IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement to work with LAPO Microfinance Bank Ltd to pilot and roll out agent banking that will increase access to financial services for low-income customers, small-scale entrepreneurs and rural communities.

IFC is also providing a 2 billion Naira (approx. $10 million) loan to support LAPO MfB's lending to micro-entrepreneurs. This is the largest investment IFC has made in a microfinance institution in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ooredoo Group today announced that it has selected GoSwiff, a global mobile payments and marketing solutions provider, as its partner for the implementation of its international mPOS (mobile point of sale) platform.

The partnership will cover nine markets including Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Myanmar, Maldives, Oman, Qatar and Tunisia. It will include recruiting merchants to the platform, from large corporates to micro-merchants.

Credibly, a tech and data-inspired lending platform that makes access to capital for small businesses simple and intuitive, announced today a partnership with JetPay Payment Services, a division of JetPay Corporation (NASDAQ:JTPY), a leading provider of debit and credit card processing services. The partnership gives JetPay’s distribution network streamlined access to Credibly’s lending platform, providing more capital for their U.S.-based small business clients.

Neptune, the open standards network utility for pre-trade indications in bond markets, today confirmed that it is continuing to expand its business to the wider community.

The utility had an initial launch in August, with a limited set of buy-side and sell-side sponsors using the network.  Neptune has already seen strong growth in the amount of quality data flowing through the network enhancing pre-trade transparency for those market participants already signed up.

Financial IT speaks to Howard Bascom, Managing Director, BNY Mellon at Sibos 2015.

Financial IT speaks to Brendan P. Farrell, Jr., Executive Vice President, XSP, FIS at Sibos 2015 

Earthport (AIM: EPO.L), the leading payment network for cross border transactions, has been selected by Citizens Financial Group, Inc (“Citizens”), to provide cross-border payments services.

BT today announced that it is making it easier for institutions with a presence in North America to access foreign exchange, metals and commodities markets via the OREX trading platform of leading financial services company, ADS Securities. 

Abu Dhabi-based ADS Securities is the largest brokerage by volume in the Middle East and one of the fastest growing forex and investment companies globally. The company will use BT Radianz Services to allow its growing international investor client base to access its new trading hub in New York, which opened in October this year.