FinTech


Bolero powers Bank of China’s first-ever electronic credit

Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) has used Bolero’s ePresentation solution for its first-ever electronic back-to-back documentary credit, reducing the time required to help a large iron ore shipment from Australia to China. The transaction was arranged jointly with NAB (National Australia Bank) and China Guangfa Bank.

Diversity in fintech: finding the next Ada Lovelace

Niamh de Niese, a new director and head of BNY Mellon’s EMEA Innovation Centre, shares her views on diversity in fintech, Ada Lovelace (often regarded as the world’s first computer programmer) and how to encourage more women into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions.

Lloyds can hear a Pindrop with anti-fraud tech

Lloyds says it is set to become the “first” organisation in Europe to introduce new fraud prevention technology, helping protect its 30 million customers from telephone fraudsters. The patented “Phoneprinting”, developed by call centre fraud firm Pindrop, creates an “audio fingerprint” of each call by analysing 147 unique call features – such as location, background […]

MasterCard and SolarisBank partner for digital banking push

MasterCard and Berlin-based SolarisBank have teamed up to bolster their digital banking ambitions. SolarisBank has got principal membership status, and will now operate at MasterCard’s “highest issuer level”, with access to its entire product portfolio. Dr. Andreas Spengel, vice-president at MasterCard, says it is “excited by the outlook of working together with a young, visionary […]

Banks behaving badly in Singapore

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is withdrawing the merchant bank status of Falcon Private Bank’s Singapore branch for “serious failures” in anti-money laundering (AML) controls and “improper conduct” by senior management at the head office in Switzerland as well as the Singapore branch. MAS is also imposing financial penalties on DBS Bank and UBS’s […]

SIBOS Interview: Instant Payments

Alain Vansnick, Head of Payments International Business, TAS Group, explains how banks can get ready for instant payments.

LzLabs to buy Eranea’s IP and tech assets

Swiss software start-up LzLabs will acquire the intellectual property (IP) and technology assets from compatriot Eranea. The tech, that specifically enables the conversion of Cobol to Java, has been acquired as LzLabs looks to boost the growth of its software-defined mainframe. Banking Technology reported on the mainframe’s launch in March and LzLabs’ partnership with Cobol-IT. […]

Payments round-up: 10 October 2016

Wasting your time is a crime. Here’s a round-up of key events in the payments space. Absa has teamed up with South African start-up Walletdoc to let its Absa Rewards customers earn cash rewards each time they use Walletdoc to pay their monthly accounts. Walletdoc works by sending reminders when payments are due, notifying users […]

Handbag stars in Starling Bank debit card debut

“We have the licence, we have the technology, now we have the card.” New UK challenger bank Starling has got its first batch of debit cards as it continues to build its infrastructure. Like some kind of shopaholic’s symbolic frolic, the bank detailed its London shopping adventure with a blog post. This had a point […]

Georgia’s TBC Bank finds time for FICO credit application software

Georgia-based TBC Bank has opted for FICO’s Origination Manager 4.5 software, used for decision making on credit applications. As a result, the bank says it has cut credit decisions and disbursement down from a day to 15 minutes. Giorgi Alibegashvili, strategic project manager at TBC Bank, says FICO Origination Manager gives it a “competitive advantage, […]

Capital One buys online price tracker Paribus

Capital One continues its fintech acquisition spree with the purchase of price tracking service Paribus. Emilia Lopez, managing vice-president, US Card at Capital One, says its “focus right now is on merging Paribus into the broader Capital One family”. Paribus will also be added into its broader set of technology and tools, such as CreditWise […]

Sibos 2016: future proofing payments

The global payments industry faces more challenges than ever before – fiercer competition, more regulations, an increasing threat from cybercrime and new demands from customers. Thierry Chilosi, head of markets & initiatives, EMEA at Swift, talks to Daily News at Sibos about the steps market participants can take to future proof their payments infrastructure.

Fintech funding round-up: 6 October 2016

When time is tight, the reading can be light. A round-up of key events in fintech funding. US-based Payoneer has completed the first closing of a growth equity financing. Proceeds from the $180 million financing will be used to “accelerate global growth”. This year, the firm opened new offices in India, Japan and the Philippines, […]

AI at RBS for TLC

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has installed advanced “human” artificial intelligence (AI) to help its staff answer customer queries. The bank says a two month trial has been “successful “and the AI, known as ‘Luvo’, is to be rolled out more widely to support employees, and perhaps bring some tender loving care (TLC) with it. […]

Bakhtar Bank opts for Oracle Flexcube core banking system

Bakhtar Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Azizi Bank in Afghanistan, has selected JMR Infotech to implement Oracle FSS’s Flexcube core banking system. Banking Technology understands that Flexcube will replace Malaysia-based Infopro’s ICBA, which had been in use since 2009. Azizi Bank also selected Flexcube as its core system. The deal was signed in 2014. Amer Khalil […]

Atom Bank opens doors to all UK customers

There’s nothing better than going all the way. Challenger bank Atom is now fully open for all customers in the UK. Atom initially launched with an “invitation only” phase, but as of today (6 October) anyone can download the Atom App, both in IoS and Android, and open an account. The App is available to […]

Finleap and Mohan launch Burnmark

Berlin-based fintech incubator FinLeap has teamed up with fintech analyst Devie Mohan to launch Burnmark, an independent research company focusing on trends in the financial technology industry. Finleap will support Burnmark with network, knowhow and research capabilities. Mohan works closely with traditional banks, consulting firms, innovation teams, start-up accelerators and investors, advising them on fintech […]

BCEE selects SmartStream for custodian data and IRS regulations

Banque et Caisse d’Epargne de l’Etat, Luxembourg (BCEE) has implemented SmartStream’s Corona Universal Data solution to help complete audit trails and meet US regulatory requirements. SmartStream says in order to comply with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), banks “only have a few weeks to reconcile annual data before the legal cut off”. It says its […]

JP Morgan Chase unveils new blockchain

JP Morgan Chase is developing its own blockchain, called Quorum, on the Ethereum network. Amber Baldet, program lead, blockchain centre of excellence, JP Morgan Chase, says it is working with Ethereum “because it has been around a while and banks are familiar with it”. With Quorum, the firm says all public and private smart contracts […]

Misys to float on London Stock Exchange

Misys plans to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange in early November 2016. As Banking Technology reported in August, Misys – currently residing in the hands of US-based Vista Equity Partners – was understood to be gearing up for this IPO with a £5.5 billion float and appointed investment […]

Bank of Lithuania and Revolut team up for payments

Bank of Lithuania, the country’s central bank and regulator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with UK-based payments and fintech start-up Revolut. Revolut intends to set up a financial institution in Lithuania and obtain a banking licence. Bank of Lithuania will provide Revolut with access to its managed payment systems enabling cross-border payments in euro. […]

Thomson Reuters launches new blockchain tech for developers

Thomson Reuters has launched BlockOne ID to let developers build applications in a controlled environment with blockchain. BlockOne ID (for Ethereum) is an experimental user-entitlement framework through which decentralised app (DApp) owners can manage access to their blockchain contracts. Thomson Reuters says it uses traditional methods to authenticate users and provides a mechanism for DApp […]

Idaho Central Credit Union opts for Alkami ORB platform

US-based Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) has launched on Alkami Technology’s ORB digital banking platform – integrating with ICCU’s Fiserv DNA core platform. The new platform offers features such as automated clearing house (ACH), wires, bill pay, external transfers, dual authorisations, entitlements and payment templates. Shannon Marshburn, ecommerce product manager at Idaho Central Credit Union, […]

Swift smart modules seek stronger security

Swift has published a series of eLearning modules as it ramps up its cybersecurity defences in the face of hacking threats. The SwiftSmart modules will help its customers operate their Swift environment “securely and in-line with best practice”. The move is also a “critical part” of its Customer Security Programme launched in May 2016. That […]

HSBC hits $100bn mobile payments mark for corporates

There’s glee and a spending spree for HSBC as over $100 billion in mobile payments have been made by its corporate customers. The bank says the $100 billion sum was authorised globally through the HSBCnet mobile corporate banking platform since its launch in 2011. The total transaction value of mobile payments has more than doubled […]

Avaloq locks on innovation with developer portal launch

Innovation gets more adoration as Avaloq is opening up to developers with a new portal activation. It says freelancers, start-ups, fintechs and banks will be able to innovate jointly using a dedicated online portal. Through this site, the developer community can commercialise technologies and share results within the community and the “entire Avaloq community”, which […]

BGFI Bank picks Wolters Kluwer’s OneSumX for regulatory reporting

BGFI Bank, the Gabon-based financial services conglomerate, has chosen Wolters Kluwer’s OneSumX regulatory reporting software for its French and European banking authority reporting obligations. The bank is also using the firm’s Regulatory Update Service. This service is maintained by Wolters Kluwer experts who actively monitor regulation in approximately 50 countries, “helping to ensure the solution […]

Standard Chartered customers taken for an Uber ride

This time we have a genuine Uber moment in fintech. Standard Chartered and Uber are partnering to offer the bank’s credit cardholders cashbacks on Uber rides. This is the “first ever multi-market partnership” for both of them. The deal is for six markets – Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India and the United Arab Emirates – […]

Fidor and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank unveil digital bank

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has partnered with Fidor Bank to launch the region’s first “community-based digital bank”. Specifics are very thin on the ground as the bank will have “new services, features and [an] online community”, which will be available for existing and new customers to sign up to in the upcoming months. Can’t […]

Avaloq core banking implementation at BHF-Bank put on hold

Avaloq’s implementation of its Avaloq Banking Suite at BHF-Bank in Germany has been put on hold due to differences in the interpretation of the contract. Avaloq tells Banking Technology that it is “not due to technical reasons” and it “continues to engage in conversations” with the bank. Philippe Oddo, chairman of BHF-Bank, adds that he […]

UK’s Financial Conduct Authority suffers IT incident on regulatory data system

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had an IT incident on its online system, Gabriel, for collecting and storing regulatory data from firms. Due to the “unexpected IT incident”, it was unable to implement Taxonomy 2.4.1.1, which came into effect on 1 October. Those firms who were required to comply with the Capital Requirements Directive […]

Apple Pay launches in Russia

Apple Pay has launched in Russia with partners Sberbank and MasterCard. Russia is the tenth country where Apple Pay has been made available, following the US, UK, Canada, France, China and others. Alexander Torbakhov, deputy chairman of the executive board of Sberbank, says: “Apple Pay is driving the popularisation of contactless payments in Russia and […]