BankingTech


Trade repositories fall short warns CPMI-IOSCO study

Just under two-thirds of the world’s top nations in capital markets have now adopted international best practices, according to a new report on financial market infrastructures, but more work is needed on trade repositories.

Banks warned: digitise or die …

Retail banks often claim that customer service is their primary focus, but 75% of banks believe they haven’t concentrated efforts on improving it. Instead, annual reports focus on the financial results. Whether these two stories can become one remains to be seen, according to a new whitepaper by bank technology vendor Misys.

HP Enterprise wins RBS cheque imaging contract

RBS has awarded a contract to Hewlett Packard Enterprise for the implementation of a new image-based cheque clearing service in response to UK regulatory changes that require all cheques to be processed digitally by 2017, under HM Treasury’s Future Clearing Model.

No cloud please, we’re bankers

Despite predictions over the last few years that banks were just a heartbeat away from adopting cloud technology, only 1% of banks are actually running core processing in the cloud today, according to a new report by Temenos.

Market infrastructures must work with tech firms to combat cyber-threats

Financial market infrastructures must work with the “broader ecosystem” to improve the resilience of the international financial system in the face of “inevitable” cyber-attacks. The latest guidance document from the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures and the International Organization of Securities Commissions – Guidance on cyber resilience for financial market infrastructures – looks to […]

Kynetix kicks off blockchain commodities consortium

Post-trade technology company Kynetix has launched a blockchain consortium, focused on using distributed ledger technology in commodities markets. The move comes as financial institutions increasingly explore ways to integrate the blockchain concept into mainstream financial services.

One in five UK bank accounts hit by cybercrime

One in five UK consumers (21%) have had personal details stolen and their bank accounts used to buy goods and services as a result of a cyber security breach, according to new research from business advisory firm Deloitte.

FIX adopts open access mechanism for trading applications

Non-profit organisation the FIX Trading Community has started posting its projects on developer repository GitHub, as part of a drive to get all of the important resources freely available in one place using a single sign-on. The move was done to encourage wider access and to speed up the development of standards for high-performance trading applications.

Getting fintech on bank CIOs’ radar

It is a well-known fact that banks have two types of technology: Cold War-era IBM mainframes running Cobol-based batch programmes and Evil Genius HFT systems. The mundane truth is that any financial services operation will have a range of hardware and software systems of different vintages and spend a lot of time and money living with the consequences.

Singapore Exchange and EBS Market to build bridge between FX OTC and futures

The Singapore Exchange is to launch FX block futures on ICAP’s FX platform EBS Market, in a deal the two companies say will bridge the FX OTC and futures markets. The move comes as regulators around the world seek to move as much trading activity towards cleared platforms as possible, as part of the ongoing G20 reform agenda.

Distributed ledger adoption in securities will split front-to-back

Either the distributed ledger is the greatest revolution in financial services for a generation, or it will make little difference to anything, according to the strongly divided opinions expressed by speakers at the Mondo Visione Exchange Forum in London last week.

BT adds Volante messaging tools to Radianz cloud

Financial network BT Radianz has added Volante Technologies’ tools to the BT Radianz Cloud, in a move the two firms say will improve the reliability of clearing, settlement and payment transaction processing while cutting costs.

Banking Technology Awards 2015: and the winners are …

Banks from around the world were in attendance at the 16th Annual Banking Technology 2015 Awards ceremony in London last night to hear the names of the winners that had been selected from more than 120 entries, all of which were submitted to the scrutiny of an expert panel of judges. Hopeful entrants travelled from as far […]

Why the ‘World Class Payments in the UK’ report is of global significance

The UK’s payments system infrastructure is widely recognised as market-leading. However, evolving customer expectations and innovation in the fintech sector dictate that now is no time to rest on laurels. Work must begin today to develop the payments experience that will be taken for granted in 20 years.

Lay-off plans dampen optimism in FS jobs market

The news of major lay-offs to come put a dampener on otherwise good news in the financial sector jobs market in the UK last month. According to the Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor, October saw an across the board increase in both new job opportunities and new job seekers.

HSBC payments head to take the helm at CHAPS

Tim Fitzpatrick has been appointed as the new chief executive of CHAPS, the UK’s same day high-value payment system. Currently HSBC’s Global Payments and Cash Management chief operating officer and group head of payment services.

Santander launches distributed ledger startup challenge

Santander has launched a competition to support startups using distributed ledger technology in financial services. Through its subsidiary InnoVentures, the bank hopes to promote distributed ledger tools that could improve banking processes.

Non-bank competitors prompt banks to invest, finds survey

The threat of competition from technology companies, startups and non-banks is causing serious worry to nearly three-quarters of retail banks, causing four-fifths of them to invest in so-called ‘disruptive’ technologies, according to a new study by Infosys and non-profit organisation Efma.

Standard Chartered focuses IT on retail and risk as Winter’s axe falls

Standard Chartered is to invest $3 billion in “strategic opportunities” and its technology infrastructure as part of a wholesale reorganisation of the bank in the wake of a $139 million third-quarter loss. The restructuring will see 15,000 jobs – 17% of its workforce – go over the next three years.

FSB targets ‘too big to fail’ dilemma

Global regulatory body the Financial Stability Board has released two guidance papers which aim to solve the “too big to fail” scenario and prevent a re-run of the financial crisis by promoting the resolvability of systemically important financial institutions.

Deutsche Börse in tripartite deal to create new Chinese exchange

Deutsche Börse strengthened its links with mainland China this week with the establishment of a partnership with the Shanghai Stock Exchange and China Financial Futures Exchange to create new marketplace for the trading of renminbi-denominated offshore products under the new brand of the China Europe International Exchange.

Deutsche axes 15,000 in technology and ops overhaul

Deutsche Bank is to shed 9,000 full-time staff and 6,000 external contractor jobs in its global technology and operations infrastructure as it sets out to “modernise its outdated and fragmented IT architecture” and improve control systems.

Why pending rate rises fuel the need for collateral optimisation

Eight years on from the global financial crisis, and banks continue to face a growing number of challenges. Many have ceased or significantly reduced proprietary trading, with the resulting reduction in both risk and reward. This period has also seen lower risk appetite among many investors and continuing global competition which has put pressure on profit margins,

Cashfac adds analytics capabilities for corporates and banks

Cashfac Technologies, a specialist market leader in bank-to-corporate cash management solutions has launched Cashfac Analytics, a real-time data analysis and reporting module that enables banks and corporates to better understand their cash movements.

Why should banks care about ‘tech levels’?

The fact that London’s financial services sector is also a hot spot for technology innovation is not news. In 2014, investment in financial technology firms grew by 136%. Earlier this year, George Osborne identified London’s financial technology sector as a particularly bright spot in the recovering economy – not surprising when you consider the transformational effect that information technology continues to have on the industry

UK banking jobs move out of London

Banks in the UK are increasingly shifting jobs away from London, with the result that while the overall number of banking jobs fell 0.5% between 2013-14, 77 local authorities in the UK saw the number of banking jobs grow faster than in London.

Mobile banking customers demand new features

One in three retail banking customers feel their mobile banking app is not as good as online banking through a browser, according to a new study by ecommerce company First Data in the UK. The figures also revealed that more than half still have yet to use a mobile banking app – suggesting that there may be both an unmet demand for more functionality in mobile apps, and a need to convince the remaining consumers of their value.

Banking Technology Awards 2015 – shortlist announced

Banks from around the world are among the candidates on the shortlist for the Banking Technology 2015 Awards, announced today, showing the continuing competitive edge regional institutions are gaining over the large international players through technology.

FX industry must act now or face regulation warns LMAX

More transparency is urgently needed to restore trust in the FX industry, according to a new report by foreign exchange MTF LMAX Exchange – but to make that happen, the industry will have to collaborate.