Top fintech stories this week – 24 March 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Digital
UnionBank launches New EON, the first “selfie” banking in the Philippines
UnionBank of the Philippines (UnionBank) has launched the New EON, a new digital banking platform (a revamped version of the original EON, launched at the start of the millennium). The mobile biometric authentication tech is provided by Daon.
RBS continues with branch closures and job cuts
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is closing 30 of its own branches and 128 of its subsidiary, NatWest, putting 470 people out of work. The bank says this decision is a result of the changing consumer behaviour, which has now shifted to digital banking.
Isbank does good deed with fully digital mortgage service
Turkey’s largest bank, Isbank, has introduced a digital mortgage process where users can follow up credit pre-approval, the actual appraisal and overall credit process 24×7. In the bank’s “instant transaction” area, users’ mortgage applications are pre-approved within a “few seconds” and users can upload title deed images and pay the appraisal fee online to start […]
Samsung Pay makes its India debut
Digital payments app, Samsung Pay, has been launched in India. Access is limited to those who signed up for the early access programme and available only on its mid-segment and flagship Samsung Galaxy devices.
Tug of love turns to group hug for banks and fintechs
With the EU’s Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and open architecture framework set to come into force next year, regulation may well tip the scales between banks and fintechs for customer loyalty, according to a new report conducted for Temenos by the Economist Intelligence Unit. In the 36-page study, “Symbiosis: Your bank has your trust. […]
Samsung moves on Siri with Bixby AI
Watch out Siri and Alexa, Samsung has unveiled its own artificial intelligence (AI) solution called Bixby. This will be a new interface on Samsung’s devices – with the imminent Galaxy S8 getting it first – and when an application becomes Bixby-enabled, it will be able to support “almost every task” that the application is capable […]
Alterna Bank launches Canada’s first fully digital mortgage
Ontario-based Alterna Bank says it has launched “Canada’s first and only end-to-end digital mortgage”.
CapEd, Pacific Marine and Camino Federal credit unions live with new core software
CapEd Credit Union in Idaho, and two Californian credit unions, Pacific Marine and Camino Federal, have converted to new core processing software, Keystone, supplied by Corelation.
Everyone is a bank with Babb’s blockchain plan
London-based fintech start-up Babb App says it is creating a bank based on a “permissioned” blockchain implementation of a distributed ledger using Ethereum smart contracts. The Babb banking platform will operate a decentralised information model to “minimise costs while maximising data fidelity and security” – i.e. the usual suspects. It expects to do a soft […]
“Game changer” Jargon Bank moves office
UK-based challenger Jargon Bank has taken the fintech world to new levels of rapture with the move of its London office 100 metres down the road. As Banking Technology reported last year, the “game changer” bank launched offering “compelling and innovative” products, which raised more questions than answers. This was followed in February with an […]
Tandem pauses savings products plans, House of Fraser not to invest further
UK challenger bank Tandem is not to receive any further investment from retail chain House of Fraser. House of Fraser invested £6 million in December, as part of a planned £35 million injection.
TSB Bank automates loan origination with Cloudcase
TSB Bank in New Zealand is rolling out a new lending solution from Australia-based fintech start-up Cloudcase.
Cognizant plans: layoffs, automation, investment in digital and M&A
Cognizant, a global provider of digital, technology, consulting and operations services, is to get rid of up to 4% of its workforce, it is understood. It is also keen on increasing automation, investment in digital and M&A.
Infographics: PSD2 explained
This nifty infographics, created by the European Payments Council (EPC), explains all you need to know about PSD2, from what it will change and its key components (such as APIs) to who the new players are.
QNB Finansbank’s tablet the right dose for core banking
QNB Finansbank, QNB Group’s subsidiary in Turkey, has developed TouchFinans, a core banking application for the bank’s SME division to carry on their Windows tablets.
IBM Cloud comes to China
Wanda Internet Technology and IBM have signed an agreement for the former to enter the public cloud business in China. This will be done via a new firm – Wanda Cloud Company – built on the IBM Cloud Platform.
Automation in US banking – part 1
Art Gillis, a seasoned banking technology consultant (working in the computer industry since 1958 – and listed as a top 25 tech consultant by the American Banker) and author, presents his latest “Automation in Banking” report (#31!), which looks at the US core banking and ancillary software market.
Yes Fintech accelerator unveils 12 finalists
Yes Fintech, the accelerator programme of India’s Yes Bank, has unveiled its 12 finalists.
SIX Securities Services unveils blockchain based bond issuing solution
SIX Securities Services, Switzerland’s post-trade market infrastructure says it has developed – “and intends to deploy” – a new bond issuing solution based on the distributed ledger technology (DLT).
Branches to go in Alior Bank’s 2020 digital dream, but tech to get $100m investment
Poland’s Alior Bank has unveiled its growth ambitions and number of branch closures over the next three years with its “Digital disruptor” strategy. In its 65-page report, the bank does the usual trick of praising itself and its disruptive qualities, calling itself the “largest ever start-up” in Central and Eastern Europe in the financial services […]
Warba Bank first in Kuwait for e-signatures and online account opening
It’s a digital double as Warba Bank has launched the “first” e-signature function and online account opening in Kuwait. Called “Express Finance”, the e-signature is the result of an agreement between Warba and Kuwait’s Public Authority for Civil Information. It allows users to authorise the bank to view their information on the credit network (Ci-net) […]
Case study: Credit Suisse and SmartStream – fees and expense management
How a vendor’s acquisition of a big bank’s platform has led to the development of a utility. Credit Suisse talks about its fees and expense management transformation journey.
Introducing the internet of McThings
McDonald’s has made its first step towards the internet of things (IoT) with the introduction of a mobile ordering app as a means of streamlining the in-store customer experience. Banking Technology‘s sister publication telecoms.com reports that using apps to deliver services in this segment is hardly a new idea, though experiences to date have been […]
Top fintech stories this week – 17 March 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
N26 mobile bank powers to 300,000 users
Berlin-based mobile bank N26 says its user base grew to more than 300,000 over the last year, tripling in size since the last announcement of 100,000 users in January 2016. As Banking Technology reported late last year, N26 took its business fully across 17 European countries, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland and Slovakia. Before that […]
Poland’s mBank to invest €50m in fintech start-ups
Poland-based mBank will set up the “first” fund in Central and Eastern Europe that will specialise in developing and selling new technologies. The Polish bank says it has an ambition to influence digital transformation in the banking sector and its mAccelerator project will provide €50 million in investment to start-ups. mBank CEO Cezary Stypułkowski says […]
Starling Bank spreads its beta wings
UK challenger bank Starling has unveiled its mobile app and is welcoming the first customers through its digital doors to join a beta testing programme. As Banking Technology previously reported, the bank has been getting ready for this moment. Yesterday (15 March), it chose TransferWise to provide money transfer services to its customers. It will […]
White paper: accelerating digital wealth management
Private banking and wealth management transformation programmes don’t need to be too risky, lengthy or costly!
Putnam-Greene Financial Corporation in tech modernisation with Fiserv
Putnam-Greene Financial Corporation, a $510 million holding company of four banks in Georgia, US, is modernising its front-to-back office software with Fiserv.
China’s CredEX Fintech lending app surges past $4.3bn mark
China-based CredEX Fintech says its mobile lending app’s total credit extended has exceeded CNY 30 billion ($4.3 billion) since its launch ten months ago. According to the firm, its user base has gone beyond five million, daily credit has been extended up to CNY 100 million ($14.4 million), and the average credit extended stands at […]
Jack Henry turns to Geezeo for personal finance management tools
Jack Henry & Associates, one of the “big four” banking technology vendors in the US, has joined forces with personal financial management (PFM) firm Geezeo to help consumers manage their finances.
Do collect $200 on Android, don’t get out of Gmail
Google has revealed that Android payments can now be made within the Gmail app. Whether it is “splitting a dinner bill or planning a group trip”, it offers a “fee-free way” to work out the details and settle up without leaving the Gmail app on Android. Users can exchange money with “anyone” – and are […]
TransferWise to power Starling Bank payments
TransferWise will provide money transfer services to customers of UK challenger bank Starling when it launches later this month. As Banking Technology has previously reported, the bank is getting ready for its 2017 launch. It will host its first hackathon, opening up its API to outside developers. It has received its UK banking licence, joined […]
QNB Finansbank first in Turkey to launch digital signatures in branches
Turkey-based QNB Finansbank, a subsidiary of QNB Group and one of the top five privately owned banks in the country, has enabled its customers to use digital signatures for account opening and loans in the bank’s branches.
Looks like cyber criminals are pretty smart after all
New research from Gartner has shown enterprise organisations are beginning to accept that they are not as smart as cyber criminals, and investments over the course of 2017 will reflect this.
Analysis: banking innovation in the US
Banking Technology puts the banking innovation in the US under the spotlight. The market is not short of digital offerings: Simple, Moven, Kabbage, Acorns, Earny, Debitize, MagnifyMoney and more – take your pick!
Commercial Bank of Africa goes Loop-y for millennial entrepreneurs
Kenya-based Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) has unveiled its mobile-based banking service as it targets millennial entrepreneurs. The new service, created in collaboration with software provider Strands, is called CBA Loop and core banking services will be available on the mobile phone app. Users can manage their personal finances, send money, schedule utility bills payments, […]
Investment Roundup: Fintech Financing Heats Up
With funds flowing from some of the biggest names in payments, including PayPal and Ant Financial, March got off to a hot start for worldwide e-commerce and fintech investment. Providers around the globe have landed hefty financing rounds from some venture capital, payments and financial services heavyweights during the first half of the month.
Bank Yahav live with TCS Bancs core banking platform: “the world’s most complex IT project”
Israel-based Bank Yahav has gone live with a new core banking platform, Bancs, supplied by TCS Financial Solutions. The “pure Java-based” solution is provided on a hosted basis.
