While the idea for Bankware came out of the brainstorming
sessions at Consumer Credit, the seed for
the idea had been planted in Brian Cassidy’s mind
when he saw a similar, but simpler, product from
Wells Fargo, a large U.S. bank, at a U.S. trade show.
The Wells Fargo diskette had been developed by
Interactive Media from San Francisco. CIBC contacted
Interactive Media to see if they could produce
an enhanced diskette for the Canadian
market. The resulting software, Bankware, allowed
users to explore features of CIBC loan, mortgage,
and other credit products. Consumer Credit paid
for the software development and distribution
costs from its own operating budget. Total cost for
Bankware was US$250,000.
Bankware was introduced to the Canadian
public in early 1993. Using Bankware, customers
could calculate a budget, determine their net
worth, apply for a mortgage or loan, and learn how