ABN Amro IT could be split after takeover

ABN Amro's IT department is set to be involved in a massive reorganisation after the path was left clear for a consortium to acquire and split the Dutch bank.

Barclays formally withdrew its offer for ABN Amro on Friday (5 October) after seven months in pursuit of the bank's acquisition.

The consortium of banks led by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is close to winning the race to secure the acquisition. Under the £49bn bid by RBS, Fortis and Banco Santander, each company would take different parts of the bank.

This could lead to major changes in IT strategy. RBS, which wants the global wholesale and international retail businesses of ABN Amro, has said it would not offshore any IT not already outsourced, which contrasts with ABN Amro's existing strategy.