OREANDA-NEWS. VTB Bank continues to actively implement its program aimed at servicing mid-sized businesses. For the nine months of 2007, VTB lending to mid-sized customers has grown by 54% and reached RUR 87.5 billion, the bank's press-service reported. This year, the growth dynamics of the Bank's loan portfolio in this customer category has exceeded the growth rate forecast for the banking market.

As of 01.10.2007, mid-sized customers' account balances with VTB Bank amounted to RUR 67.3 billion, which is a 20% or RUR 11.3 billion increase since the year-start. After the Bank launched a specialized model of sales for its "middle" customers in 2005 and then spread it over the branch network, services offered to this category of customers have become one of the top priorities in the Bank's business. According to VTB classification of its customers, the mid-sized business' segment covers enterprises and companies with an annual income of RUR 90 million to RUR 2 billion. These are enterprises, which are demonstrating dynamic growth and are oriented at developing their own businesses, strengthening their competitive positions, and reaching out to new markets, including international ones.

Under its program aimed at servicing mid-sized businesses, VTB Bank has been continuously upgrading its product line and customer relationships. In the near future, a long-term program for lending to middle customers for 3 to 7 years will be launched.

Furthermore, the Bank continues to develop its sales methodology applied to middle customers, it also monitors customer relationships and efficiency of customer relationship managers in the Bank's branches. A system of customer relationship management, CRM SalexLogix, has been deployed throughout the whole branch network and it is aimed at enhancing the quality of the services offered. Presently, the system is used at 900 working places in 57 branches of the Bank located in 7 federal constituencies.

Citing Andrei Kiselev, Senior Vice President, VTB activities in the middle business segment have a huge growth potential, and further standardization of customer services and an upgrade of IT technologies will help enhance the quality of the services offered, improve the management of points of sales, improve customer relationships in the Bank's divisions and make the process of decision-making much faster. By 2010, the share of middle business in the overall volume of services to corporate customers is expected to increase to 24% in lending, and to 27% in customer accounts.