banks over SWIFTNet on 28 January 2008. SWIFT celebrates its 35th anniversary. |
8,332 live users | 208 countries | 3,501,000,000 messages | 2007 — SWIFT welcomes its new CEOLázaro Campos, formerly SWIFT Executive Committee member and Head of the Banking Industry Division, succeeds Leonard H. Schrank as Chief Executive Officer in April 2007. SWIFT reorganises the company operationally and regionally in order to meet specific customers requirements. SWIFT introduces a new pricing model to reflect the diversity of its customers. SWIFT approves the development and deployment of a new multi-zonal messaging architecture resulting in a new OPC in Switzerland and a new command center in Hong-Kong. To support constant dialogue within the SWIFT community, an online platform swiftcommunity.net is launched in September. SWIFT opens four new offices: SWIFT Brazil, SWIFT Mumbai, SWIFT Dubai and SWIFT Johannesburg. SWIFT supports the “ One Laptop Per Child” initiative, an international and community oriented programme providing the world's poorest children with simple, durable educational computers.
Sibos is held in Boston. |
8,105 live users | 207 countries | 2,865,000,000 messages | 2006 — SWIFT 2010 supports community ambitionSWIFT community mourns loss of Carl Reuterskiöld, SWIFT’s first CEO. SWIFTNet Trade Services Utility enters pilot phase. Successful start of SWIFTNet Phase 2 pilot. Year of preparation for TARGET2. SWIFT AGM overwhelmingly approves new corporate category. |
7,863 live users | 204 countries
2,518,000,000 messages | 2005 — SWIFT supports industry transformationSWIFT focuses industry attention on Giovannini Barrier One. TARGET2 chooses SWIFTNet. SWIFTNet Trade Services Utility lines up key pilot banks. SWIFT cuts prices by 8 percent and announces new pricing initiatives. SWIFT wins 2005 ICT Trends award for SWIFTWatch products. X.25 network dismantled. SAP joins over 300 solution providers including IBM, Microsoft and Oracle and announces the company will SWIFT-enable its ERP. SWIFT on target to reduce pricing by 50% by end 2006. Sibos is held in Copenhagen. |
7,667 live users | 202 countries
2,299,000,000 messages | 2004 — Community migrates to SWIFTNet IP platformSWIFTNet migration completed. Corporates are high on the agenda at Sibos 2004. SWIFT Honoured with “Dream Team Award” World’s second largest pension fund adopts SWIFTNet FileAct. ISO 20022 is published and deployment gets underway. Sibos is held in Atlanta. |
7,527 live users | 200 countries
2,047,000,000 messages | 2003 — SWIFT turns 30!Austria adopts SWIFTNet for its domestic payments system. SWIFTNet migration starts with first country window migrations. ISO 15022 migration completed. Italian RTGS moves to SWIFTNet services. SWIFT community reaches 200 countries. MT 103 migration completed. SWIFT yearly traffic reaches the two billion FIN message mark, doubling in volume since 1999. Sibos is held in Singapore.
Read 30 years of networking |
7,601 live users | 198 countries
1,817,000,000 messages | 2002 — First SWIFTNet FIN message sentOn 15 August 2002, SWIFTNet Release 4.0 went live and concurrently the first SWIFTNet FIN message was sent. This date was targeted nearly two years ago and marked the beginning of the SWIFTNet migration. SWIFT successfully drives ISO 15022 migration. Sibos is held in Geneva. |
7,457 live users | 196 countries
1,534,000,000 messages | 2001 — SWIFTNet goes liveSingle-window access to and for the global financial industry is the ambition underpinning SWIFTNet. In 2001, SWIFTNet messaging services saw their first fully live implementations by domestic market infrastructures: the Bundesbank’s RTGSPlus system and the Bank of England’s Enquiry Link. SWIFT focuses on developing its first SWIFTNet business solutions. Sibos in Singapore is cancelled following the September 11 attacks. |
7,125 live users | 192 countries
1,274,000,000 messages
| 2000 — SWIFT's 'e' future takes shapeSWIFT announces plans for two services which extend the reputation of financial institutions for trust and payments into the business-to-business domain. SIPN, SWIFTNet Link and SWIFTNet PKI, SWIFTNet Interact are deployed while new XML standards methodology is being developed. swift.com is rebuilt and work begins for the e-enabling of customer activities such as ordering and billing. Sibos is held in San Francisco. |
6,797 live users | 189 countries
1,059,000,000 messages
| 1999 — SWIFT leads and deliversSWIFT starts the year with euro changeover and ends it ready for Y2K. Inbetween it launches Bolero and wins the GSTPA bid. Development of its next generation standards and its e-commerce strategy begins. SWIFT's FIN messaging service delivers its highest recorded availability: 99.98%. Sibos is held in Munich. |
6,557 live users | 178 countries
937,000,000 messages
| 1998 — Renewing SWIFT for the futureThe SWIFT Board transforms the Securities Board Task Force into the Securities Steering Council. Non-banks — investment managers and securities brokers — are invited to join the Council. First SWIFT Prize "linking people through technology" is awarded. Sibos is held in Helsinki. |
6,176 live users | 164 countries
812,000,000 messages
| 1997 — Building for tomorrow — Announcement of SWIFTNetSWIFT increases connectivity, grows FIN traffic, progresses STP and supports market infrastructure initiatives in clearing and settlement and trade. It also announces plans to develop a family of IP-based products and services. Our office in Sydney opens and Sibos is held in...Sydney. |
5,632 live users | 151 countries
688,000,000 messages
| 1996 — Reducing costs, managing risk, improving automationSWIFT steps up its straight-through processing (STP) drive with a dedicated team and solutions that address the root causes of non-STP-compliant messages. We deliver the new Ecu Banking Netting Service.
On 1 October we pass the 3 million messages milestone per day. Sibos is held in Florence. |
5,229 live users | 137 countries
603,000,000 messages
| 1995 — Entering a new eraSWIFT opens its Frankfurt office, bringing it closer to its customers in Germany. The new Asia-Pacific Council, representing the SWIFT needs of the ever expanding Asia-Pacific region, meets for the first time in Beijing. Sibos is held in Copenhagen. |
4,625 live users | 126 countries
518,000,000
| 1994 — Adding value for the customerA busy year for SWIFT, an excellent year for its customers. AccordWorkstation, SWIFTAsset Reconciliation, SWIFTAlliance, and USE deployment are a few of many new products and services launched. Infrastructure projects become an increasingly important part of SWIFT's work. Sibos 1994 is held in Boston. |
3,986 live users | 106 countries
457,000,000 messages
| 1993 — A new vision — a new realitySWIFT brings the benefits of speed, reliability, security and standardisation to an additional 404 users in 12 new countries. Security and data integrity are strengthened by introducing smart cards for log-in and bilateral key exchange via the network. A new UNIX-based interface is launched. SWIFTAlliance responds to customers’ needs for multinetwork, single platform processing capabilities. Sibos is held in Geneva. |
3,582 customers | 94 countries
405,541,000 messages
| 1992 — Exceeding our targetsAfter the successful completion of the pilot scheme during the first half of the year, the Interbank File Transfer (IFT) service goes live on 1 July. By year end, 65 banks have signed up for the service to handle a range of bulk data transfers including mass payments, cheque truncation and internal reporting. The number of SWIFT customers increase by 11% and operational countries grew 15% compared to the previous year. Sibos is held in Brussels. |
3,243 customers | 87 countries
365,159,000 messages
| 1991 — Smithsonian recognises SWIFTSWIFT receives the Computerworld Smithsonian Information technology Award for its work in the field of standardised financial telecommunication, recognising that without its system, financial institutions would be reduced to an unwieldy combination of paperwork and incompatible private networks, restricting their ability to service the international financial flows. Sibos is held in Hong Kong. |
3,049 customers | 83 countries
332,895,000 messages
| 1990 — Sibos visits BerlinSibos is held in Berlin. Delegates examined the practical considerations of emerging business trends such as Electronic Data Interchange and Interbank File Transfer and discuss major issues in the automation of securities operations. |
2,814 customers | 78 countries
296,070,000 messages
| 1989 — SWIFT as a forum for the financial communityThe User group Chairperson's gathering in Brussels typifies the role SWIFT plays in providing national and international forums for addressing standards issues and operational and user requirements. Sibos is held in Stockholm. |
2,537 customers | 76 countries
255,111,000 messages
| 1988 — Total support environment createdTo back up the frontline telephone support, SWIFT creates a dedicated support team to resolve complex user problems. Sibos is held in Vienna. |
2,360 customers | 64 countries
222,300,000 messages
| 1987 — SWIFT goes into securitiesSWIFT's membership votes to expand the user base by including broker dealers, exchanges, central depositories and clearing institutions. The first BIC directory is issued. Sibos is held in Montreal. |
2,161 customers | 61 countries
192,010,000 messages
| 1986 — Launch of value-added servicesSWIFT develops the Ecu Netting system for the Ecu Banking Association. The service is provided through a new subsidiary, SWIFT Service Partners. Confirmation matching through the Accord service will follow. Sibos is held in Nice. |
 1,946 customers | 58 countries
157,220,000 messages
| 1985 — Satellite communication enhances servicesSWIFT installs a high-volume satellite link between its Operating Centres to support traffic growth. Sibos is held in Brighton. |
1,188 customers | 54 countries
129,900,000 messages | 1984 — Knowledge for the futureSWIFT upgrades its customer education services and introduces instructor-led, computer-based and tailor-made courses. Sibos is held in Barcelona. |
1,046 customers | 52 countries
104,100,000 messages
| 1983 — 1,000th memberBanque Nationale de Belgique becomes the 1,000th member. The connection of central banks reinforces SWIFT's position as the common link between all parties in the banking industry. Sibos is held in Montreux. |
1,017 customers | 44 countries
79,900,000 messages
| 1982 — Financial stability achievedRevenues from membership growth, traffic and geographical expansion exceed operating costs for the first time. Expansion of SWIFT service capabilities continues through the introduction of message text standards for certain interbank securities transactions. The fifth Sibos is held for the first time outside Europe in Washington, D.C. (USA) |
900 customers | 40 countries
62,500,000 messages
| 1981 — ST100 interface introducedSWIFT introduces the ST100 interface. Provision of interfaces and software is now handled through a wholly owned subsidiary, SWIFT Terminal Services. Sibos is held in Düsseldorf. |
768 customers | 36 countries
46,900,000 messages
| 1980 — First Asian countries connectHong Kong and Singapore start live operations. Sibos is held in Copenhagen. |
683 customers | 30 countries
34,500,000 messages
| 1979 — Opening of North American operating centreThe scope of SWIFT services is constantly under review. Considerable efforts continue to be made in the Working Groups as they dealt with collections, documentrary credits, reconciliation, securities, standards interpretation, and warning messages. Sibos is held in Amsterdam. |
586 customers | 25 countries
21,600,000 messages
| 1978 — Our first ten million messagesSWIFT's on-going success is confirmed as the accumulated total of processed messages passes 10 million after less than 12 months of activity. Even the most optimistic of growth forecasts is exceeded. To maintain contact with the growing user base the first SIBOS is held in Brussels with 300 participants. |
518 customers | 22 countries
3,400,000 messages
| 1977 — SWIFT goes liveAlbert, Prince of Belgium and now King, sends the first message. The initial group of members has grown to 518 commercial banks in 22 countries. |
515 customers | 17 countries
0 messages
| 1976 — First operating centres openSignificant progress towards live operations continues with the opening of the first operating centres. Each has its own redundant facilities and is capable of backing up the other to ensure high system availability. |
515 customers | 17 countries
0 messages
| 1975 — Emphasis on security and reliabilityRules defining responsibility and liability are written, operational practices put in place. Fundamental principles behind SWIFT are established at an early stage. |
503 customers | 17 countries
0 messages | 1974 — Partnership principles establishedFinancial institutions planning to use SWIFT for messages are heavily involved in the development process, ensuring effectiveness and practicality. |
239 members | 15 countries
0 messages
| 1973 — SWIFT is bornForty square metres of office space in the centre of Brussels, a handful of people and an ambitious idea. Supported by 239 banks in 15 countries, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) starts the mission of creating a shared worldwide data processing and communications link and a common language for international financial transactions. |
