Top fintech stories this week – 17 November 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Asia Pacific
Fintech alliance round-up: 15 November 2017
Shoot it in the right direction, make making it your intention, live those fintech dreams, scheme those schemes, and hit me with those alliances and teams. Our friendly round-up features ASEAN Fintech Network, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Polish Financial Supervision Authority and Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Welcome to the ASEAN Fintech Network (AFN), a new […]
Amazon selling part of China cloud business for $300m
Amazon is selling off a portion of its cloud computing business in China to a local partner, but the company still plans to compete in what is a growing market for cloud-based services and infrastructure, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). Beijing Sinnet Technology will buy a portion of Amazon’s cloud business for […]
Standard Chartered unveils chatty banking chatbot
Standard Chartered plans to deploy a chatbot on its online and mobile banking platforms powered by Kasisto’s conversational artificial intelligence (AI) platform, KAI Banking. The chatbot will act as a virtual personal assistant to help clients manage money, make payments and analyse their spending, via conversations in English and other unnamed languages. The service will […]
Hong Leong Finance in risk management tech revamp with Kamakura
Hong Leong Finance has signed for Kamakura Corporation’s risk management software, following “a comprehensive upgrade exercise involving its risk management processes”, according to the vendor.
Myanmar gets first corporate credit card
A trio of financial organisations have launched the AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB co-branded card in Myanmar – the nation’s first corporate credit card targeted for business payment use. Ayeyarwady Bank (AYA Bank), Myanmar Payment Union (MPU) and JCB International (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB, have teamed up for the new card which has […]
China overtakes US in latest top 500 supercomputer list
The release of the semiannual Top 500 Supercomputer List is a chance to gauge the who’s who of countries that are pushing the boundaries of high performance computing (HPC). The most recent list shows that China is now in a class by itself, reports Enterprise Cloud News (Banking Technology’s sister publication). China now claims 202 […]
ACI powers Malaysia’s real-time payments network plan
Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), the national financial market infrastructure provider, will build Malaysia’s real-time retail payments platform (RPP) using ACI Worldwide’s UP Immediate Payments solution. RPP is an initiative to modernise the country’s infrastructure to all participants in the ecosystem, including banks, institutions, businesses, consumers and the government. PayNet resulted from the merger of Bank […]
DBS launches new cloud-based data centre
DBS Bank has teamed with American multinational firm Equinix to make one of its traditional data centres in Singapore “cloud-optimised”.
OCBC Bank in good shape with digital health insurance plan
Singapore’s OCBC Bank has unveiled the purchasing of health insurance plans via its mobile and internet banking channels. The bank says: “Typically, health insurance plans like critical illness, disability, hospitalisation and surgical are not sold via online channels as they require a health check-up to evaluate the applicant’s medical condition. However, with ‘Early Cancer Care’, […]
OCBC Bank takes AI-m at financial crime
When crime comes calling OCBC Bank won’t be bawling as it has turned to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for the big fight. The Singapore-based bank says: “On any one typical work day, an OCBC Bank anti-money laundering (AML) compliance analyst would log into the bank’s transaction monitoring system and find up to […]
Indian Overseas Bank signs for Nelito’s data archival and retrieval tech
Mumbai-based Nelito Systems has bagged a multi-country deal with Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) for its Findart data archival and retrieval solution.
Krungsri and IBM apply blockchain to related party transactions
Thailand-based Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya) and IBM have completed a blockchain pilot project to streamline the bank’s contract management process across its offerings.
OCBC Bank first in Singapore to launch face ID recognition for mobile app
OCBC Bank’s retail and business banking customers can now log into the bank’s app via a selfie, if they use Apple iPhone X. The bank says it’s the first in Singapore to offer such biometric tech.
DBS unveils “the world’s largest” banking API developer platform
Singapore-based DBS has launched its API developer platform, which it describes as “ the world’s largest” in the banking space.
AsiaKredit launches consumer lending mobile app, pera247
AsiaKredit, a Southeast Asia digital consumer lender, has unveiled pera247 in the Philippines – its data-driven consumer lending platform mobile app.
Three reasons Asia is the perfect incubator for fintech innovation
A report released last year by EY and major Singaporean bank DBS declared China the “undoubted centre of global fintech innovation and adoption”. And China isn’t the only Asian country making waves in the fintech sphere. Overall fintech investments in the Asia-Pacific region reached $10.5 billion in 2016 – the highest amount witnessed to date since 2010, according to CB Insights data.
Top fintech stories this week – 27 October 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Geoswift partners with Bank of Shanghai for remittance services
Geoswift, a cross-border payments provider between China and the rest of the world, has unveiled its partnership with Bank of Shanghai to launch a new remittance service in 2017.
Avaloq signs core banking tech deal with Bank of Asia
Bank of Asia, a start-up digital bank in the British Virgin Islands focused on companies that have ties to Asia, has signed for the Avaloq Banking Suite core platform.
Validata gains quality assurance tech deal in Singapore
DevOps and application lifecycle management (ALM) tech specialist Validata has gained a new customer in Singapore to deliver quality assurance for its Temenos T24 upgrade project.
Standard Chartered and SuperCharger return for third cohort in Hong Kong
SuperCharger, a fintech accelerator in Asia, has unveiled the opening of applications for its third programme in Hong Kong.
ITF to become “the world’s first fintech bank”
A new bank, Into the Future (ITF), is gearing up for launch in Hong Kong and Singapore. Among its investors is Jim Rogers, an American businessman based in Singapore and the co-founder of the Quantum Group of Funds (which he started with George Soros).
Old world aces new world
With sizeable market shares, China’s mobile payments giants Alipay and WeChat Pay are seeking international expansion. What’s next for the tech giants?
Daily News at Sibos 2017 – Day 3
Read our third Daily News at Sibos edition of the Sibos 2017 conference in Toronto – all the latest news and analysis from Swift’s premier event of the year. Free to read online or pick up a complimentary print copy if you are at Sibos!
Standard Chartered gets personalised for investment ideas in Asia
This time it’s personal. Standard Chartered has launched a digital wealth management tool that can customise investment ideas in a lively and rapid manner. Called Personalised Investment Ideas (PII), the idea is to help “priority banking” clients respond faster to market opportunities with automated investment ideas based on considerations such as their risk profile and […]
Samsung loses its CEO despite record profits
The CEO of Samsung Electronics – Oh-Hyun Kwon – has thrown in the towel, citing an “unprecedented crisis” at the company as his reason, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). The specifics of that crisis were not revealed in “an emotional letter” (according to the Samsung press release) sent to all employees by Kwon, who […]
Taiwan fines Qualcomm $773m for antitrust violations
US mobile chip giant Qualcomm has been the recipient of yet another fine for claimed anti-competitive business practices, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). This time it’s Taiwan, where its Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) has concluded that Qualcomm abused its dominant position in the mobile chip market for at least seven years by refusing to […]
Ayondo pursues IPO after reverse takeover deal lapses
Social trading company Ayondo has announced that, despite an earlier reverse takeover bid falling through, it is determined to become the first fintech company to IPO on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX).
O-Bank goes all-digital with Avaya’s tech
US-based tech company Avaya says it has helped O-Bank to become “Taiwan’s first, all-digital, online-only bank”.
Fujitsu to trial blockchain payments with three Japanese banks
Fujitsu will work with Mizuho Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) to conduct a joint field trial of a person-to-person (P2P) money transfer service using blockchain. The trial will begin in January 2018 and last for about three months. Fujitsu says it has already initiated development of the […]
DBS readies for IFRS 9 with Z-Risk Engine roll-out
Singapore-based DBS is deploying Aguais and Associates’ (AAA) Z-Risk Engine (ZRE) to generate future credit losses on the bank’s wholesale credit portfolio, as it complies with imminent IFRS 9 requirements. According to AAA, the new financial regulations, effective from 1 January 2018, call for banks and other lenders to deliver a regular, predictive point-in-time (PIT) […]
Infographic: the world’s most cashless countries
What countries among the 20 largest economies are adapting quickest to using cashless systems like phones and contactless cards? New research (and nifty infographics) from global trading site Forex Bonuses reveals that Canada takes the top spot, narrowly edging out Sweden for the top position.
Top fintech stories this week – 6 October 2017
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Singapore and Thailand mull digital payments alliance
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Bank of Thailand are in discussions about connecting their national digital payment systems as officials step up efforts to curb the use of cash, according to Bloomberg. The link would bring together Southeast Asia’s first national digital payment platforms, Singapore’s PayNow and Thailand’s PromptPay, says Naphongthawat Phothikit, […]
Singapore sets Phase 2 to stun for blockchain inter-bank payments
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) say that the consortium which they are leading has developed software prototypes for improved payments on blockchain. The prototypes included three different models for decentralised inter-bank payments and settlements with liquidity savings mechanisms. The project, conducted together with 11 financial institutions […]
Saxo Bank Securities in Japan warms to Torstone’s Inferno for regulatory reporting
Japan-based Saxo Bank Securities has selected Torstone Technology’s Inferno to replace its legal ledger and comply with regulatory reporting requirements. It will initially use Inferno to improve its post-trade reporting processes and is looking to add additional features in future unspecified phases. Torstone says Inferno is a modular solution, giving organisations the “opportunity to incrementally […]
OCBC Bank, HSBC and MUFG in KYC blockchain breakthrough
OCBC Bank, HSBC and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), together with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), has become the “first consortium” in South East Asia to complete a proof of concept for a know your customer (KYC) blockchain. The parties say the development “raises the possibility” of using blockchain to make KYC “more efficient […]
Hong Kong’s SFC unveils regtech sandbox
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has launched its SFC Regulatory Sandbox to provide a place for firms to test out their ideas. Like other regulators, the SFC says: “For the sake of market integrity and better investor protection, the reliability of the delivery of such financial services as well as the firms’ internal […]
Hong Kong regulator’s no phoney for banking plans
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has unveiled a number of initiatives as it looks to improve the region’s use of payments, APIs and innovation. In a speech delivered during the Annual Banking Conference of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, Norman Chan, chief executive of the HKMA, outlined its grand ambitions. Chan says: “The […]
