News


Citigroup to launch voice recognition tech in Asia

Citigroup is planning to launch voice recognition technology to its retail customers, as part of its drive to digital banking. It says it will be the first bank in Asia to do this and is targeting one million Asian users in a year, according to Anand Selvakesari, Citi’s Asia Pacific head of consumer banking. Singapore […]

Smartest People in Payments: Final Voting Open

We’ve compiled your nominations for the Smartest People in Payments and need your final votes to determine which executives will be featured in our Smartest People in Payments profile series in the Fall issue of Pay Magazine. Write-ins welcome, but your votes must be received by May 20.

ICE backs out of London Stock Exchange bid

New York Stock Exchange owner, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), has confirmed it won’t make a bid for London Stock Exchange (LSE). In March, ICE had said it was considering making a rival bid for LSE – setting up a potential takeover battle with Deutsche Börse. That never happened as a few weeks later in March Deutsche […]

Intellect still losing money in FY 2015-16, but revenue rises

Intellect Design Arena is still not making a profit and has reported a loss before tax of INR 258.9 million ($3.9 million) for the full year (FY) 2015-16. This is an improvement on last year, when it reported a loss before tax of INR 812.3 million ($12.2 million) for the period ending 31 March 2015. […]

Sapient releases RegRecon for reconciliation and regulatory reporting

Sapient Global Markets, a technology and consulting services firm, has launched RegRecon for reconciliation and regulatory reporting accuracy. RegRecon offers automated trade matching and reconciliation, break management and resolution workflow. It is available as a standalone solution and managed service, or within Sapient’s CMRS (compliance management reporting system) platform. Arun Karur, vice-president at Sapient, says […]

Julian Hodge Bank live with new core banking system, Sword Apak’s Aurius

The new core banking platform, Aurius, supplied by UK-based fintech vendor Sword Apak, has ousted Misys’ Bankmaster at Julian Hodge Bank. Aurius is now fully live at this privately-owned bank in Cardiff, Banking Technology understands. The implementation started in spring 2014 and was initially expected to last 12 months. However, in reality the project took twice as […]

Sanasa Development Bank implements new loan origination system

Sanasa Development Bank in Sri Lanka is automating its front-office lending software. The bank is going to implement a new end-to-end platform for loan origination, mobile loan origination and collections. The bank issued a request for proposal (RFP) at the end of last year to find the new system and the supplier. The bidding process […]

Monitise looks to be profitable in H2 2016, appoints new COO, launches new product

UK-based payments vendor Monitise seeks to turn its fortunes around with a new digital payments offering, new COO and a new, re-focused business structure. Banking Technology investigates. Choppy waters The mobile payments vendor has had a difficult few years, partly attributed to growing too big too fast. By 2014, it had to write off £128.5 […]

Federal Bank in treasury management software overhaul, looks to replace Intellect

Federal Bank in India is looking to replace its legacy treasury system, supplied by Intellect Design Arena. It issued a request for proposal (RFP) for procurement and migration of treasury management. The bank currently runs its treasury operations from its Mumbai office, and is active in domestic, FX and derivative sectors. Since 2009, these have […]

Infographics: The world of e-commerce

Did you know that in the Netherlands 54% of all transactions are carried out using the iDEAL online banking system? Or that Germans prefer to pay on account via direct debit and the popularity of e-wallets is growing in Russia? ‘The world of e-commerce’ reveals the three most popular e-commerce payment methods across 22 countries […]

FIS revenue rises in Q1 2016

FIS has revealed its first quarter revenue in 2016 increased to $2.2 billion from $1.6 billion in Q1 2015. Organic revenue growth was 4.2% in the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA increased to $637 million in Q1 2016, from $589 million adjusted combined EBITDA in the prior year’s quarter, while the adjusted EBITDA margin was 28.2%. Gary […]

Calypso teams with Sernova for cloud-based clearing

Calypso Technology, a provider of treasury and capital markets (TCM) software, and Sernova Financial, a turnkey post-trade services provider, have partnered to deliver cloud-based clearing services. Sernova Financial will use the Calypso platform, which “recreates the shared infrastructure and service elements of a traditional clearing broker”. Charles Marston, executive chairman of Calypso, says: “As capital […]

Deloitte launches smart identity prototype for blockchain

Deloitte UK’s blockchain team has launched a “smart identity” prototype at the Consensus blockchain conference in New York. The solution will allow users to create a universal digital identity powered by blockchain. It is at the proof of concept stage and Deloitte wants to work with other businesses (in all sectors) to develop it further. […]

Bank of Punjab automates Islamic treasury; implements new RTGS system

Pakistan-based Bank of Punjab (BOP) has extended its partnership with local software vendor Autosoft Dynamics. Autosoft will implement its new real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system, AutoRTGS, at the bank and will also extend the coverage of the Adams treasury system to support Islamic banking. BOP is already a user of Adams for conventional banking operations. […]

Barclays Africa to trial first bank chatbot in Africa

Barclays Africa is piloting a chatbot within the coming few weeks, making it the “first bank” to do so in Africa. The chatbots will use artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate “intelligent conversation” through written or spoken text. Yasaman Hadjibashi, chief data officer at Barclays Africa, says the chatbot is a way to be “more relevant” […]

Broadridge brings to market Global Post Trade Management solution

Global Post Trade Management (GPTM) is a combination of Broadridge’s existing systems and products plus some new components. GPTM has already been adopted by “a major investment bank”, the vendor says. Although the solution is marketed as a new, “next generation” offering, its underlying technology comprises the existing products of Broadridge. “GPTM incorporates Broadridge’s core […]

Lloyds Commercial Finance goes live on 3i Infotech’s Kastle Onboarding Solution

Lloyds Commercial Finance (LCF) has implemented 3i Infotech‘s Kastle Onboarding Solution, a credit approval application. The software has been rolled out at LCF’s 12 regional centres across the UK as it looks to “maintain and grow its market share” in the commercial finance segment. India-based 3i Infotech calls the deal a “breakthrough win” in the […]

Nissan Motor automates floorplanning with Sword Apak’s WFS

Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation (NMAC) will install a new leasing solution, Wholesale Floorplan Finance System (WFS), supplied by specialist vendor Sword Apak. It will be delivered on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis. NMAC was looking for a new solution “that would provide an outstanding level of service to dealers”, says Sword Apak. The company is also […]

Finca Bank Georgia in digital banking system revamp

Finca Bank Georgia, an affiliate of Finca International, a global microfinance organisation, is looking to modernise its online and mobile banking systems. The bank has recently issued a tender to find a new provider and software. Banking Technology understands that the selection is in its final stages at present, with contract negotiations underway. Once the […]

ABA Bank looks for new digital banking platform

Cambodia-based ABA Bank is looking for a new omnichannel banking solution and has issued a request for proposal (RFP). Interested parties should be able to offer “an integrated, multichannel platform” that supports internet and mobile banking for retail and corporate business lines. Current set-up At present, ABA Bank has two separate portals for corporate and […]

Inter-American Development Bank ponders tech overhaul

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is looking for a new back office system, Banking Technology understands. The bank is a long-standing customer of Misys. It has been using its Opics treasury and capital markets (TCM) system for many years, and in 2014 it also signed for Summit, another back office system from Misys’ portfolio of TCM […]

MasterCard net income falls but revenue rises in Q1 2016

MasterCard’s net income in the first quarter of 2016 was $959 million, a decrease of 6%, or 2% on a currency-neutral basis. On top of this, its earnings per diluted share of $0.86 was down 3%, or up 1% on a currency-neutral basis, versus the year-ago period. The company says this was “as expected” and […]

Rep. Salmon’s Bill Latest to Push ID Requirements for Tax Refund Prepaid Cards

A U.S. Congressman from Arizona is the latest lawmaker to set his sights on prepaid cards in a bid to combat the growth of tax refund fraud. Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) recently introduced a bill that would ban tax refunds from being loaded onto a prepaid card unless the identity of the accountholder has been “verified by an office or employee of the Department of the Treasury.”

Will Wirecard Be a ‘boon.’ for Apple Pay in U.K.?

Wirecard’s boon. mobile payments service has launched for Apple Pay in the U.K., opening the mobile payments service to consumers, regardless of bank affiliation. By offering a digital prepaid MasterCard, boon gives Apple Pay a way to reach customers without having to go through a traditional bank.

PNC Financial Services automates reg reporting with AxiomSL

AxiomSL is implementing its flagship regulatory reporting platform at US-based PNC Financial Services. PNC, one of the largest banks in the US, will use the solution for its reg reporting needs in the domestic market, plus Canada and the Bahamas. Alex Tsigutkin, CEO at AxiomSL, says the vendor is “proud to have been chosen by […]

Barclays.Net down and out for UK Bank Holiday weekend

Barclays’ business banking service, Barclays.net, decided it would also take time off during the three-day Bank Holiday weekend in the UK. The system suffered intermittent outages from 29 April until today (3 May), and there were numerous complaints on Twitter from angry users. The impact on customers ranged from trying to pay staff or facing […]

Banka Kovanica live with new core banking system, ABBA’s NovoDoba

Croatia-based Banka Kovanica d.d. Varazdin has gone live with a new core banking system, NovoDoba, supplied by local developer ABBA. The bank implemented 34 modules of the system, including internet banking, fraud prevention, reporting and customer analysis. The new platform went live in a “big bang”, with the full data migration from the legacy system. […]

Paytm partners with Wipro for new payments bank

India-based Paytm has teamed with IT services integrator Wipro for its new payments bank, as it gets ready for an August launch. Wipro will be implementing the new core banking system, and Banking Technology understands that Infosys, Oracle FSS and TCS Financial Solutions were in the running to provide their core banking solutions to Paytm. […]

Siraj Finance to oust ITS’s Ethix core banking system in favour of Path Solutions’ iMAL

UAE-based Islamic financial institution, Siraj Finance, is replacing ITS’s Ethix core banking system with iMAL from Path Solutions. The new platform will cover all main operations of Siraj Finance, including transaction processing, treasury, trade finance, investment management, profit calculation, credit bureau interface, Swift, electronic cheque clearing, provisioning and reporting. Abu Dhabi-based Siraj offers consumer and […]

Turkey launches new card payment system, TROY

Turkey has introduced its own card payment system, called TROY, and the nation is setting its sights on becoming a cashless society by 2023. Speaking at the launch, Dr Soner Canko, general manager of the Interbank Card Center (BKM) in Turkey, said: “Many countries around the world, from Canada and Italy to South Korea and […]

VocaLink signs UK’s largest ever ATM processing deal with LINK

VocaLink, the payment systems provider, has signed a five-year deal to provide “exclusive” processing for the LINK ATM network. The deal is the UK’s largest ever ATM processing deal and is expected to deliver over 16 billion transactions. Under the five-year contract with LINK Scheme and its 38 members, VocaLink will provide ATM switching and […]

UK’s CYBG banking group launches new digital banking platform

UK-based Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank – which together form CYBG – have launched a new digital banking platform, as CYBG gets ready to become a standalone challenger bank. The new platform is called “B” and CYBG teamed up with proposition design consultancy Market Gravity to design and launch the new service. Debbie Crosbie, COO […]

EFG and BSI to merge on Temenos’ T24, Avaloq to be ousted

With the takeover of BSI by rival EFG International, Switzerland will see the creation of the country’s fifth largest private bank. Banking Technology looks at the IT implications, and the winners and losers of the deal. EFG is buying BSI from Brazil’s troubled Grupo BTG Pactual for CHF 1.33 billion ($1.38 billion). In its turn, […]