Ghana-based Unibank has completed a major upgrade from Temenos’ T24 R8 core banking system to R15. The bank is the first in Africa to be up and running with this version of Temenos’ flagship product, Banking Technology understands. Unibank is a mid-sized universal bank in Ghana, with assets of around $430 million. The project was […]
In the face of an ever rising digital agenda in Europe, banks are jumping on the fintech bandwagon, hoping to jumpstart innovation. Technology stands today as a catalyst for change in established banking institutions, write Astrid Froidure, digital transformation lead at Open Reply, and Fausto Jori, owner of E-finance Reply. The spark comes in a […]
New challenger bank Starling has received its UK banking licence and adopted Faster Payments. Starling Bank says the licence comes with unspecified “restrictions” from the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. The bank aims to launch to customers by January 2017. Anne Boden, CEO, Starling Bank, says: “For the past year, our team […]
Standard Bank in South Africa has launched its existing banking app to four additional African markets. The app is now available in Uganda, Namibia, Ghana and Botswana; with plans to roll it out to Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe by the end of 2016. The latest development is part of its drive to “enhance its […]
Oklahoma-based Encentus Federal Credit Union has chosen Fiserv’s Portico core account processing platform for digital banking and lending services. The credit union is migrating from its current providers to Fiserv; and Misty Potter, president and CEO, Encentus, says Fiserv “will empower our credit union with the progressive and innovative technology to drive a more rewarding […]
Why are the next generation of virtual cards the key to commercial card adoption? Alex Mifsud, CEO of Ixaris, explores the issue. Commercial cards are relatively commonplace in the business world, with companies using these cards to buy a raft of business related items, including client lunches, airline tickets & office supplies. Commercial cards come in […]
Target2-Securities (T2S) is a big task, but it is already improving intraday liquidity, says TAS Group. The opportunities are now ripe for the vendor to apply its fintech expertise across the pan-European market. Banking Technology caught up with TAS Group at the recent EBAday conference in Milan. When the T2S system went live in June […]
HSBC has escaped charges of money laundering by US officials due to fears by the Department of Justice (DOJ) it might create a “global financial disaster”. A US Congressional report shows that UK officials, including Chancellor George Osborne, used their clout to warn the US it could lead to market unrest. According to the BBC, […]
Britain’s Speaking Clock, which will celebrate its 80th birthday on Sunday, July 24, was a real fascination for me as a child. Who was this person on the other end of the phone who was always available, any time of day, who could tell me the time down to the exact second? Did they ever […]
South Korea’s banking sector is getting a shake up with two digital-only banks applying for regulatory approval in the second half of this year. According to Financial Services Commission (FSC) chairman Yim Jong-yong; K Bank, led by KT Corporation (formerly Korea Telecom), and Kakao Bank, led by internet company Kakao; plan to apply for approval […]
Brazil’s Banco Bradesco is planning to start trials for a blockchain-based digital wallet service, as it looks to streamline operations and reduce costs. The service is being developed by Brazilian start-up eWally, discovered via Bradesco’s own innovation programme InovaBRA. Marcelo Frontini, MD at Scopus IT and part of Bradesco’s innovation department, says trials should start […]
Big data is a promise. In theory, banks can now know more about every single one of their customers than ever before. There is a real opportunity for them to cement their customer relationships; to create targeted offers and personalised experiences that attract new, and retain existing, customers. UK’s retail banks have increasingly been using […]
Albilad Capital, the investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s Bank Albilad, is implementing IMSplus Custody, a specialist solution supplied by Profile Software. IMSplus Custody will support Albilad’s newly launched custodian services department. Albilad Capital operates according to Islamic finance principles and provides financing from equity and debt capital markets for a variety of sectors, including oil […]
Neptune, the open standards network for pre-trade indications in bond markets, has set up a new company, Neptune Networks Ltd, to run the utility. Neptune was formulated by Etrading Software and a group of 40+ banks and asset managers in H2 2014. The pilot production network went live in August 2015. Its supporters include Barclays […]
Standard Chartered says it plans to invest $3 billion in strengthening it technology, retail and private banking and wealth management operations. As part of this, $30 million will be invested over the next three years in Scope International, the bank’s global shared services centre in Malaysia. Scope International’s CEO Matthew Norris says that the subsidiary […]
Ewan MacLeod is heading to Nordea as co-head of its newly created “Group Digital” unit and is on the lookout for fintech companies, services and ideas to introduce to Nordea. MacLeod will be one of two chief digital officers at the Nordic banking group. The other one is Poul Raaholt, previously head of group IT […]
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Brexit: keep calm and carry on We assemble a panel of fintech and law specialists to discuss – with cool heads – the challenges and opportunities. Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up A round-up of key developments to save you […]
Advanced Payment Solutions (APS) has secured a credit licence from the UK’s regulator, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). And whilst APS is not a bank, it competes with them. So is going through the pains for getting a banking licence really worth it, asks Rich Wagner, CEO and founder APS. We regularly see news of challenger finance […]
It’s hard to believe that it’s been just under two weeks since the UK narrowly voted in favour of Brexit. The pace of breaking news across the political and economic spheres has been brisk. In and amongst what is a great deal of uncertainty about the UK’s future relationship with the European Union, FinTech Futures, […]
Finnish fintech start-up Holvi has launched a debit card, Holvi Business MasterCard. It is available to customers in Germany, Austria and Finland. This follows on from the launch of a mobile banking app for iOS and Android last summer. Holvi, which was founded in 2011, provides entrepreneurs and SMEs with a range of financial and […]
ING and Belgian bank KBC have joined forces to launch a new, integrated mobile payments and loyalty platform in Belgium. This will combine ING’s payment app Payconiq with loyalty platforms Qustomer and KBC’s CityLife. Rik Vandenberghe, CEO ING Belgium, says the customer feedback it received about Payconiq and Qustomer “strengthens our conviction that as a […]
BNP Paribas Securities Services has become a direct securities participant to the US Federal Reserve through FedLine, its online financial services information and payment service. The company, a subsidiary of the BNP Paribas group, says this completes its direct connectivity to the US market on all securities instruments. BNP uses Torstone Technology’s post-trade securities and […]
APS Bank in Malta completes its major technology overhaul. The project has been successfully completed on time and on budget, states the bank’s management. The new platform is the ICBS system supplied by a Lebanese banking software vendor BML Istisharat. The solution is delivered on a hosted basis. This is the first project for BML […]
The UK is home to the world’s leading centre for financial services, and in recent years a thriving centre for fintech innovation. Elizabeth Budd, financial regulation expert at Pinsent Masons, urges the financial services industry to be vocal about the framework it needs to have in place to protect this status, and continue to do […]
The financial institutions have adjusted their service and relationship models by integrating digital interaction and communication tools for private banking customers, writes Alberto Cuccu, chief product officer at Objectway. In Italy, the digitisation of banking services has for many years been focused primarily on propositions aimed at retail customers (such as payment services or home […]
Just a couple of months following the appointment of the new CIO at Harrods Bank, its chief executive – Peter Ball – leaves. Ball has moved to specialist lender Together, to head its retail division. Together has been ramping up its leadership team – over the last three months alone it has added Colin Kersley, […]
Banking software vendor Intrasoft International has launched its African subsidiary. Kenya-based Intrasoft International East Africa will sell and implement the vendor’s flagship core banking system, Profits, as well as auxiliary solutions for AML, call centres, e-signature and fingerprint identification. It will also provide software and services to the public sector. The project has been underway […]
As first reported by Banking Technology in early May, Phoebus Software has gained a new customer – UK challenger bank Atom. The five-year deal will see Phoebus’ lending software supporting Atom’s secured business lending and account servicing for Atom’s residential lending. The new platform will be used by the bank’s team to originate loans for […]
There are three options of a road ahead for the payments industry players: 1) to carry on as they are and watch their margins erode; 2) to transform into a utility; 3) to have a long hard look at their value chain. If you choose the latter – what do you see, asks Sapient Global Markets’ Leda […]
Bank of Khartoum (BOK) has opened its first international branch, underpinned by Path Solutions’ iMAL core banking system. The branch is located in Bahrain. Path Solutions is a long-standing tech supplier to the Sudanese bank, but says that iMAL “was chosen over competitors’ systems” for the BOK International project. BOK International focuses on products and […]
Three ex-Barclays workers have been found guilty of manipulating the Libor interest rate between 2005 and 2007. Jay Merchant was convicted unanimously at Southwark Crown Court in London of rigging the key financial rate. Jonathan Mathew and Alex Pabon were found guilty by majority verdict after a ten-week trial. They will be sentenced on Thursday […]
Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild (EDR) is implementing a new core banking solution, Avaloq Banking Suite. It will be provided on a hosted basis by Avaloq, supporting EDR’s operations in Switzerland, Luxembourg and Monaco. Banking Technology understands that the contract was signed at the end of last year. EDR specialises in private banking and asset […]
Blockchain is disrupting the financial services (FS) industry. Deloitte recently called it one of the year’s most controversial and debated topics. Yet, despite the hundreds of millions being invested in blockchain technology by companies from all industries across the globe, there is still much confusion around how the technology works and the effects it will […]
JP Morgan has launched In-Residence, a new programme for fintech start-ups to use its facilities, systems and expertise. The company says it is inviting start-ups to sit “side by side” with its businesses to develop innovations that could “revolutionise” the sector. Sanoke Viswanathan, chief administrative officer of JP Morgan’s Corporate & Investment Bank, says this […]
Woman In Technology (W.I.T) Award recognises an outstanding contribution made by a female to the fintech industry. The W.I.T. Award celebrates the spirit of inclusion, diversity and creativity in the fintech industry Supported by a worldwide network of FemTechLeaders To be presented at the Banking Technology annual awards ceremony and gala dinner on 1 December. […]
Temenos has landed a major deal with Standard Chartered, to modernise the bank’s wealth management software across 30+ countries. The bank signed for Temenos’ WealthSuite, front-to-back office, which incorporates the vendor’s T24 system; Insight BI for analytics; Temenos Connect for channels; and the TripleA portfolio management software that stems from Odyssey Financial Technologies, a wealth […]
Nordea has set up a new “Group Digital” unit to drive its digital banking agenda forward. The unit will start to operate on 1 September and will be co-headed by Poul Raaholt, previously head of group IT at Nordea, and Ewan MacLeod, previously responsible for the retail digital transformation programme at Royal Bank of Scotland. […]
When I first started travelling for my job, it wasn’t too afield. I was working in Australia so it involved trips to New Zealand, Singapore and not much more. However, in only a few years, my travel grew to where it became routine to visit the US, Germany and the UK, but with the aircraft […]
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Brexit threat to UK jobs at Visa Should I stay or should I go? Swift hackers steal $10m from Ukraine bank Massive attack. New challenger bank readies for launch in UK Atten-shun! UK military personnel, veterans and their […]
Panin Bank, a retail and business bank in Indonesia, has launched new digital banking products and services using Fiserv’s Mobiliti and Corillian Online. Ken Ng, director of retail banking, Panin Bank, says Fiserv has allowed it to develop an “innovative, feature-rich and integrated digital banking service that consumers have come to expect in the modern […]
