SEB launches The Benche - the Web Based Interne...

www.thebenche.com is a dynamic web based internet community open for
all Trade Finance professionals and others active in international
trade. The Benche offers a unique opportunity to gather and share
knowledge and experience, and discuss and network amongst
professionals.


"In order to have an international business it requires extensive
work to collect information about the country, the region and its
trade conventions. This is for many companies both costly and time
consuming," said Lars Millberg, Global Head of Trade Finance. "With
the Benche, we want to facilitate that process for companies within
and outside of Sweden. A customer survey conducted by Mantaray on
SEB's behalf shows that half of the respondents were willing to share
information with others within a community."

At the Benche the members can discuss online for example how to best
open a Letter of Credit (L/C) from Singapore, or payment terms in
Kenya. Apart from member posted facts and discussion threads The
Benche also holds public information and news, as well as
possibilities for the members to quickly and simply expand their
professional networks and then create new business contacts.

SEB will include part of its customer support on the Benche by
frequently publishing a FAQ, as well as an "Ask the Experts" section
where the members can get expert answers to their questions.

As a universal bank in northern Europe, SEB has a unique and natural
customer base of large and smaller companies with interest in import
and export. A selection of these customers has also assisted SEB in
building up the Benche.


View the film on how the Benche works, and listen to Fredrik
Anderson, CellMark explaining the advantages he sees with the Benche:


http://gaia.world-television.com/wtvse/2008/SEB/benche/default2.asp

Downloadable raw material in mpeg2-format for you to do your own news
cast about the Benche:
- Interview with Fredrik Anderson, CellMark (in English, where
Fredrik Anderson talks about how he uses the different functions, the
advantages of quick access to information, the need for Trade Finance
networking, etcetera)
- Cuts material (from CellMark and pictures that show the different
functions of The Benche) (without sound)

Pick up files here: ftp://seb:[e-mail]

Should the link not work:
URL: FTP.unit.net
username: SEB
password: ftp4S3B


SEB is a North European financial group serving some 400,000
corporate customers and institutions and five million private
individuals. SEB offers universal banking services in Sweden, Germany
and the Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It also has
local presence in the other Nordic countries, Poland, Ukraine and
Russia and a global presence through its international network in
another ten countries. On 30 September 2008, the Group's total assets
amounted to SEK 2,416bn (~EUR 237bn) while its assets under
management totalled SEK 1,244bn (~EUR 122bn).The Group has about
22,000 employees. Read more about SEB at www.sebgroup.com.

_____________________________________________
For further information, please contact:
Lars Millberg, Global Head of Trade Finance, [phone]
Press contact: Elisabeth Lennhede, [phone],
[e-mail]


This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is 
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.