Worldwide


Q&A with Steve Montross, CPI Card Group

For card manufacturers like CPI Card Group, the U.S. transition to EMV continues to be a top priority. But broader trends like the rise of e-commerce and wearables also are shaping a business that goes well beyond plastic.

Can Blockchain Save the U.S. Postal Service?

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), striving to overcome inefficiencies and profitability that’s historically been much more often in the red than in the black, is exploring the use of blockchain technology to improve current services, provide new services and improve operations.

Webinar: Social Media, Fraud Worries Could Boost Prepaid Growth

Consumer fraud concerns and the popularity of mobile messaging apps likely will secure prepaid a firm spot in future commerce, according to Martin Koderisch, a manager at Edgar, Dunn and Company (EDC) during a recent Webinar entitled “Prepaid Payments in the Digital Age.”

Calif. Filing Could Indicate Payments Ambitions for Rakuten

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten steadily has been expanding its presence in the U.S.—and the company’s recent filing for a money transmitter license in California could indicate ambitions for adding new financial services and P2P payments components to its U.S. platform.

Microsoft unveils blockchain-based identity system

Microsoft is collaborating with Blockstack Labs and ConsenSys, and developers across the globe on an open source, self-sovereign, blockchain-based identity system. The announcement by Microsoft follows its participation at the United Nations’ ID2020 Summit on Identity. Yorke Rhodes, blockchain business strategist, Microsoft, says: “Without legal identification, children and people are invisible to society which makes […]

European Central Bank goes to tender for new treasury management system

The European Central Bank (ECB) has officially launched a procurement tender for a new treasury management system (TMS). The ECB’s current TMS platform is Wallstreet Suite, supplied by Wall Street Systems (now part of Ion Trading). The bank has been using it for many years, Banking Technology understands. According to the ECB, its TMS supports […]

PayPal files Bitcoin payment patent

PayPal has filed a US patent application for a modular payment module that accepts Bitcoin and other digital currencies. The application names Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin; and sets out the physical characteristics of the module. It says: “The module includes a chassis which has a modular device connector. A payment database in the chassis stores […]

Intel moves into fintech as PC sales slump

Intel has teamed with The Floor, a fintech hub located at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, to create its own fintech innovation centre in Israel. This is Intel’s first move into the fintech sector as it looks to capitalise on the demand for bitcoin and blockchain solutions in banking and finance. It may also be […]

Clever banking with artificial intelligence

As banks, financial services providers and brands predict and plan for the way consumers will manage their money in the future, artificial intelligence (AI) is high on the business development strategy for 2016 and beyond. Gideon Hyde, co-founder of Market Gravity, explains how and why artificial intelligence (AI) could hold the key to standing out […]

Experian unveils CrossCore platform for fraud and identity services

Experian, the information services company, has launched its CrossCore platform for fraud and identity services. CrossCore has “plug-and-play” capability and lets companies connect any new or existing tools and systems in one place, whether they are Experian, internal or third-party partner solutions. Steve Platt, global EVP, fraud and identity, Experian, says: “New fraud threats, updates […]

SETL launches blockchain-powered OpenCSD platform

SETL, the institutional payment and settlement infrastructure based on blockchain, has launched its OpenCSD platform. The blockchain-powered platform, SETL’s first commercial offering, enables any market participant to commission and run a permissioned registry service for payments, settlement and clearing of cash and other “financial instruments”. It has been benchmarked to “settle billions of transactions a […]

Wirecard Makes Scandinavia Play with Paygoo Pact

Wirecard’s flurry of activity continues as the German payment services and technology firm joins with Norway-based program manager Paygoo to launch a reloadable prepaid MasterCard, to be distributed through one of Europe’s largest convenience store chains, Reitan Convenience.

Oman Arab Bank opts for BPC’s SmartVista for payments

Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has selected BPC Banking Technologies’ SmartVista suite for its payment business. SmartVista will replace the existing legacy platform, ACI Worldwide’s Open2. BPC says following a review and bid process, OAB selected its suite over ACI Worldwide and HPS. Fahd Amjad, GM retail banking at Oman Arab Bank, says the partnership with […]

Bank Hapoalim searches for new core banking system

Israel’s largest bank, Bank Hapoalim, is believed to be in system selection mode. The bank is looking for a new core banking system, Banking Technology understands. It is believed that Temenos with its T24 offering, SAP with SAP for Banking and TCS Financial Solution with Bancs are among the contenders. TCS has recently made inroads […]

Brexit: breaking the bank?

As Europe’s biggest e-commerce market, the UK’s e-money and payment services industries are thriving. But with the EU referendum right around the corner, are things likely to change? Craig James, founder and CEO of Neopay, explores the potential of a Brexit-shaped disruption. On 23rd June 2016, the UK public will take to the polls for […]

Are banks ready to innovate?

Financial industry has reached the point of no return: new start-ups and technologies are disrupting the traditional world of banking. All the things that were either unavailable, limited, expensive or poorly designed, now can be accessible from the third parties, which are not even close to banks. Small fintech companies are doing the job the […]

Ipreo and Misys team up for syndicated loan solutions

Ipreo, a fintech firm headquartered in New York, and Misys have signed an agreement to integrate Debtdomain and Misys FusionBanking LoanIQ for syndicated loan arrangers and agents. Mutual clients of Debtdomain and FusionBanking LoanIQ have previously integrated the products, but this deal will be the “first” that is jointly developed and supported by both Ipreo […]

Top fintech stories this week – 27 May 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Swift hacks sees 12 more banks under attack A fast moving chain of events. High five for Apple Pay in Singapore Big banks onboard include OCBC and Standard Chartered. NYSE launches new trading tech platform, NYSE Pillar The […]

Sungard out, Path Solutions in at Amãna Bank

Sri Lanka-based Amãna Bank has gone live with new treasury and asset management software, supplied by Path Solutions. The new products, iMAL Islamic Treasury and iMAL AssetManagement, replaced a legacy treasury and equity management platform at Amãna. Banking Technology understands that this was Sungard’s Ambit Treasury Management. The new software interfaces to Swift and supports […]

Swift hacks sees 12 more banks under attack

Investigators are looking at more potential computer breaches following the three hacking incidents on Swift’s payment network, according to Bloomberg. The three attacks comprised a $101 million cyber heist in Bangladesh – the biggest cyber heist in history; Vietnam’s Tien Phong Bank stopping an attempted wire fraud; and Ecuador’s Banco del Austro losing around $9 […]

Green Dot Issues Mea Culpa, Still Working out Final Kinks

Green Dot has taken to social media to apologize for service issues that go beyond its initial reporting that balance inquiries temporarily were unavailable in certain channels, following the third wave of its processing conversion to MasterCard Payment Transaction Services.

Wells Fargo Joins the Mobile Wallet Race

Wells Fargo will launch its mobile wallet this summer, giving consumers using Android devices a new way to pay with their Wells Fargo debit and credit cards.

Payments Vets Launch ‘Innovation’ Platform for Issuers

The multibillion-dollar fintech boom often garners headlines for consumer-facing innovation. Three payments veterans—John Mitchell, Futeh Kao and Chermaine Hu—decided it was time to create some issuer-facing innovation. With their new company Episode Six, the team has launched a payments software platform that integrates with issuers’ existing processing infrastructure to enable customized new products, Mitchell tells Paybefore.

Webinar: FATCA & CRS Compliance: Are you ready?

We are now in a new era of global tax reporting, with more regulations around tax transparency than ever before. To pull together a full picture on the market’s readiness for the Common Reporting Standards (CRS) and approach to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), Thomson Reuters has gathered industry views from a global […]

Nasdaq launches Financial Framework

Nasdaq has launched the Nasdaq Financial Framework for financial infrastructure providers. The framework is “immediately” available to more than 100 market operator clients globally, including traditional exchanges, inter-broker dealers and alternative trading venues, clearing houses and central securities depositories (CSDs). Adena Friedman, president and COO, Nasdaq, says the framework is the result of “significant R&D […]

Invisible apps: removing friction from the online banking experience

A new stage of interactive banking is here. Santander recently announced a new app that will let consumers speak to their phone about their spending habits. Lloyds announced a video interview mortgage service, allowing customers to apply without setting foot in a branch. And HSBC released an app which replaces a pin number for voice biometrics. This […]

Company on the Move: The Orogen Group, Launch

Former Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit and independent investment fund Atairos Group are creating The Orogen Group, a New York-based company that will make controlling and other strategic investments in financial services companies and related businesses.

People on the Move: Karen Richardson, Worldpay

Global payments processor and technology provider Worldpay Group plc has appointed Karen Richardson to the company’s board of directors as an independent non-executive director and a member of the audit and nomination committees, effective July 1, 2016.

BBVA teams with Red Hat for digital banking drive

BBVA is partnering with Red Hat to speed up innovation and digital banking growth. The agreement, which turns Red Hat into a “priority partner” for BBVA, is part of a series of alliances that BBVA is aiming to forge. Earlier this year, it signed an alliance with Cisco, also allowing it to become a “priority” […]

Two years to comply: how must FIs adapt to incoming data privacy regulation?

This week marks exactly two years until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force. It will fundamentally change the way that companies capture, manage and store information. To comply with the GDPR, financial institutions face the prospect of having to completely overhaul legacy systems and practices in just 24 months. Customer is truly […]

Kozlowski Takes Reins at The Bancorp

The board of directors of The Bancorp Inc. and The Bancorp Bank has appointed Damian Kozlowski to leadership roles with both entities. Kozlowski will become CEO of The Bancorp and president of The Bancorp Bank, effective June 1, 2016. He also will serve as director of both units. Kozlowski has served since 2010 as CEO, president and director of Modern Bank, a New York City-based private bank.