News


MIT on TRAC with OCBC Bank for trade finance

Swiss vendor MIT (Micro-Informatique & Technologies) has signed a contract with OCBC Bank to support its commodity trade finance business with its TRAC (Trade Risk Active Control) system. Maggie Cheong, head of transaction and collateral management, global commodities finance at OCBC, explains the bank’s choice: “We have chosen the TRAC system as it provides the […]

Saudi Arabia’s central bank, SAMA, in major tech overhaul

Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), Saudi Arabia’s central bank, is modernising its technology with a range of new solutions from SAP and Calypso. The bank is working SAP to automate the ERP and BI functionality (with SAP’s Business Objects), and is also interested in Bank Analyzer for financial reporting, indicates the vendor. SAP is now […]

MasterCard Expands Award-Winning Aid Services

The launch of MasterCard Humanitarian Aid Solutions leverages several of the network’s existing platforms to enable recipients to access funds and other forms of aid via a single card.

Commerzbank chooses Infosys for investment banking tech revamp

Financial systems vendor Infosys has been awarded a five-year contract with Commerzbank to remodel its investment banking IT architecture. Along with the remodel, Infosys will improve IT processes and evaluate a potential post-trade processing utility. The later would then “focus on the clustering of trade processing platforms across various product types”. Stephan Müller, group CIO, […]

Fintech vendor APS Financial gets UK credit licence

Advanced Payment Solutions (trading as APS Financial) has secured a credit licence from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This development allows APS to carry out consumer credit lending (including high-cost short-term credit lending) to its customer base of micro SMEs, sole traders and consumers. Rich Wagner, CEO and founder, APS Financial, says: “This credit […]

UK debit cards to overtake cash payments by 2021

Debit cards are on track to topple cash in 2021, when they will take over as the UK’s most frequently used payment method, according to trade association Payments UK. In its report, “UK Payment Markets 2016”, which looks at current and future payment behaviour in the UK, it reveals over 72,000 payments were made every […]

Anadolubank opts for AxiomSL’s XBRL solution for regulatory reporting

Anadolubank Nederland, a subsidiary of Anadolubank Turkey, has chosen AxiomSL’s XBRL solution to submit a range of regulatory reports to country’s central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). The project follows the DNB’s decision to align with other European central banks by mandating the use of XBRL for European Banking Authority (EBA) regulatory submissions. Anadolubank Nederland […]

Skipton International in core system search

Skipton International, an offshore bank based in Guernsey (Channel Islands), is understood to be looking for a new core banking system. Skipton International was set up in the mid-1990s. It offers a range of offshore savings accounts and mortgages. Banking Technology understands that the bank is looking at Temenos’ T24 core banking system. On the […]

Third time unlucky for Swift as Ecuador bank hacked

Ecuadorian bank Banco del Austro has become the third victim of hacking through the Swift system, with cybercriminals stealing around $9 million. This latest revelation follows a $101 million cyber heist in Bangladesh; and Vietnam’s Tien Phong Bank (TPBank) stopping an attempted wire fraud involving the use of “fraudulent” Swift messages. The Ecuador attack has […]

Gieom e-learning platform now on Temenos MarketPlace

India-based provider of e-learning and change management software Gieom Business Solutions has become a Temenos certified fintech provider for “operational efficiency and regulatory compliance”. Gieom’s cloud-based platform will now be available on Temenos’ MarketPlace store that can be accessed by over 2,000 customers of Temenos and its subsidiaries. The announcement was made at Temenos’ annual […]

Nedbank step closer to new core banking system decision

Nedbank is getting closer to selecting a new core banking system, Banking Technology understands. The South African heavyweight has been in system selection mode since last year – looking to modernise its domestic banking operations. It is currently running a number of in-house and third party solutions, including CSC’s Hogan. The renovation project is estimated […]

Laurentian Bank of Canada in core banking system revamp

Laurentian Bank of Canada (LBC) and its subsidiary, B2B Bank, are implementing new core banking software, Temenos’ T24. The bank will also deploy Temenos’ Insight tools for reporting and analytics. Together, the systems are branded by Temenos as RetailSuite. Montreal-based LBC offers retail and commercial banking services in Quebec. It also has one branch in […]

SAP gains breakthrough core banking system deal in the US

Branch Banking & Trust (BB&T), one of the largest financial services groups in the US, is taking a “leap of faith” with a new core banking system from SAP. Speaking at SAP’s annual Sapphire conference in Orlando, Will Shupe, BB&T’s executive vice-president responsible for IT and operations, said the bank opted for a gradual renovation […]

Wirecard totally wired for Q1 2016 profit and revenue

Financial services and technology company Wirecard has reported consolidated revenues of €210.5 million in the first quarter of 2016, a rise of 32% on €159.4 million in Q1 2015. For the period ending 31 March 2016, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 34.6% to €62 million. For the same period last […]

HSBC India halves branch network

HSBC India is closing 24 branches across the country due to the rise in digital banking. Following a “strategic review” of its retail banking and wealth management business in India, it says it will move from 50 branches across 29 cities to 26 branches across 14 cities. HSBC India says: “This change reflects changes in […]

Temenos Community Forum 2016: Kerv’s ring rules them all at Innovation Jam

UK-based start-up Kerv and its payments ring won the Innovation Jam at the Temenos Community Forum (TCF) 2016, held at the Palau De Congressos, in Barcelona from 17-19 May. About 1,200 delegates were at the event and part 1 of our review looked at Temenos’ ambitions in the US. The event enables customers, potential customers, […]

Green Dot Responds to ‘Outage’ Claims

Despite reports in American Banker and the Los Angeles Times claiming that Walmart MoneyCards issued by Green Dot Bank were being declined at ATMs and points of sale starting Monday, May 16, Green Dot says the problem from a processor conversion was related to accessing balance information online and via IVR.

Isbank Europe live with new core banking system, Avaloq Banking Suite

Germany-based subsidiary of Turkey’s banking group, Isbank, has migrated to a new core banking system, Avaloq Banking Suite. The system supplier, Avaloq, is known as a private banking and wealth management specialist, but the Isbank project is the first for the vendor in the retail/corporate banking space outside its home market of Switzerland. Isbank selected […]

Temenos signs new core banking client in Hong Kong, BMO Asia Pacific

Bank of Montreal Asia Pacific, part of Canada’s BMO Financial Group, will implement Temenos’ flagship core banking system, T24. The bank is based in Hong Kong and focuses on the high-net-worth segment in Hong Kong and Singapore. It has around 1,000 clients. It is understood that the bank went through a selection process prior to […]

Temenos Community Forum 2016: Temenos CEO targets US growth

Temenos is going all out in its plans to grow its US market share with a top 25 bank expected to implement the T24 core banking system soon. About 1,200 delegates were at the Temenos Community Forum 2016, held at the Palau De Congressos, in Barcelona from 17-19 May. The event enabled vendors, potential vendors, […]

Top fintech stories this week – 20 May 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Android Pay now in the UK; Australia and Singapore are next Coming to a country near you… possibly. Vietnam’s Tien Phong Bank stops attempted fraud through Swift system Stop! In the name of the law. Sydney Stock Exchange […]

The World Bank Group overhauls data management with Asset Control

The World Bank Group is implementing the AC Plus data management platform supplied by specialist vendor Asset Control. AC Plus will underpin the World Bank Group’s Market Data Review solution, for creating and storing a “golden copy” of market data, explains Asset Control. AC Plus will replace a legacy in-house system. Robert O’Boyle, MD for […]

CFPB’s Final Prepaid Rule Delayed Again

The prepaid industry will be playing the waiting game a while longer. The CFPB’s final rule for prepaid accounts has been pushed back to a summer release, according to the agency’s latest rulemaking agenda.

Sydney Stock Exchange develops blockchain settlement system

Sydney Stock Exchange (SSX, formerly Asia Pacific Stock Exchange) is building a settlement system based on the distributed ledger technology. Specialist consultancy firm Bit Trade Labs is assisting with the project. To begin with, the new blockchain system will be used to settle trades in private companies, but SSX hopes that once the regulator grants […]

TransPecos Bank revamps core banking system with IBT

Texas-based community bank TransPecos Bank is implementing a new core banking system, i2Core, supplied by local vendor IBT. “Following a months-long hunt and seemingly endless research into a new core provider, TransPecos’ seminal moment was at IBT’s annual user conference,” says the vendor. The bank saw that IBT was “significantly different than big box providers”, […]

VPBank revamps omnichannel banking with SAP; plans new digital bank

Vietnam’s mid-tier banking player, Vietnam Prosperity Bank (VPBank), has implemented a new digital solution, SAP’s Omnichannel Digital Platform. Omnichannel Digital Platform stems from the Sybase 360 product that came SAP’s way with the acquisition of Sybase in 2010. The new solution was deployed in one year at VPBank, with online and mobile components for retail […]

RISE develops new blockchain solution for post-trade sector

UK-based RISE Financial Technologies claims to be “the first technology firm to launch the second generation of blockchain for the post-trade sector”. The solution is now undergoing testing with a number f banks, custodians and CSDs. The results will be published in H2 2016. RISE develops multi-asset class, multi-currency distributed financial ledger technology for the […]

Bangkok Bank enhances mobile banking ops with Fiserv’s Mobiliti Edge

Bangkok Bank has launched new mobile banking functionality, based on Fiserv’s Mobiliti Edge mobile banking and payments platform. The bank’s mobile solution is known as Bualuang mBanking. It enables Bangkok Bank’s customers to access financial services via a mobile phone, tablet or the Apple Watch. Fiserv and Bangkok Bank have been working together for a […]

Philippines credit union groups sign for Temenos’ software

Two Philippines-based credit union networks, National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) and Philippine Federation of Credit Cooperatives (PFCCO) will build a common banking and payments platform based on Temenos’ software. The new platform will underpin the service known as the ACCU Payment Platform (APP). ACCU stands for “Asian Confederation of Credit Unions” – both NATCCO and […]

Three vendors join forces for new digital banking platform

Unisys, Sandstone Technology and Payment Card Technologies (PCT) are bringing to market a new digital banking solution. The solution, called USP, will consist of the “best of breed” products from each vendor, all “seamlessly” integrated. USP is aimed at new market entrants and established players. The participating vendors describe it as “cost-effective”. It will support […]

Shoptalk: Payments Change Breeds Excitement, Confusion

With excitement often comes confusion, and that was true Tuesday at the Shoptalk conference in Las Vegas, where executives offered an optimistic view of the future of commerce and payments, albeit a vision that carried more than a bit of uncertainty.

Shoptalk: New Ways to Pay, Attract Millennials

At Shoptalk in Las Vegas this week, young companies showcased their contributions to the evolution of commerce and experts discussed how retailers and payments providers can attract the coveted millennial shopper.

Fitbit Nabs Wearables Tech, Staff from Coin

Fitbit Inc. is acquiring the wearable payments platform of startup Coin, with an eye on developing contactless payment features for future Fitbit fitness bands. The deal includes “key personnel and intellectual property” related to Coin’s wearables business, but does not include Coin’s core product—an electronic smart card that can be loaded with multiple payment, gift or loyalty cards, Fitbit said.

SEC Chair Tabs Cybercrime as Biggest Threat to Financial System

SEC head Mary Jo White called cybercrime the biggest threat to the world’s financial markets. Speaking at the Reuters Financial Regulation Summit in Washington, D.C., this week, White said that some major financial exchanges, dark pools and clearing houses lack defenses that are up to the challenge presented by today’s increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals.

Android Pay now in the UK; Australia and Singapore are next

Android Pay is now available in the UK, and more countries are on the way. Banking Technology first reported on this initiative in March this year. UK consumers can now pay for goods and services with their Android smartphones. Retailers like Boots, Waitrose and Starbucks are already onboard, and so is Transport for London (underground, […]

Standard Life and ING Australia working with IBM on digital projects

UK-based investment company Standard Life and ING’s Australian subsidiary are working with IBM on a range of digital and data management initiatives. Standard Life: it’s personal Standard Life is personalising its financial services capabilities “to each of its 3.8 million UK customers”, IBM states. Using IBM’s analytics tools Standard Life “can accurately track a person’s […]