Worldwide
Tescher: ‘Set Up People for Success’ (June 6, 2013)
During the opening keynote address at the Underbanked Financial Services Forum, which kicked off yesterday in Miami, CFSI President and CEO Jennifer Tescher suggested that conference attendees view themselves as being in the financial health business. Drawing heavily on analogies to the health care industry throughout her address, Tescher explained that the American psyche is […]
Bell ID releases secure cloud NFC tool
Dutch software company Bell ID has released a new tool that aims to simplify the provision of NFC mobile services, including mobile payment. The firm’s secure element in the cloud manages keys, certificates and NFC credentials in a remote environment rather than in the mobile device; the idea is to provide app issuers with the […]
Temenos: moving beyond the core
The extent to which a targeted series of acquisitions over the past few years have moved Temenos from being simply a core banking system vendor to a fully-fledged financial technology specialist became clear at its recent annual user event, this year held in Abu Dhabi.
The gathering storm
Recent months have seen rising tensions over the seemingly insurmountable demands for collateral prompted by tough new financial regulation. With US Treasury estimates ranging as high as to $11.2 trillion in stressed market conditions, some observers are deeply concerned that the industry could be in danger of sliding into a black hole
PayPal and Its Quest for Ubiquity (June 2013)
E-commerce is still PayPal’s bread and butter, but the company is making serious strides at brick-and-mortar stores.
Brokers must outsource technology to survive says report
Brokers need to cut back costs radically, reducing staff numbers and even casting aside parts of their equity business that were once considered core, according to new research by analyst firm Celent.
Pressure on financial innovation shown by drop in patent applications
Innovation in financial services is currently at a seven-year low, reflecting a period of cost-cutting and scaling back in the face of new financial regulation – but innovative new technologies such as mobile may provide a solution, according to law firm RPC.
Heartland Digs into School Lunch Payments with Mobile App (June 4, 2013)
Heartland School Solutions, a division of Princeton, N.J.-based payments processor Heartland Payment Systems, has unveiled a new mobile app that enables parents of school-aged children to manage their kids’ lunch expenses via smartphone or tablet.
payleven Signals International Expansion Ambitions with Apple, Wirecard Connections (June 4, 2013)
As competition heats up in the mobile merchant acceptance arena, payleven hopes to improve its odds of gaining international market share with a deal to sell its chip-and-PIN readers in Apple Inc. stores across Europe plus a new strategic alliance it’s formed with Germany-based Wirecard AG.
RBS puts Pain in charge of compliance
The Royal Bank of Scotland has appointed former FSA supervisor Jon Pain as head of its conduct and regulatory affairs division, reporting directly to chief executive Stephen Hester.
Study Shows Growth in Mobile Banking Usage, Functionality (June 3, 2013)
June 3, 2013 Mobile banking is on the rise, with 33 percent of consumers now using banking apps on a mobile phone or tablet device, according to a report by electronic payments association SWACHA. The organization’s newly released 2013 Consumer Insights Survey shows just how quickly mobile banking has grown; in 2011, just 20 percent […]
Taking ethical banking global
In early 2009, soon after the global subprime fallout, the official Vatican newsletter published a rather contextual referral for Islamic banking, observing that the ‘ethical principles on which Islamic finance is based may bring banks closer to their clients and to the true spirit which should mark every financial service‘, writes Riaz Akhtar, senior consultant, […]
Notch one up for the War on Cash
The latest figures from UK retailers show a significant move to debit cards and new mechanisms like PayPal as consumers shy away from cash and credit cards.
Banking on the user-centric experience? Begin with robust data and analytics
The UK retail banking sector is characterised by a continuing lack of competition and resultant limited customer churn between financial services providers. This has made it difficult even for new market entrants to gain market share from long-standing, less popular competitors, due to the inconvenience and complexity involved in switching banks.
NetSpend Delays Shareholder Meeting to Consider Alternative Acquisition Proposals (May 30, 2013)
May 30, 2013 NetSpend Holdings Inc. this week said it will postpone a special shareholder meeting originally planned to finalize its proposed $1.4 billion merger with Total Systems Services Inc. (TSYS) from May 31 to June 18 to allow time to consider other unsolicited proposals and announce certain modifications to its TSYS agreement. Austin, Texas-based […]
Telefónica Joins with Spanish FIs for New Mobile JV (May 30, 2013)
May 30, 2013 Spain-based telecom giant Telefónica has joined with Spanish financial services providers CaixaBank and Santander to form a new company to develop “business opportunities based on the latest mobile and communication technologies.” According to the involved companies, the alliance is Europe’s first full joint venture between financial institutions and telecom operators for the […]
Vesta E-Wallet Targets Unbanked, Prepaid Mobile Users (May 30, 2013)
May 30, 2013 Vesta Corp., an Atlanta-based electronic payments services provider with offices in Ireland and China, has teamed up with three firms to develop Vesta PayMobile, a white-label e-wallet to help MNOs provide financial services to their prepaid customers. The smartphone application will launch with, yet unnamed, major mobile operators in the U.S. in […]
Mobey Forum: Most FIs Likely to Go It Alone on Digital Wallets (May 30, 2013)
May 30, 2013 Banks and other financial institutions looking to enter into the mobile wallet arena are likely to find a market rife with competition, mostly in the form of own-branded products that deliver proprietary services only. That was among the findings in a new white paper by Mobey Forum’s Business Workgroup, the fourth in […]
New London derivatives exchange set to open this week
Nasdaq OMX NLX , the new London market offering a range of both short-term interest rate and long-term interest rate euro- and sterling-denominated listed derivative products will launch this Friday following regulatory approval.
Demica report shows strong growth for supply chain finance
Technology will contribute to the development of the supply chain finance market, with the growth of e-invoicing systems seen as a significant market accelerator by the majority of the banking community.
Visa, MasterCard Sue to Block Interchange Lawsuits as Merchants Opt Out of $7.25 B Settlement (May 29, 2013)
Several hundred U.S retailers this week formally opted out of the proposed settlement of U.S. merchants’ long-running antitrust case against Visa and MasterCard, four days after the payment networks filed a new complaint in federal court to block further interchange-related lawsuits.
FTC Proposes Ban on Prepaid, Remittance Payments to Telemarketers; Seeks Industry Comment (May 28, 2013)
The FTC has proposed barring telemarketers from accepting payments via wired funds, remotely created checks and payment orders, and authorization codes for prepaid cards.
IDology Beefs Up ID-Verification Tools, Harnessing Home Webcams (May 28, 2013)
May 28, 2013 Atlanta-based technology company IDology has beefed up its tools to verify individuals’ identities in card-not-present environments. The latest version of IDology’s verification tools, ExpectID Scan and ExpectID Scan Verify, build on the company’s core products, which have been in use for several years for organizations that routinely use them to verify identity […]
Cards top target list for fraudsters
Credit and store cards have returned to the top of the list of fraud targets, with a 28% increase in the first four months of the year – at a time when overall fraud levels fell by 16.5%.
Cinnober seeks students for trainee programme at new Swedish fintech centre
Trading and risk technology specialist Cinnober is investing in a financial IT cluster in northern Sweden, centred on the university town of Umeå and initiating a a one-year trainee programme stating in the autumn.
Celent study says banks should put outsourced payment infrastructures into the cloud
Banks need to cross a psychological barrier and embrace the concept of outsourcing their payments operations if they are to compete on product innovation and customer service rather than simply on cost.
