Financial Services/Finserv


Just because it can be connected, that doesn’t mean it should be

Technology breakthroughs are great things; they present the opportunity for ideas, creativity and innovation. But there is always the risk of enthusiasm running away with itself, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). That was certainly evident at this year’s “Nordic Digital Business Summit”, where internet of things (IoT) was at the top of the agenda. […]

Central banking and fintech: a brave new world?

This is a moment to celebrate 20 years of independence during which the Bank of England has been a stabilising force for the UK economy, inspiring others in the world of central banking.

The United Nations of Data – an interesting idea

One of the big problems of the digital economy is unity. Everyone is out for themselves which could mean no one wins, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). What we’re talking about here are the rules – the legislation and regulation which defines how a company can operate in the connected economy. There sure are […]

Hey big lender! Finastra, R3 and seven banks have blockchain plan

Finastra, R3 and seven banks – including BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon, HSBC, ING and State Street – are working together to create a blockchain-fuelled online marketplace for the syndicated loan market. Underpinned by Corda, R3’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) based platform, Fusion LenderComm exposes real-time credit agreement, accrual balances, position information and transaction data to […]

Standard Chartered takes TradeIX and Infor route for digital trade finance drive

Standard Chartered is using TradeIX’s TIX blockchain platform and Infor’s GT Nexus Commerce Network for two separate digitalisation efforts in trade finance. The TradeIX platform enabled Standard Chartered’s unnamed client to “help its customers increase their payment terms whilst maintaining the company’s receivables at current terms”. The financing was offered by Standard Chartered with credit […]

Google’s Deepmind sets out to tackle AI ethics

If you ask the world of technology to slow down a bit, you’re instantly branded as a technophobe. But perhaps a bit of reflection is needed in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Google’s Deepmind is one of those which is starting to think a bit deeper about the big, […]

IBM teams with big banks for blockchain-powered trade finance platform

Tech giant IBM has partnered with five banks – UBS, Bank of Montreal, CaixaBank, Commerzbank and Erste Group – to launch a blockchain-based trade finance platform. The new platform, called Batavia, is built to be accessed by organisations of all sizes anywhere in the world.

Use the Salesforce Luke… for your retail banking

Salesforce has unleashed “Financial Services Cloud for Retail Banking”, a new application that lets bank employees have a “complete view” of their customers and work collaboratively. New features in the application comprise a retail banking data model and console. This includes all customer data – such as bank accounts and personal identification documents – which […]

Barclays US Tests Personal Finance Tool

Barclays US is dipping its toe into the financial health business, testing a personal financial management tool that aggregates all of a customer’s Barclays credit cards, personal loans and savings products—as well as accounts with other banks—in one place.

Starling Bank Expands with Business Accounts

The competition to serve the financial needs of small businesses is heating up in the U.K., where consumer banking challenger Starling Bank is expanding into the business market,

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 2 October 2017

Blockchain-based commercial bonds on the Russian market, Bitcoin recognition in Japan and new digital currency in Dubai. Our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up features National Settlement Depository, bitFlyer and Dubai Economy. Starting off in Russia, the National Settlement Depository (NSD) has unveiled the first blockchain-based commercial bonds on the Russian market based on Hyperledger Fabric […]

Why financial services should be terrified of dispensing wealth management robo-advice

Robo-advisors are software programmes that provide financial advice with minimal human intervention. Software has been providing advice for half a century, from portfolio management to trading strategies to currency management, and more. The novelty is providing robo-advice direct to consumers. Robo-advice costs less than “bricks & mortar & human” services, hopefully harvesting a bigger market. […]

Alexa’s footprints are starting to appear all over the place

While Google is doing its impression of a petulant child, storming home from the park with its football tucked under its arm by barring Amazon Echo Show access to YouTube, Amazon has drafted a host of reinforcements for its Alexa offensive, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). For the most part, the majority of the news […]

TCS makes Intel-ligent move for new AI centre

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will set up an artificial intelligence (AI) “Centre of Excellence” (CoE) with Intel as they join the horde hoping to prosper in this highly competitive market. The new AI CoE will be equipped with the usual technologies and experts to assist “Intel Nervana AI Academy” members – including developers, data scientists, […]

Intel unveils self-learning “neuromorphic” AI chip

It might not have totally nailed artificial intelligence (AI) yet, but with its new research project, Loihi, Intel claims to have crossed a bridge which many are still trying to build; on-chip learning, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). In its search for a new growth area, Intel has focused on the burgeoning world of […]

White paper: From traditional bank to marketplace bank

Many industries have already been technologically disrupted. Financial services and banking won’t be any different. New digital banking platforms will emerge with an automated, compliant core and a connection layer for all kinds of third party services to tap into. This is API banking, or marketplace banking.

Fintech alliance round-up: 25 September 2017

Move closer, move your fintech body real close, until we feel like we’re really making innovation. Our latest super-friendly fintech alliance round-up features Switzerland and Hong Kong; Japan and Abu Dhabi Global Market; and the UAE loving itself. The State Secretariat for International Financial Matters (SIF) under the Swiss Federal Department of Finance and the […]

Tech dominates Interbrand global rankings

Interbrand has released its rankings of the most valuable brands in the world, and the technology sector has a lot to boast about, occupying six of the top ten spots, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Every now and then we just need a reminder of how important technology is for today’s society. In previous […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 25 September 2017

Exchange traded funds, certification, a rewards network and a new cryptocurrency. Our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up features Evolve Funds Group, DNV GL, Deloitte and Codemojo. Evolve Funds Group has filed a preliminary prospectus with the Canadian securities regulators for Canada’s first cryptocurrency exchange traded funds (ETFs), Evolve Bitcoin ETF (aka BITS). “Accessing Bitcoin is […]

State Street unveils Quantextual Idea Lab for investment research

State Street has launched its Quantextual Idea Lab, a hybrid of machine learning and human knowledge, for improved investment research. According to the firm, investment professionals are inundated with research reports from the sell side, the buy side and academia. It reckons financial research teams can produce enough content to consume 24 reams or 12,000 […]

Are you data breach fatigued?

Data breaches are nothing new – quite the contrary – in fact their very frequency makes it likely that we’re fatigued to the point of indifference by the number of leaks which are surfacing, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Knowing the value of money is a lesson parents have been teaching children for years, […]

Can money buy friends? Intel is hoping so

Intel has shown its defensive side with a humble-brag that it has invested $1 billion in artificial intelligence (AI). We didn’t realise Intel had to use money to make friends, but each to their own, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). In an editorial piece by CEO Brian Krzanich, Intel has decided to shout at […]

Big Xyt going trading places with new data analytics hub

Big Xyt, a smart data and analytics provider, has unveiled its new hub for trading firms to integrate tick data and analytics via a single API. According to the firm, the Xyt hub allows companies to consume, analyse and visualise data through cloud-based technologies, featuring Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and nice Analytics-as-a-Service (AaaS) functionalities. Bats has signed […]

AI is starting to get seriously smart, perhaps worryingly so

We’ve seen a couple of artificial intelligence (AI) shout-outs this week with Microsoft targeting telcos’ worryingly poor customer service record and European scientists potentially creating the building blocks for Skynet, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Starting in the Microsoft offices, the team has paired up with Amdocs to provide an intelligent solution to one […]

Fintech funding round-up: 13 September 2017

Quickly following on from the fintech funding round-up on 11 September, here’s more action in a concise form. Features InfoSum, Neyber, Goldman Sachs, Forward Partners and BlackRock. Data tech start-up InfoSum has added $5 million to its seed funding, taking the total raised to date to $8 million. Joining existing investors Mark Suster (Upfront Ventures) […]

R3, RBS and UK regulator build regtech prototype for mortgages

Enterprise software firm R3, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), RBS and another unnamed bank have built a prototype application for regulatory reporting of mortgage transactions on R3’s Corda distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform. The application is also able to generate automated delivery receipts for the regulator when a mortgage is booked. The application was […]

Santander revamps corporate client onboarding with Fenergo

Client lifecycle management (CLM) software vendor Fenergo has landed a deal with Santander Global Corporate Banking – to revamp its client onboarding process. Fenergo CLM will be rolled out to Santander’s operations in Europe, Asia and the Americas, across multiple business lines.

Payments: where have all the correspondents gone?

At the recent G20 meeting in Germany, Financial Stability Board (FSB) briefed leaders on its efforts to arrest the decline in correspondent banking relationships. FSB also presented the results of a survey of more than 300 banks in 50 countries, supplemented by Swift payments data, which showed that the number of correspondent banking relationships continues to decline globally.

The Monday mindset: 11 September 2017

Fintech zeitgeist! Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week, Tim Rogers, engineer at London-based start-up GoCardless, asks do we need to kill screen scraping? If you work in this industry you’ll […]

Square wants to be a bank, sort of

Mobile point-of-sale pioneer Square Inc. is applying for an Industrial Loan Company (ILC) charter to support the expansion of its lending business, the volume of which grew 68 percent year-over-year in Q2 to $318 million.