Digital


Banking Technology September 2017 issue out now

Welcome to fintech central! Good service operating on all lines. The latest edition of our flagship magazine – Banking Technology – is out now, packed with news, analysis and insights, case studies, research and expert commentary.

Bambu wins strategic investment from Franklin Templeton

Singapore-based B2B robo-advisor Bambu has completed a funding round, featuring a strategic investment from Franklin Templeton Investments and venture capital funding from Wavemaker Partners, part of the Draper Venture Network.

E-book: Top 5 challenges of digital transformation and how to tackle them

Get practical advice for overcoming the top 5 challenges of digital transformation, revealed by research in over 1000 enterprises around the globe. Are you struggling with inflexible legacy technologies? Or a lack of collaboration between business and IT teams? You’ll find the answers here. Download your copy of the Bizagi e-book to see: The 5 most […]

Banks, are you a passive data donor or a proactive data seeker?

With the arrival of new regulations, there are two main options for banks: they can choose to become either “data donors” or “data seekers”. These two positions imply opposite approaches to the new banking market that is in prospect, and sharply contrasting mentalities.

Artificial intelligence round-up: 31 August 2017

Where’s the humanity? Well, not here as this is an artificial intelligence (AI) round-up. Features Royal Bank of Canada, Emirates NBD, and the ten greatest threats to mankind. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has announced a pilot launch of two digital services based on AI that offer insights about client’s financials and an automated savings […]

Fintech: beware the fake news

In every aspect of life, sentiment overshoots. We overbuy and oversell securities. The political pendulum swings from left to right. Shops run out of ultra-fashionable goods only to heavily discount excess stock a couple months later. Ben Robinson, chief strategy officer at Temenos, explains how this is not a new phenomenon, but has got worse […]

Top 5 Best Challenger Banks: Fidor Bank

Our final spotlight article for our Top 5 Best Challenger Banks list is the only actual bank in the bunch. See how Germany-based Fidor Bank stacks up against the high street banks and its nonbank competitors.

Japanese start-ups fire up in force

The land of the rising sun is seeing a rising number of start-ups power up as they hunt for fintech glory. According to Nikkei Asian Review, 46 tech companies have gone public in Japan so far in 2017, with the full-year total seen reaching 80 to 90. The highest tally in the last decade was […]

Avoka reports record growth for second consecutive year

Australia-based digital banking software vendor Avoka is celebrating its second year in a row of topping expectations. The company has experienced big gains in order numbers (79% overall, 67% new business), opened a new office in Frankfurt, Germany, and launched a new solution to help FIs build and implement their visions for an omnichannel experience, reports […]

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 […]

Google chases down Apple with ARCore launch

Google has responded strongly to Apple’s front-running approach to augmented reality (AR) with the launch of a new AR platform, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). ARCore is the Android equivalent to the Apple ARKit; in short, an AR reality platform for developers. It’s not the first time Google has had a crack at the […]

Europe’s pan-industry e-identity platform preps for launch

A joint European pan-industry platform for online registration, e-identity and data services is readying for launch at the turn of the year with new partners on board. As reported in May, Deutsche Bank and a variety of German and European companies teamed up for the plan to “make online registration simpler and more secure for […]

Singapore’s Payments Council seeks road to common QR code

The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) new Payments Council plans to set up interoperable electronic payments and has unveiled a taskforce to develop a common QR code for the city-state. As reported earlier this month, the Council launched and comprises 20 people from banks, payment service providers, businesses, and trade associations. MAS says the setting […]

Top 5 Best Challenger Banks: Varo Money

“There’s a reason that the bank of the future hasn’t been created yet—it’s extremely difficult,” says Top 5 Best Challenger Bank Varo Money. See if you think they’ve got what it takes to rise to the challenge.

Banking Technology Awards entry deadline extended

Due to high volume of requests, the deadline to enter Banking Technology Awards is being extended. The final chance to enter the Awards is now Friday, 8 September 2017. Nominate projects, products, services or partnerships for a Judged Award or tell us about inspirational people by nominating them for a Leadership Award. Full details on […]

Guatemalan co-operative network selects Temenos core banking platform

Guatemala-based Federacion Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Credito (Fenacoac) has selected Temenos‘ RetailSuite core banking platform for its 25 co-operatives that operate under the brand Micoope. RetailSuite is the brand name for a variety of Temenos products, and includes the T24 core banking system and the business intelligence offering, Insight BI. Banking Technology understands […]

Juniper predicts major global shift to contactless on heels of US EMV push

A new study from Juniper Research is forecasting that more than half (53%) of global transactions at the point of sale will be contactless within five years, compared with just 15% this year, reports Banking Technology‘s sister publication Paybefore. The new research, “POS & mPOS Terminals: Vendor Strategies, Positioning & Market Forecasts 2017-2022,” expects adoption in the US […]

Walmart taps Google for omnichannel commerce play

Google and Walmart are teaming up to take on Amazon (and Alexa) with voice-activated commerce and more plans for 2018, reports Banking Technology‘s sister publication Paybefore. Starting in late September, the retail giant will be working with Google to offer hundreds of thousands of items for voice shopping via Google Assistant – the largest number […]

FIS and Equifax want you to say goodbye to passwords

FIS has joined forces with information specialist Equifax to create OnlyID, a digital authentication solution that enables consumers to make secure transactions across multiple online accounts without passwords, reports Banking Technology‘s sister publication Paybefore. OnlyID provides “a single, secure digital log-in,” consisting of the consumer’s thumbprint or another unique identifier. The two companies jointly offer the […]

Douugh rises to occasion for AI-powered banking

Banking challenger Douugh has unveiled its artificial intelligence (AI) powered financial platform, guided by “Sophie” – a 24/7 personal assistant for finances. Andy Taylor, founder and CEO of Douugh, says: “We believe the future of banking is about platform, data and identity.” Douugh plans to use Sophie to offer better financial decisions for consumers. Services […]

TerraPay teams with Instant Cash for cross-border payments

Mobile payments switch TerraPay and money transfer company Instant Cash have teamed up to enable real-time cross border money transfers for migrants that want to send money back to Africa to recipients’ mobile wallets. Powered by TerraPay’s global clearing and settlement service for mobile wallets, the partnership “will make cross-border money transfer faster and convenient […]

Mountain America CU chooses digital banking platform from Alkami

Utah-based Mountain America Credit Union (MACU), with $6.7 billion in assets, will deploy a new digital banking platform courtesy of Alkami Technology, reports Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company). The new platform will integrate with Mountain America CU’s existing core system and enable the 650,000 member institution to provide a variety of digital banking services including billpay and PFM. […]

Barclays enables voice payments with Siri

Barclays says it’s the first UK high street bank that lets mobile banking customers make a payment by asking Siri. The payment, which relies on TouchID for authentication, can be completed without opening the Barclays mobile banking app, reports Banking Technology‘s sister publication Paybefore. The Siri integration enables payments to existing payees or mobile contacts. […]

Mind the reality gap fintech

A new survey has highlighted the differences between customer expectation and experience in the fintech industry, with many companies failing to deliver the value that consumers crave. It has also flagged up the low standing that CEOs have as credible sources of information. According to public relations (PR) firm FleishmanHillard Fishburn’s (FHF) “Authenticity Gap” survey, […]

Samsung’s Bixby AI expands to more countries

Look out Siri and Alexa, but Samsung says its artificial intelligence (AI) powered Bixby’s voice system has now expanded to more than 200 countries and territories. In addition to South Korea and the US, it is now available in the UK, Australia, Canada and South Africa, among others. As reported in March, Samsung unveiled the […]

Ondot Systems unveils card control integration platform

Card control firm Ondot Systems has released its multi-interface card control integration platform. The California-based company has combined a server-side API, mobile apps, and an HTML5 framework to give financial institutions (FIs) the ability to add card control technology to their mobile banking solutions, reports Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company). “Much as Facebook Messenger fits […]

Fintech funding round-up: 21 August 2017

A short time ago, in a round-up near here (i.e. 18 August) we covered the lively world of fintech funding. Yet again, we have more cash action. Featuring Xinja, Capital Float and Prodigy Finance. Australia-based Xinja, which recently emerged from the shadows to unveil its plans for a mobile-only digital bank, is in the news […]

App economy dodges bullet as Uber wins in court

It’s a rare ray of sunshine for the under-fire Uber, as it won a key battle as the US Second Court of Appeals ruled its Terms and Conditions (T&C) were legally binding, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). Uber has proved to be a difficult ally to have in recent months with the firm facing […]

Q&A with Mobey Forum’s ED Maikki Frisk

Six months after coming on board to lead the digital financial services trade association, Maikki Frisk talks about how to drive mobile payments adoption, the implications of Brexit and PSD2, and the ultimate importance of a good user experience.

Is fintech to banking what craft ale is to brewing?

Is fintech to banking what craft ale is to brewing? If so, what can banks learn from the rise and rise of craft ale? Aden Davies, principal consultant at ABZD, looks at ten trends seen in the craft ale industry that have interesting parallels with the rise of fintech.

Infographic: why your moat is no longer enough to protect your castle

In the 1600s, Spain built an impregnable defence system to protect the San Juan Bay in Puerto Rico. This defence in-depth system fortified San Juan with three lines of defence, marking a high point in military engineering for the time period. A similar model could be used to protect your institution’s account holders from today’s cyberattacks. But with 15.4 million Americans falling victim to identity fraud last year, three lines of defence are no longer enough.