Banking


Get off our patch – no room for fintech fakery

A search for fintech now returns nearly ten million results – astounding, when you consider the first searches were recorded in 2005. But how many of those results focus on, or indeed are sourced from fintech innovators in the truest sense of the word, asks Philippe Gelis, CEO and co-founder Kantox. The reality is that fintech is […]

Infosys Finacle teams with Onegini for digital banking

Infosys Finacle and software firm Onegini are partnering to integrate Onegini’s mobile security platform with Finacle banking solutions. Using this solution, Infosys says banks can offer customers an option to select “advanced” authentication methods, including fingerprint, facial, eye and voice recognition as well as multi-factor authentication for “added security” as they transact on devices. The […]

Reporting under Basel III: avoiding past mistakes

In a world where prudential regulatory rules are interlinked the old temptation to explore one regulatory development at a time is damaging. Regulatory reporting, and the technological systems behind it, need to adapt if we are to avoid past mistakes, writes Selwyn Blair-Ford, head of global regulatory policy at Wolters Kluwer. Here’s a scenario that […]

Infographics: seizing the mPOS opportunity

Mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) is revolutionising the POS terminal industry. In two years, the market is estimated to be worth $43 billion. By 2019, 46% of all POS terminals in 2019 are expected to be mPOS. Over the next four years, the market is poised to grow by 400%. This nifty infographics – courtesy of FIME – […]

Misys unveils Misys FinCloud

Misys today is launching Misys FinCloud, a range of cloud solutions and “global cloud environment” for its clients. It is supported by “selected global and local infrastructure providers, systems integrators and solution partners”, including Rackspace and NTT Communications, Misys says. With Misys FinCloud “clients gain faster access to innovation through shorter and more predictable on-boarding […]

Morgan Stanley cools blockchain buzz

Morgan Stanley has brought blockchain back to earth, calling it a “double-edged sword” because while it helps banks reduce clutter, profits could fall or shift to new players. In its 31-page report, “Global Insight: Blockchain in Banking: Disruptive Threat or Tool?”, the company predicts blockchain’s “widespread potential to disrupt financial intermediaries” but says there are […]

Biometrics: the road less travelled on the customer journey

Biometric security in the financial services sector has finally reached the tipping point many have been anticipating since Apple launched its fingerprint recognition technology one whole iPhone generation ago. We recently saw the first of the major banks to announce that both fingerprint and voice recognition technology will be viable account login options for millions […]

National Bank Holdings calculates core software overhaul at $3.7 million

National Bank Holdings (NBH), a US-based holding company of a group of local community banks, has gone through a major technology overhaul with FIS. The group, which comprises three banks, has implemented FIS’s core banking system, IBS, online and mobile banking applications and a cheque imaging system, Check Image. In its latest quarterly results, NBH […]

Fidelity Bank completes latest acquisition; IT conversion to follow

US-based Fidelity Bank will move its latest acquisition, American Enterprise Bank of Florida, onto its core banking system, Fiserv’s DNA, from FIS’s Horizon. American Enterprise Bank added $209 million in assets, $147 million in loans and $182 million in deposits to Fidelity Bank. It also brought two branches in Florida. The bank’s Horizon core banking […]

Corelation’s Keystone core system reaches 50 users

US-based software vendor, Corelation, has onboarded 50 credit unions for its flagship Keystone core system. Keystone is a much newer system than most of its rivals, having hit the market just seven years ago. Corelation has also recently moved to a new head office in San Diego, California, to an office space four times bigger […]

When banks leave the front door open

Cyber attacks against the banking industry have soared in the last few years. And financial institutions now face 300% more attacks than any other industry. Comparatively with other industries, the financial services industry isn’t shy where it comes to cyber security investment and generally has a superior level of protection. But this attracts a more […]

Infosys’ Finacle core banking system gains first taker in Myanmar

Asia Green Development (AGD) Bank, one of the first commercially owned banks in Myanmar, is automating its ops with Infosys’ Finacle core banking system. This is Infosys’ first core banking system client in Myanmar. The system will support all main operations of the bank, front-to-back office, including online and mobile banking. Finacle will oust a […]

Bermuda Commercial Bank goes live with new core banking system, Temenos’ T24

Bermuda Commercial Bank (BCB) has gone live with Temenos’ T24 core banking system (R13). The bank has also implemented Temenos’ business intelligence and analytics tool, Insight, and an AML solution. Sofgen, a Switzerland-based specialist IT consultancy and integration firm (now part of Tech Mahindra), carried out the implementation. The project was 18 months in the […]

Swift Business Forum London 2016: Blockchain – a reconciliation revolution

Blockchain is a revolution in reconciliation but not in payments, is one of the messages coming out of the Swift Business Forum London 2016. For the sixth edition of the show, more than 1,300 delegates were rammed and jammed into Tobacco Dock, London. This morning’s (20 April) sessions were dominated by warm-up speeches that praised […]

Payments UK launches new support service, signs Faster Payments as the first taker

Payments UK’s new service – Standards Collaboration Framework – offers institutions support in the implementation of industry standards. The first taker has already been onboarded. This is Faster Payments Scheme Limited (FPSL). Payments UK says the customer “will use the central, well-maintained ‘library’ to simplify how its industry stakeholders access and receive notifications about updated […]

ISO 20022 message guidelines approved and published

ISO 20022 Registration Management Group, the senior global registration body, has approved the ISO 20022 message guidelines – they have now been published. The new guidelines were developed by the ISO Real-Time Payments Group (RTPG) and facilitated by Payments UK, the representative of the country’s payments industry. Payments UK describes this development as “an important […]

Jack Henry offloads Alogent product line to Battery Ventures

US-based banking software vendor, Jack Henry & Associates, is shedding its deposit automation business, Goldleaf Enterprise Payments (formerly Alogent Corporation). The buyer is Battery Ventures, a US/Israeli venture capital and private equity firm. The company is regaining is former name – Alogent. Alogent’s back office software focuses on electronically capturing, processing and analysing cheque data […]

Two blockchain start-ups become one as Digital Asset Holdings and Elevence merge

Distributed ledger specialist Digital Asset Holdings has acquired a small Swiss start-up, Elevence Digital Finance. Elevence’s niche is a modelling language for determining rights and obligations in blockchain collaboration agreements. Its takeover provides Digital Asset with a new, verifiable way for parties involved in a transaction to independently prove updates to a distributed ledger while […]

Swift to launch new cloud-based learning platform, SwiftSmart

The new e-learning platform will administrate, document, track, report and deliver a broad catalogue of digital courses and social learning. It is an interactive, cloud-based service. To start with, SwiftSmart will support a subset of Swift’s existing training portfolio, which consists of 100+ courses. The full portfolio will be available by 2017. The initiative is […]

Testing times: solving the cost conundrum in a disrupted market

Doing more with less is an important goal for any business. In the world of banking, an increasingly complex market is driving firms to uncover new ways to deliver cost efficiencies, writes Peter Gould, associate partner at Orbium. Growing competition from specialist providers continues to disrupt the traditional banking model. These firms are using new […]

Scotiabank invests millions of dollars in digitalisation; simplifies operating models

Canada’s Scotiabank named key components of its technology and operations strategy at the recent annual meeting of shareholders. These (unsurprisingly) focus on digital transformation, technology investment and the simplification of its organisational and operating models, as the nature of work and roles change. Brian Porter, president and CEO of Scotiabank, said that “a comprehensive change […]

CIMB Group unifies core banking operations on One Platform

CIMB Group is celebrating the completion of a major core banking project – to unify its regional operation on a single platform, One Platform (1P). The project spans four countries: Malaysia (where the group’s headquarters are based), Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Silverlake Axis, Accenture, IDS Scheer and IBM were the main technology partners. Silverlake’s core […]

Robotic automation software vendor OpenSpan acquired by Pegasystems

US-based developer of CRM and BPM software, Pegasystems, has acquired OpenSpan. The acquisition, says Pegasystems, “brings robotics, analytics and case management together to enable more productive employees and better customer experience”. OpenSpan, based in the US state of Georgia, specialises in robotics process automation and workforce analytics software. The company says it is currently running […]

Backbase’s omnichannel platform gains new live site in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s Halyk Bank has launched a new digital banking subsidiary, Altyn-i, underpinned by the Backbase omnichannel solution. Backbase interfaces to Altyn-i’s core banking system, CBS, from Colvir Software Solutions. The new bank aims to offer a full range of financial services. At present, it offers account opening, debit cards and payment services. Consumer loans, mortgages […]

Xceed and Reach Credit Unions to unite on Fiserv’s DNA core platform

California-based credit union, Xceed Financial, is merging with fellow Reach Federal Credit Union. The two entities will use Fiserv’s DNA core processing system as their centralised platform. It will be provided on a hosted basis. Xceed is already on the DNA platform, but has been using it in an in-house environment rather than outsourced. Reach […]

Top fintech stories this week – 15 April 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! EPC launches public consultation on SEPA instant payments scheme You’ve got until 10th July to submit your views. What do corporates want from their banks? Simplicity, standardisaion and automation. New core banking system selection in the Netherlands Amsterdam Trade […]

Infographics: Video banking – it’s on

Video banking has finally reached inflection point, according to Efma and Vidyo Inc. The two companies have carried out the research, “which uncovered massive support for video banking among financial organisations worldwide”. Nearly 80% of all banks surveyed plan to offer video-enabled banking services. Check out this nifty infographics (courtesy of Efma and Vidyo) on all […]

Volante Technologies makes inroads into Turkey via tie-up with Payfessional

Financial messaging and payment specialist Volante Technologies has inked a partnership agreement with Payfessional, a Turkey-based IT firm. The tie-up will see Payfessional offering Volante’s VolPay suite of payment integration and processing solutions to the Turkish banking market. Payfessional, which focuses on e-payment processing solutions for the financial services industry, will also market the solution […]

Bigbank overhauls credit processing with Provenir

Estonia-based Bigbank is modernising its credit decisioning and loan origination processes with Provenir. Provenir’s cloud-based solution will reduce time to market, improve efficiency and customer centricity at the bank, says the vendor. Agur Jõgi, chief technology officer at Bigbank, comments that investment in technology will help the bank to achieve the goals of “delighting customers” […]

Earthport and Ria Money Transfer join forces for remittances

Earthport, a UK-based cross-border payment network, and Ria Money Transfer, the world’s third largest money transfer company, have teamed up. Earthport will provide Ria with access to a global payment network. “Through a single, managed relationship with Earthport, Ria will gain access to over 60 domestic clearing schemes,” Earthport states. The solution “enables complete transparency”, […]

M&A in investment management tech space: Linedata acquires Derivation

France-based Linedata has taken over fellow investment management software provider, Derivation. Derivation specialises in risk, analytics, and portfolio management solutions to institutional and hedge fund managers. It is based in the UK, employs 20 people and its pro-forma revenue for 2015 is £2 million (€2.5 million). The acquisition has now been completed. Derivation’s products will […]

Insights EMEA: what corporates want from their banks

The recent D+H conference in London has provided a platform to corporates to share their experiences of dealing with banks, vent their frustration, highlight the improvements and discuss the latest developments and the way forward. Unsurprisingly, the main themes were standardisation, automation and the reduction of complexity. The panellists – representatives of Hilton Worldwide, Ingersoll […]

Top fintech stories this week – 8 April

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Money 20/20 Europe: Biometric identity, SMEs and final day’s sessions round-up Key highlights, what went well and what could be improved. Money 20/20 Europe: KYC/ID, commerce disruption and femtech round-up Valid points raised, key issues discussed. A must […]

Insights EMEA conference: corporate banks and their pains

At the D+H customer event in London, Insights EMEA, there has been a lot of talk about innovation, blockchain (of course) and where corporate payments are heading. Whilst D+H and its Global Transaction Banking Solution (GTBS, formerly Fundtech) unit are, understandably, promising their clients better solutions – so we won’t dwell on that – it […]

Fintechs, prepare for a wave of M&A

The financial services ecosystem is experiencing dramatic change, driven on the one hand by disruptive fintech models that are causing disintermediation of the financial incumbents, and on the other hand by rapid advances in technology that are disrupting the ancient, creaking core banking platforms. Fintechs, prepare for a wave of M&A, says FirstCapital’s CEO, Jason Purcell, as […]

Platformification: all together now

Platformification – what is it and why do banks need to know about it? Hans Tesselaar, executive director at Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN), explores the issue. When alternative fintech players first established themselves in the financial services industry, they raised their profile by collectively bashing the banks – positioning themselves as a more transparent, […]

Western Union launches digital B2B payments platform for SMEs worldwide, WU EDGE

Western Union Business Solutions has unveiled a brand new payments platform for SMEs, WU EDGE. The project has been 18 months in the making and is available to new and existing customers for free. WU EDGE is cloud-based, and is designed to be a single global payments tool for businesses worldwide. It will go live […]