November 20, 2014 - FICO (NYSE:FICO), the predictive analytics and decision management software company, today announced that UniCredit, Italy's largest bank, will analyse Big Data to improve customer lending decisions and capital optimisation, using FICO analytic technology.

With technology from the FICO® Solution Stack, UniCredit expects to be able to substantially increase profit per account on personal loans.

FICO® Decision Optimizer enables UniCredit to select offers and terms on personal loans that maximise both revenue and customer acceptance, and lead to longer relationships with the customers. These decisions are then deployed in FICO® Blaze Advisor® business rules management system, which serves as the bank's decision engine for origination and management of personal loans, credit cards and small business loans. While the initial implementation is for the Italian market, UniCredit have licensed FICO Decision Optimizer and FICO Blaze Advisor for use across their retail banking network, which operates in 50 markets and 20 countries.

"We are centralising credit decisions in order to apply best practices to every decision we make," said UniCredit's Ivan Cavinato, head of Credit Risk Management. "FICO impressed us with its experience in credit optimisation, as well as its acquisition of Big Data analytic technologies. This complements our strategic investment in Big Data to improve our understanding of customers' needs and risk."

"UniCredit is leading a technology-powered 'credit revolution' that will improve its profitability while making more credit available to customers who can manage it well," said Hayley Kershaw, general manager for FICO in EMEA. "This is a triple-win for the bank, its customers and the Italian economy."