Banking


Varo Money to launch bot and money coach, Val

Mobile banking app Varo Money is brining to market a chatbot and “money coach”, Val. Val is powered by Kasisto’s KAI Banking bot and “delivers insights into spending, savings, borrowing and helps people set goals as well as offer updates and encouragement about their progress”.

Fintech funding round-up: 20 December 2016

Because you’ve all been so good this year, here’s a fintech funding round-up to save you time… so you can eat and drink more over Christmas. Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and a group of other financial institutions including ICAP’s venture arm are finalising an investment in blockchain start-up Axoni, according to Reuters. New York-based […]

Fidor teams with Token for digital payments

Token, a Silicon Valley-based crypto-payment software provider, and digital bank Fidor have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for digital payments. The MoU will see Token’s software made available within Fidor OS, its digital banking and open community middleware solution. Steve Kirsch, founder and CEO of Token, says its software enables banks to “call the […]

A sea of penguins

I am blind as a bat, and there are times when it’s an advantage to be blind, or deaf, or even dumb to certain insults, certain situations, certain obstacles. Clearly it’s a double-edged sword because being deaf, dumb, and blind to impediments, pitfalls, and danger zones is just asking for disaster.

Citi and FIS get pally with PayPal

Citi and FIS have formed separate agreements with PayPal for Citi cardmembers and FIS linking payment cards. For Citi, its customers will be able to use their Citi Cards with PayPal – online, in-app and in store – in 2017. Terms of the agreement are not being disclosed. With this agreement, Citi says it is […]

Blockchain: a real opportunity for retail financial services

Given the pace of change and innovation underway in traditional industries it would take a brave person to predict how the finance industry will look in five years’ time, however I don’t believe high street banks will disappear and be replaced by online blockchain alternatives, the regulatory hurdles are just too high.

Inside job

Our new series of thrillers – produced and directed by CustomerXPs and Banking Technology – narrate the tales of the fight between the forces of good (the Clari5 analytics and anti-fraud software) and the forces of evil. Based on real events and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat!

BNY Mellon suffers payments glitch

BNY Mellon experienced problems with processing clients’ payments instructions – it blamed the issue on its connection to Swift. The problems were subsequently resolved.

Time has proved good for HPE and NonStop; banks everywhere can run networks, 24×7!     

Having spent many years in the technology wilderness, has HPE finally determined the future of NonStop? Thinking about the more than 40 years that have passed since we were first introduced to fault tolerant Tandem Computers, particularly considering what transpired following the acquisition of Tandem Computers by Compaq and then Compaq by HPE, did we anticipate that there would be an expansion of the NonStop product portfolio? And to see not just one, but two distinct families of NonStop systems and with the possibility of further options featuring NonStop just around the corner? It is surprising to many that all this time hasn’t taken the sheen away from any of the magic that is NonStop!

IBM launches blockchain ecosystem on Hyperledger Fabric

IBM has unveiled a blockchain ecosystem “to help accelerate the creation of blockchain networks”. The programme “is designed for innovators looking to build real networks – venture capitalists, start-ups, systems integrators, independent software vendors and enterprise developers”.

Weapons of mass distraction: worrying about the wrong fintech revolution

Reading the technology news these days you could be forgiven for thinking that some seismic revolution is occurring almost every day! Stories abound of Airbnb, Facebook, Uber, Alibaba taking over the world and demolishing our traditional business models – ushering in a new age where the “interface is king”. But are they revolutionary and game changing disruptors? I am not so sure…

Banking Technology Awards 2016 – winners unveiled

Our dazzling event gathered together over 260 banking and financial technology specialists from all over the world – recognising the excellence and innovation in the use of IT in financial services, and of course the people that make it happen!

How to get the magic back into our relationship with banks

As with any long-term human relationship, our relationship with banks is complicated. There’s a sense of co-dependence, transgressions that shake our trust, the occasional fleeting thought of escape. How to reignite the magic spark between a bank and its customer?

New mobile bank Pepper goes interactive with Playbuzz

Bank Leumi’s new mobile banking subsidiary, Pepper, is working with digital authoring platform Playbuzz “to enhance user experience and engagement through personalised content”. Content created with Playbuzz’s suite of interactive formats, such as polls, quizzes and flip cards, will be embedded into Pepper’s banking app (to be launched in Q1 2017).

Case study: KeyBank – treasure the moment

Treasury professionals are finally adopting mobile cash management, says Melissa Zajac, vice-president and senior product manager, Key Total Treasury, KeyBank’s corporate online channel. Slowly but steadily. So what are the best practices?