North America


Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union swaps in-house core deployment for outsourcing

Wyoming-based Meridian Trust FCU has converted to a hosted version of its core processing system, Symitar’s Episys. The credit union originally installed it in 2010 in-house. Symitar (a subsidiary of one of the “big four” core processors in the US, Jack Henry) says that as the time came to update its servers, Meridian Trust decided […]

TMX Group embarks on business integration initiative

Canada’s major exchange, depository and clearing group – TMX – has unveiled a new initiative that is set to transform the company into “a client-driven solutions provider to the Canadian and global capital markets”. TMX states that “the objective of the initiative is to align, simplify and integrate relevant systems and operations to both lower […]

New data and analytics solution for Aequitas NEO Exchange

Canada’s newest stock exchange, Aequitas NEO Exchange, has implemented the hosted version of OneTick platform, supplied by OneMarketData. The new platform underpins the exchange’s data and advanced analytics service, OneTickCloud. OneTickCloud supports global equities and futures tick history, reference data, and adjustment factors, and provides on-demand analytics for creating custom datasets. Karl Ottywill, COO at […]

MasterCard credit card chips surge in US

MasterCard says 80% of its US consumer credit cards have chips, an 88% increase in their adoption since the 1 October 2015 liability shift started to bring EMV-secured payments to the country. The company has had to do this due to the change in law. It says it also sees 1.7 million chip-active merchant locations […]

Texas-based Frontier Bank implements new board portal, DirectorsLink

Banc Intranets, a US provider of enterprise content management software, has onboarded Frontier Bank for its DirectorsLink web-based board portal. The Texan bank “sought to reduce time and costs associated with its board processes”, according to the vendor. DirectorsLink was chosen at the recommendation of Frontier Bank’s IT security vendor, Solis. The bank is now […]

Pennsylvania credit union goes live with Temenos’ lifecycle management suite

Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) has gone live with Temenos’ Lifecycle Management Suite’s account origination module. Temenos says PSECU was looking for a method to “streamline” the account opening process for both deposit and loan-based accounts. Andrew Coy, AVP of lending, PSECU, says the account origination solution goes “hand-in-hand with the other Temenos Lifecycle […]

Bank of Montreal signs for Kyc.com service

Bank of Montreal has signed onto Kyc.com’s service to streamline the collection and management of KYC (Know Your Customer) information. Kyc.com, a joint venture between IHS Markit and Genpact, says it standardises and centralises operations around client onboarding and due diligence. Michele Trogni, executive vice-president, consolidated markets and solutions for IHS Markit, says the addition […]

Boston Trust selects SS&C for outsourcing services

Boston Trust & Investment Management Company has selected SS&C Technologies’ Advent Outsourcing Services for hosting and data management. As part of the agreement, SS&C will provide portfolio accounting and reporting, trade order management, compliance and revenue management via products such as Advent Portfolio Exchange (APX), Moxy, Advent Rules Manager, and Advent Revenue Center. Kenneth Pickering, […]

Payments Canada pushes for innovation drive

The Canadian payments space needs to have more flexible and secure systems to promote innovation, according to a public consultation carried out by Payments Canada (formerly the Canadian Payments Association, CPA), the operator of the nation’s payment clearing and settlement system. In its “Vision for the Canadian Payments Ecosystem” report, done in collaboration with more […]

Top ten retail banking sites in the US – June 2016

Who is leading the digital way among the US retail banks? We have put together some nifty stats for the top ten online banking sites in the US for the past month (data courtesy of SimilarWeb). We’ll be publishing regular updates on a monthly basis, to track the changes, developments and trends – to bring you a fuller […]

Fiserv gains with Dakota Plains

Dakota Plains Credit Union has replaced its existing system with an integrated technology suite from Fiserv, including XP2 for core account processing. The North Dakota-based credit union will also use Fiserv’s Virtual Branch for online banking, Mobiliti for mobile banking, CheckFree RXP for electronic payments, Statement Advantage for statements and e-statements, Wisdom for comprehensive accounting […]

Wells Fargo and NCR partner for retail banking innovation

NCR Corporation and Wells Fargo have established a team focused on research and development in ATM and retail banking customer experience. Over the past eight years, NCR and Wells Fargo have worked together on other projects. These range from cash- and check-processing to self-service devices. The latest agreement expands the relationship to a “more strategic […]

FIS revamps Bank Leumi USA’s tech platform

Bank Leumi USA, part of the Bank Leumi Group, has replaced its legacy technology platform with FIS’s banking and payments solutions, including core processing, branch, digital and mobile banking, compliance, risk and back office systems. FIS says it was a “big bang” project implementation and large in size and scope for a mid-sized banking institution. […]

Cidel Bank implementing ERI’S Olympic core banking system

Canada-based Cidel Bank & Trust is implementing ERI’s flagship Olympic core banking system. Banking Technology understands that the deal was inked at the start of 2016. The implementation has already begun, and will equip the Cidel group with portfolio management and reporting tools, an automated transaction processing capability and an omni-channel client service architecture. Craig Rimer, […]

BMO “first” for account opening with smartphones

BMO Bank of Montreal has introduced a new service that allows customers to open an account using their smartphone, without having to go to a branch or download an app. The bank says this “first-of-its-kind account opening capability” allows customers to search, select and open a new account with BMO “in minutes”. Niti Badarinath, head […]

FIS and PAI eye cardless cash expansion in US

FIS and Payment Alliance International (PAI) have teamed up to offer cardless cash services across the US. The partnership connects mobile solution FIS Cardless Cash to PAI – the nation’s “largest”, privately-held provider of ATM processing and maintenance services. FIS says the deal will “ultimately” expand to 70,000 ATMs in the PAI ATM network. Anthony […]

Encentus Federal Credit Union selects Fiserv’s Portico core processing system

Oklahoma-based Encentus Federal Credit Union has chosen Fiserv’s Portico core account processing platform for digital banking and lending services. The credit union is migrating from its current providers to Fiserv; and Misty Potter, president and CEO, Encentus, says Fiserv “will empower our credit union with the progressive and innovative technology to drive a more rewarding […]

HSBC dodges US money laundering charges

HSBC has escaped charges of money laundering by US officials due to fears by the Department of Justice (DOJ) it might create a “global financial disaster”. A US Congressional report shows that UK officials, including Chancellor George Osborne, used their clout to warn the US it could lead to market unrest. According to the BBC, […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 7 July 2016

With news on blockchain and Bitcoin appearing thick and fast, here’s a round-up of key events to save you time. In Switzerland, the city of Zug, is piloting the acceptance of Bitcoin for payments. From 1 July, residents could start to pay their taxes, fees and fines with the digital currency. The project is part […]

Torstone’s Inferno backs BNP Paribas in Fed Reserve deal

BNP Paribas Securities Services has become a direct securities participant to the US Federal Reserve through FedLine, its online financial services information and payment service. The company, a subsidiary of the BNP Paribas group, says this completes its direct connectivity to the US market on all securities instruments. BNP uses Torstone Technology’s post-trade securities and […]

FacePhi lands in Mexico with Selphi

Spanish biometrics firm FacePhi has signed a new contract with Mexico’s Banco Inbursa to implement its face recognition technology on mobile banking apps and web platforms. This is the company’s ninth contract in total. FacePhi says Banco Inbursa becomes the first financial institution in Mexico offering facial recognition authentication to its clients, “just by taking […]

Lending Club management reshuffle leads to job losses

Jobs will go as Lending Club reorganises its top brass and looks to rebuild investor confidence following the untimely resignation of former chairman and CEO Renaud Laplanche. Laplanche resigned in May following an internal review of sales of $22 million in near-prime loans to a “single investor”, in contravention of the investor’s express instructions, according […]

Bank of Khartoum International live on Path Solutions’ iMAL core system

Bank of Khartoum (BOK) has opened its first international branch, underpinned by Path Solutions’ iMAL core banking system. The branch is located in Bahrain. Path Solutions is a long-standing tech supplier to the Sudanese bank, but says that iMAL “was chosen over competitors’ systems” for the BOK International project. BOK International focuses on products and […]

Wirecard moves into North America with Citi Prepaid Card Services acquisition

Wirecard has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Citi Prepaid Card Services – giving it an expansion into North America. The firm says Citi Prepaid card services have launched over 2,500 client programmes, associated with global companies and brands, but primarily in North America. Subject to the usual regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to […]

FICO acquires QuadMetrics for cyber risk score development

FICO, an analytics and decision management software provider, has acquired US cyber risk security scoring firm QuadMetrics. The deal will help FICO further develop its Enterprise Security Score, which ranks an organisation’s level of cybersecurity risk. The transaction has closed and terms have not been disclosed. Doug Clare, vice-president of cybersecurity solutions at FICO, says […]

Overbond launches “first” end-to-end platform for primary bond origination

Toronto-based Overbond, a bond issuance market provider, has launched an end-to-end platform and support framework for primary bond origination – the “first” fully-integrated platform to connect bond market issuers, dealers, and fixed-income investors. The digital platform provides transparency, price discovery and investor diversification for all counterparties in the primary bond market, the firm says. “We […]

Jack Henry unveils JHA Marketplace for collaborative core customisation

US-based banking software heavyweight Jack Henry has launched JHA Marketplace for shared core customisation. The online store enables banks to access and exchange applications related to workflow automation, “flexible” data integration, and other “performance-driving” functions. JHA Marketplace will be filled with a range of PowerOn applications. PowerOn is Jack Henry’s utility allowing a bank’s IT […]

Jack Henry and Symitar in core software projects across US

US-based banking software heavyweight Jack Henry & Associates and its Symitar subsidiary are busy with a number of core software projects across the US. Jack Henry converted Georgia-based Bank of Newington and Wisconsin-based Cleveland State Bank to its Windows-based Core Director platform. Both banks decided to replace their previous core systems and multiple third-party vendor […]

Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka selects OpenLink’s Findur for derivatives operations

US-based Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka (FHLBank Topeka) has selected OpenLink’s debt and derivatives solution Findur as it looks to improve operational efficiency. With $45.2 billion in assets, FHLBank Topeka is one of 11 privately-owned, federally-chartered banks and provides wholesale loan services to 768 institutions across four US Midwestern states. The Kansas-based institution, which […]

IBM opens New York garage for blockchain on the cloud developers

IBM has opened a new Bluemix Garage in New York, to offer the city’s developers, entrepreneurs, and fintech firms the use of blockchain on the cloud. The garage will be located at Galvanize’s (a network of campuses) newly launched New York campus. IBM says this location in “this tech learning community for students, start-ups and […]

Wells Fargo to launch real-time P2P payments in US

Wells Fargo will launch real-time person-to-person (P2P) transactions in the US – for more than 17 million mobile customers. Beginning 1 August, the service will allow Wells Fargo’s customers to send funds in real-time at “no cost” to any customer of a bank that participates in the real-time service, which operates on Early Warning’s clearXchange […]

MintChip digital cash platform live in Canada; US and UK to follow

Toronto-based start-up, nanoPay, which acquired the assets of the digital currency business of the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM), MintChip, in early 2016, launches new digital cash. The first commercial application of MintChip is in Toronto’s Liberty Village neighbourhood, where consumers shopping or dining at participating merchants can use MintChip to pay for goods and services. […]

Core banking software vendor Nymbus makes another acquisition

Acquisitive banking software start-up Nymbus takes over yet another fellow vendor, Sharp BancSystems (SBS). SBS is a long-standing fintech provider in the US, having been set up in Texas back in 1987. This is Nymbus’ largest acquisition to date – earlier this year, the company bought R. C. Olmstead (RCO) and KMR. Alex Lopatine, founder and CEO […]

Welch State Bank in tech modernisation with Fiserv

Welch State Bank, a small bank in Oklahoma with assets of $227 million, is implementing a range of Fiserv’s solutions. These include the Precision core processing platform; Source Capture Solutions for image capture; and Director for enterprise content management. The bank will also use Fiserv’s electronic fund transfer and card services. According to Fiserv, Welch […]

New stock exchange, IEX, to launch in the US

IEX Group has gained approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a stock exchange. IEX will become the 13th official stock exchange in the US. The company has already been operating as a private trading pool, attracting around 1.6% of all daily trading volume recently. Notably, IEX is run by the prominent […]

New coalition to ensure fair banking software deals for community FIs

A new alliance of US community banks, credit unions and other financial institutions – Golden Contract Coalition (GCC) – launches to stand up to IT providers. GCC’s aim is to ensure fair market deals from the technology suppliers to its members. “GCC is the first alliance of its kind where a group of like-minded institutions […]

Humans will have to go as Bank of America gears up to go digital

Bank of America is shrinking its consumer banking division by 8,000 people as it prepares to go digital. The bank has already considerably reduced the staffing numbers: from 100,000 in 2009 to 68,400 in Q1 2016. Thong Nguyen, Bank of America’s president of retail banking and co-head of consumer banking, expects the numbers to go […]

Nymbus acquires credit unions software vendor KMR

Hot on the heels of the R. C. Olmstead (RCO) acquisition, core banking software start-up Nymbus takes over another fellow vendor, KMR. KMR was founded in 2007 and focuses on the US credit union space. Its flagship suite, AgilityFOUR, consists of two products: AgilityWeb (a remote banking solution) and AgilityOrg (credit union management and compliance software). […]