Banking


Do not disturb: digital evolution in progress

Digital disruption has made its mark, changing how consumers interact with and consume banking services. For banks there is no way back from digital. A new landscape has been forged and they must find their place within this new operating environment. Ever evolving consumer needs, the curse of legacy systems, the relentless march of fintechs […]

RISE develops new blockchain solution for post-trade sector

UK-based RISE Financial Technologies claims to be “the first technology firm to launch the second generation of blockchain for the post-trade sector”. The solution is now undergoing testing with a number f banks, custodians and CSDs. The results will be published in H2 2016. RISE develops multi-asset class, multi-currency distributed financial ledger technology for the […]

Three vendors join forces for new digital banking platform

Unisys, Sandstone Technology and Payment Card Technologies (PCT) are bringing to market a new digital banking solution. The solution, called USP, will consist of the “best of breed” products from each vendor, all “seamlessly” integrated. USP is aimed at new market entrants and established players. The participating vendors describe it as “cost-effective”. It will support […]

Standard Life and ING Australia working with IBM on digital projects

UK-based investment company Standard Life and ING’s Australian subsidiary are working with IBM on a range of digital and data management initiatives. Standard Life: it’s personal Standard Life is personalising its financial services capabilities “to each of its 3.8 million UK customers”, IBM states. Using IBM’s analytics tools Standard Life “can accurately track a person’s […]

Capital One UK launches fintech start-up accelerator

Capital One UK is inviting fintech start-ups to join its newly launched Capital One Growth Labs – “an accelerator programme for early-stage start-up and high-growth companies”. The initiative is supported by technology investor L Marks. The aim, states Chris Owen, programme leader, is to discover and partner with the new fintech talent and “and unlock the truly […]

The switch from analog to digital banking is not just about new tech – 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, pulls no punches in this opinion piece. Digital technology evangelists, read it at your peril. The past 50 years I have known only three bank CEOs who […]

UBS invests in digital tech firm SigFig, develops new platform for advisors

UBS Wealth Management Americas (WMA) and tech company SigFig has formed a “strategic alliance” to develop digital technology for UBS WMA, its financial advisors and their clients. San Francisco-based SigFig specialises in wealth management software. It will create and customise digital tools and services for UBS WMA’s 7,000 advisors. UBS WMA’s remit is domestic US and […]

Beaten British banks need to modernise and improve software quality management

Following outages at some of the UK’s leading banks including Barclays and, most recently, HSBC which left customers unable to access funds for up to two days, means system failures are a hot topic. The amount and frequency of these damaging failures emphasises the growing issue of poor software quality management in the UK banking […]

Infographics: the efficient treasury

The treasury function plays a pivotal role within a bank, and with great power comes great responsibility… and the need for automation. Misys and Banking Technology conducted a survey to find out about the changing role of the banks’ treasury and the degree of support received from current systems. How can technology help treasurers cope […]

Infographics: the efficient treasury

Banking Technology and Misys conducted a survey to find out about the changing role of the banks’ treasury and the degree of support received from current systems. The results are in our infographics – great contents that is easy on the eye and easy to digest.

Top fintech stories this week – 13 May 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Perception brings to market new core platform UK credit unions, lenders and start-up banks take note. ING adds some zing to start-up ring It’s working with 45 start-ups on banking innovation. Punjab National Bank to modernise enterprise data […]

Barclays swerves Android Pay with smartphone NFC payments

Banking giant Barclays has announced the launch of its own mobile contactless on Android, and confirmed it will not be joining Android Pay, reports Tim Skinner at Telecoms.com. The bank has been one of the UK’s more innovative financial institutions harnessing mobile payments, and specifically the integration of payment technology into wearable or alternative devices. […]

Fear of missing out vs fear of failure: how to resolve the conflict

The fear of missing out (FOMO) forever clashes with the fear of failure (FOF) when it comes to innovating in banks. Lee Cameron, CEO of Monitise, explores the FOMO versus FOF conflict and how to resolve it. FOMO is commonly cited as being characteristic of the Instagram-driven millennial generation, but how does this relate to […]

Banking Technology May 2016 issue out now

The latest edition of our flagship magazine – Banking Technology – is out now, packed with news, analysis and insights, case studies, research and expert commentary.

European Banking Federation pushing for global policy on cybersecurity

The European Banking Federation (EBF), the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA) and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) are planning global policy measures on cybersecurity, data and technology through a new set of common principles. In its paper, “International Cybersecurity, Data and Technology Principles”, the organisations want to create a “starting point for dialogue […]

Vendor spotlight: the difference engine

Amidst the mass of humanity at Money 20/20 Europe in Copenhagen, Olivier Sery, general manager Iberia for TAS Group, took a few moments of his time to discuss the company’s software solutions for electronic money and payment systems; and its future plans. “We’ve done the investment, but now is the time to grow our footprint.” […]

ING adds some zing to start-up ring

Dutch bank ING has revealed it’s working with 45 fintech start-ups on banking innovation, such as money management, payments, lending and mobile on-boarding. Ralph Hamers, CEO of ING Group, says of the 45 fintech firms, these include seven start-ups working on their proof-of-concept through the ING Fintech Village initiative in Belgium, and four through the […]

Really! Why is my big data a time bomb?

Over $100 billion fines were paid in US for non-compliance since 2007! More than $2.5 billion in 2015 alone was a result of incomplete and inaccurate data used for complying with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. It’s not just financial institutions, but most firms are sitting on a ticking time bomb. How? Dr Seth Rao, CEO […]

Top fintech stories this week – 6 May 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Atom Bank adds another system to its tech set-up; readies mobile app Bank has just launched, but already has problems. Monitise looks to be profitable in H2 2016 But did it grow too big too fast? EFG and BSI […]

The secret weapon to better banking technology: pilot programmes

It’s time for banks to wake up. Fintech is advancing at an alarming rate, and the banking world is falling behind. And while we can all agree that fintech is revolutionising the industry, there is still plenty of disagreement as to how financial institutions should respond to the changes. Traditional establishments are cautious to implement […]

Monitise looks to be profitable in H2 2016, appoints new COO, launches new product

UK-based payments vendor Monitise seeks to turn its fortunes around with a new digital payments offering, new COO and a new, re-focused business structure. Banking Technology investigates. Choppy waters The mobile payments vendor has had a difficult few years, partly attributed to growing too big too fast. By 2014, it had to write off £128.5 […]

Infographics: The world of e-commerce

Did you know that in the Netherlands 54% of all transactions are carried out using the iDEAL online banking system? Or that Germans prefer to pay on account via direct debit and the popularity of e-wallets is growing in Russia? ‘The world of e-commerce’ reveals the three most popular e-commerce payment methods across 22 countries […]

Broadridge brings to market Global Post Trade Management solution

Global Post Trade Management (GPTM) is a combination of Broadridge’s existing systems and products plus some new components. GPTM has already been adopted by “a major investment bank”, the vendor says. Although the solution is marketed as a new, “next generation” offering, its underlying technology comprises the existing products of Broadridge. “GPTM incorporates Broadridge’s core […]

Nissan Motor automates floorplanning with Sword Apak’s WFS

Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation (NMAC) will install a new leasing solution, Wholesale Floorplan Finance System (WFS), supplied by specialist vendor Sword Apak. It will be delivered on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis. NMAC was looking for a new solution “that would provide an outstanding level of service to dealers”, says Sword Apak. The company is also […]

Finca Bank Georgia in digital banking system revamp

Finca Bank Georgia, an affiliate of Finca International, a global microfinance organisation, is looking to modernise its online and mobile banking systems. The bank has recently issued a tender to find a new provider and software. Banking Technology understands that the selection is in its final stages at present, with contract negotiations underway. Once the […]

Inter-American Development Bank ponders tech overhaul

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is looking for a new back office system, Banking Technology understands. The bank is a long-standing customer of Misys. It has been using its Opics treasury and capital markets (TCM) system for many years, and in 2014 it also signed for Summit, another back office system from Misys’ portfolio of TCM […]

Barclays.Net down and out for UK Bank Holiday weekend

Barclays’ business banking service, Barclays.net, decided it would also take time off during the three-day Bank Holiday weekend in the UK. The system suffered intermittent outages from 29 April until today (3 May), and there were numerous complaints on Twitter from angry users. The impact on customers ranged from trying to pay staff or facing […]

Banka Kovanica live with new core banking system, ABBA’s NovoDoba

Croatia-based Banka Kovanica d.d. Varazdin has gone live with a new core banking system, NovoDoba, supplied by local developer ABBA. The bank implemented 34 modules of the system, including internet banking, fraud prevention, reporting and customer analysis. The new platform went live in a “big bang”, with the full data migration from the legacy system. […]

Siraj Finance to oust ITS’s Ethix core banking system in favour of Path Solutions’ iMAL

UAE-based Islamic financial institution, Siraj Finance, is replacing ITS’s Ethix core banking system with iMAL from Path Solutions. The new platform will cover all main operations of Siraj Finance, including transaction processing, treasury, trade finance, investment management, profit calculation, credit bureau interface, Swift, electronic cheque clearing, provisioning and reporting. Abu Dhabi-based Siraj offers consumer and […]

How do MARket participants justify surveillance spend in an era of cost cutting?

With MiFID II now confirmed and MAR just around the corner, Dave Tolladay of Alerts4 Financial Markets examines the key questions facing financial institutions having to increase trade surveillance monitoring spend while reducing costs. Between €500 and €700 million – that’s the estimated one-off compliance cost to be imposed on financial firms carrying out a […]

Myanmar: latest IT tenders, implementations and go-lives

KBZ Stirling Coleman (KBZSC) and AYA Trust go live with TCS Bancs, and Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) looks for a hardware provider for its new subsidiary in Myanmar. KBZSC and AYA Trust TCS Financial Solutions has completed the deployment of its TCS Bancs system to support securities trading and settlement at […]

UniCredit to unify global transaction business on one platform

Italian banking heavyweight, UniCredit, is working on standardising its global transaction business (GTB) on one platform, underpinned by D+H’s Global PayPlus (GPP) system. GPP is supplied by D+H’s Global Transaction Banking Solution (GTBS) unit, formerly known as Fundtech. UniCredit’s GTB business covers 17 countries – the bank has accrued it via an aggressive M&A strategy […]

Avaloq turnover in 2015 reaches “record” $520m

Banking software vendor Avaloq has reported a “record” financial year in 2015 with a turnover of almost CHF 500 million ($518 million). The Swiss vendor says it has won 11 new customers, and is now working with 450 banks and wealth managers worldwide. New customers include China CITIC Bank International; Crestone, the former wealth management […]

Core banking vendor IPBS signs reseller agreement with eShore

International Private Banking Systems (IPBS), a Caribbean software vendor focused on wealth management and private banking sectors, has joined forces with eShore, an IT services provider to offshore international banks and FIs. According to the agreement, Cayman Islands-based eShore will be marketing and selling IPBS’s flagship core banking system, also dubbed IPBS, across a number […]

Top fintech stories this week – 29 April 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Bank of Ireland ponders major IT overhaul Irish eyes are smiling… or at least weighing up their options. MSB and FDH Bank to merge on Temenos’ T24 core system The die has been cast. Neptune’s Rubikon crossed out. […]

Instant Payments Framework launched by Icon Solutions

The new framework – available worldwide – is set to open up access to real-time payments for banks. UK-based Icon Solutions, an IT payment consultancy and specialist technology provider, describes its Instant Payments Framework (IPF) as “an agile yet robust software product that expedites financial institutions’ transition to instant payments”. The vendor emphasises that “IPF […]

New multilateral trading facility, Elixium, to launch in May

Tradition, the interdealer brooking arm of Compagnie Financière Tradition, is poised to launch a new EU-regulated multilateral trading facility (MTF) for collateral and secured deposits. Dubbed Elixium, it will open for business in May this year. “Elixium has been developed to address the growing need for a transparent, open to all, peer-to-peer, regulated marketplace,” says Tradition. […]

Swissquote signs with NetGuardians for data confidentiality solution

Swiss banking technology vendor NetGuardians has signed Swissquote Bank for its RiskGuardian solution. It will ensure data confidentiality compliance. RiskGuardian includes the NGScreener enterprise software platform along with predefined controls for specific regulations, such as the FINMA 2008/21 Appendix III regulation related to client confidentiality. Like with many of NetGuardians’ clients, Swissquote is a Tememos’ […]

Calastone gets new live site for settlement service, Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown, a financial service company based in Bristol, UK, has gone live with Calastone’s funds settlement system, Calastone Settlements. Danny Cox, head of communications at Hargreaves Lansdown comments that “automatic matching of trades and the netting of settlement positions early in the day will improve the efficiency of our operational and treasury teams”. He […]