Banking


Top fintech stories this week – 28 October 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! HSBC Private Bank live with Avaloq Banking Suite EXCLUSIVE. It’s on in Switzerland and Luxembourg. European Association for Biometrics conference Eyes down for our event review. New challenger bank to launch in UK Hampshire Community Bank wants a […]

Cognizant works with KeyBank on Oracle Banking Platform project

Cognizant has assisted KeyBank in implementing Oracle Banking Platform (OBP) from Oracle FSS as part of the bank’s tech revamp. Cognizant says it redesigned KeyBank’s core systems, applications, business processes and customer interfaces to “simplify transactions”. Vipin Gupta, EVP and CIO of Key Community Bank (KeyCorp’s division that includes retail, business and commercial middle market […]

National Bank of Canada axes 600 jobs

The National Bank of Canada will cut 600 jobs as part of its restructuring plans and take a charge of $175 million in Q4. The charge includes severance payments to employees and the expense of moving premises. The bank says the restructuring will bring $120 million in annual savings. As of July this year, it […]

Asia’s first Shariah-compliant robo-advisor to launch

Algebra, Asia’s “first Shariah-compliant robo-advisor”, will be launched this December by Malaysia-based Farringdon Group Private Wealth Managers. It will be open to investors from across the globe, with a minimum investment of $200 per month. Funds will follow basic Islamic principles. For example, no stocks may derive income from gambling, alcohol, tobacco, pork products, adult […]

Is customer loyalty dead in banking?

In an age of increasingly high consumer expectations, driven by ever increasing customer choice, the term “customer experience” has become more than a simple buzzword. Used as a key brand differentiator for all types of industries, it has emerged as a crucial tool in driving customer loyalty in the long-term. Irrespective of whether you are […]

The changing co-branded credit card landscape

As retailers across the country need to bring innovative customisation and convenience factors to their customers, credit cards are becoming an essential part of delivering value. Co-branded cards continue to play an important role in the retail landscape and can offer a unique point of distinction for retailers in today’s competitive environment.

Digital-only MemoryBank launches in US

US-based MemoryBank, a national branchless banking platform, has opened its “digital doors”. Founded this month, it is digital only and targets “generation-X customers” – born between 1965 and 1982 – described as “an often-ignored group, pushed aside by millennials”. The bank is a subsidiary of Kentucky-based Republic Bank & Trust Company. For its tech, Republic […]

Payments start-up nanopay gets $10m funding boost

Toronto-based payments start-up nanopay has completed its $10 million Series A funding round. With this financing and the MintChip platform, which nanopay recently acquired from The Royal Canadian Mint, it is developing new business partnerships to “expand the global utility and acceptance” of MintChip. Laurence Cooke, CEO and founder of nanopay, says its focus is […]

BBVA favours Amazon Web Services for cloud drive

BBVA has reached a global agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as it looks to cloud computing to boost its digital banking services. The agreement, which is part of a series of accords that the group is making with providers, turns AWS into its “preferred” cloud infrastructure services provider. AWS will execute the migration of […]

Bank of America to launch AI chatbot

Bank of America has unveiled its new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to help customers make decisions on their finances. Called Erica, a nod to the name America, it will be available inside the bank’s mobile app in 2017. Customers can do the usual AI stuff – chat via text or voice – and it’s all […]

Case study: Consorsbank – the pursuit of app-iness

New retail banking apps are released onto the market daily – from traditional banks entering the app era to new disruptive payments services. What does each one of these apps have in common? The need to perform. When Consorsbank, part of BNP Paribas Germany, launched its retail app, it knew performance mattered. The bank shares how it delivered an app that consumers wanted.

CBA and Wells Fargo in “world-first” interbank blockchain trade transaction

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Wells Fargo and trading firm Brighann Cotton have completed the “first” global trade transaction between two banks using blockchain, smart contracts and the Internet of Things (IoT). The transaction involved a shipment of cotton from Texas to Qingdao, China, using a distributed ledger – Skuchain’s Brackets system – for all […]

European Association for Biometrics conference: exciting times ahead

European Association for Biometrics (EAB) has recently conducted a one-day seminar in London on what’s hot in the world of European banking biometrics. The seminar was supported by Banking Technology and hosted by Citi. It gathered a good haul of UK banks, including Lloyds, Santander, Virgin Money, Tesco Bank, Metro Bank and RBS and TSB.

Envestnet Yodlee extends tie-up with Backbase, unveils updates

Envestnet Yodlee has extended its partnership with omnichannel banking specialist Backbase. The two companies have been collaborating for some time. With the new agreement, Backbase will be providing its customers with integrations to the Envestnet Yodlee data aggregation platform.

Is your mobile banking app causing more harm than good?

Without the right digital strategy, small and midsize banks risk ceding built-in advantages to larger competitors. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to successfully move into the digital realm and retain customer engagement (and sales). Mobile banking has become an imperative for retail bankers looking to keep pace with the industry and satisfy customers’ needs. It […]

Payments round-up: 21 October 2016

Jargon defeated. Unnecessary words deleted. A brief payments round-up. LeFinance, a division of Beijing-based tech firm LeEco, has partnered with the Stellar Development Foundation for cross-border payments on the latter’s blockchain network. The deal means Stellar expands into China. LeFinance will also use Stellar’s network to monitor credits for usage across their various devices and […]

Top fintech stories this week – 21 October 2016

Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Bank of Ireland in major tech revamp EXCLUSIVE. Accenture and Capgemini working on Project Omega. Trouble in the R3 paradise? Thinking about time and money. Millions at risk from India ATM hack Debit cards in danger due to […]

Société Générale unveils new innovation hub

Société Générale has launched its new innovation hub – The Dunes – a 126,000 square-metre building complex in Val-de-Fontenay, a suburb of Paris. The firm says 5,000 of its employees “working in technology” will be based there and the hub is “at the heart” of its “digital transformation”. But it’s doubtful the building will transform […]

Commerzbank in major job cutting spree

Commerzbank has firmed up plans to lay off nearly 5,000 people. Around 3,000 job cuts will be across the bank’s branch network at home in Germany. Another 1,900+ jobs will be eliminated outside Germany and across Commerzbank’s subsidiaries.

Payments app Circle launches in Europe

Payments services provider Circle has commenced its operations in Europe, starting with euro availability in Ireland and Spain. The expansion will enable people in the EU/EEA region to send and receive person-to-person (P2P) payments with native Euro support to friends and family within their countries and across borders instantly – with zero fees.

Interview: Kyle Ferguson, Fraedom’s CEO – on the road to Fraedom

Payments technology and expense management specialist Fraedom is on the journey to tap into the $110 trillion B2B market opportunity that remains untapped today. “If the technology is both powerful and intuitive, people will use it,” states Kyle Ferguson, Fraedom’s CEO.

Blockchain & back office: a revolutionary change or not?

Blockchain has been hailed as a disruptive force capable of revolutionising the banking sector. While this may be the case to some extent, the impact may be overstated when it comes to wider back office operations, argues Paul Westgate, product manager at Linedata. In the clamour to proclaim blockchain, and those cryptocurrencies built on blockchain technology, […]

Configo launches site to aggregate banks’ API portals

Fintech start-up Configo has launched a project to aggregate the API portals launched by financial players around the world. It is not commercial driven but is “just a small project to put everything in order”, says Yosi Dahan, co-founder and CEO of Configo.

Citi’s treasury and trade goes digital with eSubmit

Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions has launched electronic document submission (eSubmit) for account opening. The service is available in “select” Western European countries and allows clients to complete the account opening process by returning electronic versions of documentation rather than paper. Sabine McIntosh, global head of account services product, Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions, says […]