FinTech


Myanmar gets first corporate credit card

A trio of financial organisations have launched the AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB co-branded card in Myanmar – the nation’s first corporate credit card targeted for business payment use. Ayeyarwady Bank (AYA Bank), Myanmar Payment Union (MPU) and JCB International (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB, have teamed up for the new card which has […]

China overtakes US in latest top 500 supercomputer list

The release of the semiannual Top 500 Supercomputer List is a chance to gauge the who’s who of countries that are pushing the boundaries of high performance computing (HPC). The most recent list shows that China is now in a class by itself, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). China now claims 202 […]

Dell makes machine learning road-ready

While Oracle, IBM and others are pushing machine learning in the cloud, many enterprises see advantages to keeping IT infrastructure in-house. Dell is looking to fill that desire with a line of hardware servers and services for machine learning for the enterprise, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Dell Machine and Deep Learning […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 14 November 2017

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s (13 November) action, here’s our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up. Featuring Bitcoin Gold, OTC Exchange Network, Deloitte and Github. Bitcoin Gold (BTG), the newest fork of the Bitcoin blockchain, has officially gone live. It’s not the first to breakaway from Bitcoin, as previously in August, Bitcoin Cash (BCC) launched. […]

Federal Bank opts for Intellect’s digital transaction banking platform

Federal Bank in India has selected Intellect Design Arena’s digital transaction banking (DTB) platform as part of its revamp. The system is powered by an omnichannel corporate banking exchange (CBX) portal with backend processors for collections and receivables, payables, account services and supply chain finance. Intellect says DTB will also augment the front end of […]

Rackspace and HPE offering OpenStack as private cloud service

With most of the chatter in the cloud computing market focused on the big public cloud providers, it’s easy to forget that private cloud is a viable option for many larger enterprises. Now, Rackspace and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) are looking to change that, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The two companies […]

Token and Envestnet | Yodlee team up for open banking

Open banking platform provider Token has partnered with Envestnet | Yodlee, a data analytics platform, for payments and financial data aggregation. The partnership will use Token’s operating system, TokenOS, which offers PSD2 compliant payments and gives access to banks for third-party service providers, via an API. In addition, the deal will use Envestnet | Yodlee’s […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 13 November 2017

Following Friday’s (10 November) feisty blockchain and Bitcoin action, here’s another round-up. Features CryptoCoinBits, European Commission, R3 and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. With increasing fears about Bitcoin ICOs and bubbles bursting, it was inevitable someone would see a gap in the market. Enter CryptoCoinBits, which has unleashed a Bitcoin trading platform and asks: “So how can […]

Crime moves upmarket as fraud becomes UK’s number 1 offence

New research from Experian claims fraud is now the UK’s most common criminal offence, much to the dismay of thugs and hoodlums everywhere, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). The company’s Annual Fraud Indicator 2017 estimates the annual cost of fraud in the UK is £190 billion, exceeding the total gross domestic product of 148 […]

Crown Agents Bank’s new platform empowers online FX trading

UK-based Crown Agents Bank (CAB) has launched a new online foreign exchange (FX) trading platform – EMpowerFX – offering access to prices on emerging market and major traded currencies. “Our OECD-based clients depend on our ability to offer a diverse range of hard-to-find and illiquid currencies, from the Belize dollar and Ethiopian birr, to the […]

ACI powers Malaysia’s real-time payments network plan

Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), the national financial market infrastructure provider, will build Malaysia’s real-time retail payments platform (RPP) using ACI Worldwide’s UP Immediate Payments solution. RPP is an initiative to modernise the country’s infrastructure to all participants in the ecosystem, including banks, institutions, businesses, consumers and the government. PayNet resulted from the merger of Bank […]

Orange Bank goes live with Backbase banking platform

France’s latest mobile-only bank, Orange Bank, has gone live on Backbase’s Omnichannel Banking Platform. Backbase says Orange is the only French bank to offer for free a service that provides real-time balances, mobile payments and a virtual adviser that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Orange Bank was finally launched on […]

Barclays in Flux for instant digital receipts

Barclays is trialling itemised digital receipts to its customers via a partnership with start-up Flux, a rewards and receipt platform. The upcoming trial will take place with around 10,000 users of the Barclays Launchpad app, its platform for testing new features with “real customers to learn more about how best to meet their needs”. Matty […]

It’s time to pull the brake on Bitcoin

With ten years in fintech under my belt, I have seen the creation of the word itself. I have also seen the rise of various hypes, adoption of buzzwords, sky-high funding rounds, epic failures and a surprising knowledge gap in what is the world’s biggest industry.

Talend acquires API design and test specialist Restlet

Talend, which specialises in big data and cloud integration, is acquiring the outstanding shares of Restlet SAS, a France-based company that specialises in API design and testing, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). Although no financial details were released, all 16 members of the Restlet staff along with the company’s founder will join […]

Fintech funding round-up: 10 November 2017

Just when you thought there couldn’t be more following yesterday’s (9 November), Wednesday’s (8 November) and Tuesday’s (7 November) fintech funding round-ups, here’s more news action. Featuring Crux, Accern and Blume Ventures.

Cheddar on mission to help software developers monetise faster

It’s a tale as old as tech start-ups – a software developer creates a new app and is convinced it will take the world by storm. The only problem? No idea how to monetise the brilliant creation. Xconomy (Banking Technology‘s sister publication) reports that a US fintech start-up based in Bloomington, Indiana, called Cheddar aims […]

A CIO ‘Renaissance’ needs the cloud

For several years, it appeared the role of the CIO had been eclipsed by others – CMO, CFO, chief digital officer – who looked to claim a greater role and say over what information technologies their enterprises would invest in, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). It’s not so much over what specific […]

Canada’s Competition Bureau calls for fintech feedback

The Competition Bureau in Canada is seeking feedback on the nation’s financial services and fintech sector. Like many other regulators around the world, the bureau has published a draft report on its market study concerning technology‑led innovation. John Pecman, commissioner of competition at the Competition Bureau, says: “The future is now. Let’s get it right […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 9 November 2017

Whether it’s AI to bridge cryptocurrencies or someone accidentally losing it, something is always going on, whether right or wrong in the world of blockchain and Bitcoin. Our latest round-up features Parity, AiX, R3 and SIA.

Payments round-up: 9 November 2017

We got a trilogy folks. Following the payments round-ups on 8 November and 7 November, here’s more paytech action. Features PayPal, NCR, Samsung, Scotiabank, Mastercard and Eftpos. It’s been offering cross-border payments in India for a decade, but PayPal has now launched domestic operations in the country as it looks to take on Paytm and […]

Microsoft looks to secure clouds with Project Cerberus

Microsoft is looking to make cloud infrastructure safer at the hardware level with a new offering called “Project Cerberus,” which is the company’s latest contribution to the Open Compute Project (OCP), reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). Company engineers unveiled Cerberus at Zettastructure, the European digital infrastructure conference, which is taking place this […]

Africa can learn from the South American mistakes

Africa is firmly in last place when it comes to the development of the digital society, unless you count the Antarctic, but looking towards the failures of other emerging markets might help things along, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). First of all you have to address the hurdles which Africa is facing. Firstly, the […]

Over-regulation and career politicians could spell disaster for tech

Government intervention has been a hot topic all week at AfricaCom, and it doesn’t seem like there is going to be a resolution to the problem anytime soon, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). Of course there will always be a need to regulate any industry; commercial entities should not be left by themselves, they […]

Bank of England launches youthful cybersecurity challenge

The Bank of England (BoE) has unleashed a cybersecurity challenge for the young at heart as it seeks to maintain monetary and financial stability. It cites recent cyberattacks on high-profile systems and organisations such as the Bank of Bangladesh as something to be wary of. To that end, it’s calling for people to: “Think big. […]

UK banks join the iPhone X Face ID rush

Customers of TSB and Tesco Bank are now able to use facial recognition technology, Face ID, for mobile banking app and make payments. The new technology is exclusive to Apple’s iPhone X. Carlos Abarca, TSB’s chief information officer, says: “Providing customers with biometrics logon to their mobile banking, such as Face ID, means all of […]

Digital performance firm Dynatrace acquires Qumram

Digital performance management company Dynatrace has acquired Qumram, a digital interaction audit solutions provider, for an undisclosed amount. With the addition of Qumram’s technology and intellectual property, Dynatrace says it will provide the ability to visually replay a user session within its existing platform. Qumram’s product will be re-engineered and will form part of an […]

OCBC Bank in good shape with digital health insurance plan

Singapore’s OCBC Bank has unveiled the purchasing of health insurance plans via its mobile and internet banking channels. The bank says: “Typically, health insurance plans like critical illness, disability, hospitalisation and surgical are not sold via online channels as they require a health check-up to evaluate the applicant’s medical condition. However, with ‘Early Cancer Care’, […]

UK start-up secures inevitable Hollywood movie sequel

With unerring predictability, the Hollywood movie machine has churned out a sequel for the energetic and eventful life story of a UK-based payments start-up. As reported in May, the rise of Charon Ferries, the creation of the husband and wife team of Michelle and Mark Morrison (who have defied all known laws of the universe […]

Fintech funding round-up: 9 November 2017

Briskly following yesterday’s (8 November) and Tuesday’s (7 November) fintech funding round-ups, here’s more brief news action. Features WeLab, FinMkt and FriendlyScore. Hong Kong’s lending platform WeLab has raised $220 million of combined Series B+ equity and debt financing – and has won the backing of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, International Finance Corporation (IFC) […]

A new edge for fintech centres in a post-Brexit world

The uncertainty produced by the Brexit vote – and the turbulent negotiations since – has led some to question whether the UK can maintain its status as a global fintech capital. But for London as much as for its rivals in the US, China and beyond, the key may lie in capitalising on the next competitive edge for fintech centres.

Payments round-up: 8 November 2017

Just yesterday (7 November) was a payments round-up, but here’s more action from the lively paytech place. Features Apple, Coinsilium Group, UMT United Mobility Technology, Visa and even the Olympic Winter Games. Apple, which is rarely out of the news, has set up Apple Pay Cash for person-to-person (P2P) payments in Messages. This feature is […]