Microsoft


Microsoft and AWS buddy up to democratise machine learning

Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have teamed up to launch an open-source, deep learning library called Gluon which will make machine learning (ML) more accessible to a wider range of developers, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). That will be the key to winning the machine learning race. Not making the most complex and […]

Ovamba and Microsoft team for first African language driven chatbot

Fintech firm Ovamba says it is working with Microsoft to create “the first African language driven chatbot designed to serve the millions of African SMEs who face exclusion from financial services due to the challenges of functional and business literacy”.

Cloudy with a chance of Microsoft for TSB’s digital banking

TSB has selected Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Dynamics 365 cloud solution as part of its digital banking revamp for its eight corporate centres and 550 branches. Microsoft 365 integrates Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security into a solution to help the bank’s 8,500 employees. Dynamics 365 delivers a cloud-based suite of applications […]

Tech dominates Interbrand global rankings

Interbrand has released its rankings of the most valuable brands in the world, and the technology sector has a lot to boast about, occupying six of the top ten spots, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Every now and then we just need a reminder of how important technology is for today’s society. In previous […]

AI is starting to get seriously smart, perhaps worryingly so

We’ve seen a couple of artificial intelligence (AI) shout-outs this week with Microsoft targeting telcos’ worryingly poor customer service record and European scientists potentially creating the building blocks for Skynet, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Starting in the Microsoft offices, the team has paired up with Amdocs to provide an intelligent solution to one […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 7 September 2017

From immaturity to security, our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up features the European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, the People’s Bank of China, Bank Hapoalim and Microsoft. It’s happened before and it will happen again, but distributed ledger technology (DLT) has come into some criticisms in relation to payments. In a dark duet, the European […]

Alexa gets into bed with Cortana

Amazon and Microsoft have announced their previously competing voice-driven artificial intelligence (AI) assistants are now an item, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). The world can be a lonely place for virtual assistants. All the company they have are demanding millennials constantly asking what their latest email is or a retiree wondering what the weather […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 25 July 2017

Don’t expect silence or tumbleweeds blowing down the street in the world of blockchain and Bitcoin. Our latest round-up features Microsoft, LedgerX and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Microsoft is introducing enterprise smart contracts as it delves deeper into the blockchain arena. This announcement, in a long blog post, follows on from last year’s launch […]

Azure leads the charge as Microsoft continues its resurgence

Microsoft has put in another solid performance with quarterly revenues standing at $24.7 billion, a 9% boost year-on-year, and full-year revenues of $89.95 billion, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). While the More Personal Computing unit, which for devices and gaming etc declined once again, the success of the more potent business units more than […]

Lloyds says Hello to Microsoft Windows 10 biometrics

Lloyds is working with Microsoft to test biometric authentication for customers logging into their Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland internet banking sites. The three organisations will use Windows Hello to get access to Windows 10 devices using a fingerprint or facial recognition. Devices will recognise the user, “rather than having to remember an assortment […]

Accenture, IBM and Microsoft fuel blockchain market growth

The global blockchain market will experience massive growth during the next five years – powered by the activities of “key vendors” Accenture, IBM and Microsoft. According to Research and Markets’ report, “Global Blockchain Technology Market 2017-2021”, the market will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 55.59%. One trend in the market is […]

IBM turns up heat in cloud pricing war

The last couple of months have been relatively quiet for the major cloud players, though it looks like the lurking pricing war is just beginning to heat up, reports telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). Speaking at IBM InterConnect in Las Vegas, the team announced a horde of new offerings, as well as a number of […]

Ex-R3 members behind new blockchain alliance

Banco Santander, BNY Mellon, Intel, JP Morgan and Microsoft are some of the big names behind the launch of a new blockchain alliance. Called the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), it plans to drive Ethereum blockchain technology best practices – “focusing on security, privacy, scalability and interoperability”. This development creates another rival for the R3 blockchain […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 15 February 2017

Life is a cabaret… and a fast one at that. Here’s a round-up of key events to save you time. Featuring KPMG, Microsoft, Hyperledger and more. Japan’s largest Bitcoin exchange Bitflyer has finished a new ¥200 million ($1.75 million) funding round from Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Mizuho Capital and SMBC Venture Capital. The banks’ backing […]

Microsoft and Qualcomm invest in Israeli cybersecurity firm Team8

Microsoft and Qualcomm have invested in Team8, an Israel-based cybersecurity company. Team8 also revealed a strategic partnership with Citi to assist with developing its products, and says this latest investment brings the total raised to more than $92 million. Team8 was founded by Nadav Zafrir, Israel Grimberg and Liran Grinberg, all former members of the […]

Top ten blockchain stories in 2016

It felt like there was a blockchain story every day in 2016, but we look back at some of the bigger stories with Banking Technology’s top ten! Microsoft and AMIS launch Asia’s first blockchain consortium Microsoft says it is also in “collaboration” with banks such as Ubon Financial, Cathay Financial Holdings and MegaBank to further […]

Microsoft and AMIS launch Asia’s first blockchain consortium

Microsoft has teamed with AMIS and the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) to form Asia’s “first” consortium blockchain network on Azure. They will use AMIS’s blockchain solutions with Azure as the cloud platform – “the only platform with BaaS” (Banking-as-a-Service). Azure will provide public, private and hybrid cloud models; and business and technical […]

Blockchain: the theme for 2016

Blockchain and distributed technology have been hot topics at Sibos this year, with a raft of announcements from banks and fintechs alike. One of the areas identified as of most promise is trade finance – an area of banking that is rife with paper-based processes.

Top fintech stories this week – 3 June 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! ECB goes to tender for new treasury management system After many years it’s time for a change. Microsoft unveils blockchain-based identity system Inspired by the United Nations’ ID2020 Summit on Identity. Student Loans Company puts IT contract with […]

Microsoft unveils blockchain-based identity system

Microsoft is collaborating with Blockstack Labs and ConsenSys, and developers across the globe on an open source, self-sovereign, blockchain-based identity system. The announcement by Microsoft follows its participation at the United Nations’ ID2020 Summit on Identity. Yorke Rhodes, blockchain business strategist, Microsoft, says: “Without legal identification, children and people are invisible to society which makes […]

Microsoft selects Capitalise for latest tech accelerator

Microsoft has chosen Capitalise to join its latest accelerator, the fifth cohort of its 16-week programme for “high growth” technology companies. Capitalise officially launched at Finovate last month and is the “first” online marketplace using behavioural analytics to match lenders with SMEs seeking finance. The start-up says it features more than 50 institutional lenders, enabling […]

Deutsche Bank plans three new labs as part of €1 billion digital investment

Deutsche Bank plans to open three innovation labs as part of its €1 billion investment in digital initiatives over the next five years. The bank has partnered with different technology partners for each of the Deutsche Bank Labs and will be working Microsoft in Berlin, HCL in London and IBM in Silicon Valley.

Europol takes down botnet in international action

In a joint international operation Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre seized servers said to have controlled the Ramnit botnet that had infected 3.2 million computers internationally. The operation involved investigators from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK – which led the operation – along with partners from private industry.

Fingerprint authentication for mobile finance moves closer with FIDO

Widespread use of fingerprint authentication for financial transactions on mobile devices could start taking off from early next year as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Google, Samsung, Lenovo, Microsoft, Alipay and others adopt a new authentication standard through their joint project, the FIDO Alliance, which has just published its specifications and launched its first server.

Microsoft fights cyber crime with pilot project

Microsoft has begun a joint pilot project with the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (FS-Isac) to tackle financially-motivated cyber crime attacks, which are estimated to cost $100 billion a year in the US alone.