At Sibos 2017, Zafin, a leader in financial technology, announced Zafin Client Offer Management, a product for corporate and commercial banks to manage pricing and deal governance. 

For the first time ever, pioneering travel software provider, CodeGen, will be exhibiting at ITB Asia. The industry leader will be showcasing its signature reservation platform, TravelBox as well as the newest advancements in artificial intelligent led solutions.

Visitors to ITB Asia can look forward to demonstrations of CodeGen’s TravelBox™, the complete end-to-end technology solution that enables incremental bookings and revenue generation as well as automating business processes – everything from inventory to costing and pricing, documentation and even communication and accounts. Designed specifically for the travel and aviation industries, TravelBox is used by the largest blue-chip brands in the global sector requiring the most complex booking technology. The platform has powered business transformation, cost efficiencies and higher earnings and continues to enable businesses to grow.

In addition, Codegen’s brand new framework of AI solutions will also be on display. The new features, which can be utilised individually or seamlessly integrated with TravelBox, allow travel businesses to mine online user data and analyse the insights from multiple sources including reviews and client profiles. The result being personalised product offerings and delivery of exactly what the users are looking for, and therefore, increased conversion rates.

Mark Melzack, senior sales manager, said:

“We’re excited to be exhibiting at ITB Asia for the first time and to showcase the powerful suite of TravelBox technology solutions. As a company we have a long established reputation for our commitment to investment in research and development and we’re looking forward to demonstrating our new artificial intelligence driven platforms.”

ITB Asia takes place from 25-27 October at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. CodeGen will be exhibiting in Hall F, at Booth A40.

Murex, a global leader in trading, risk management and processing solutions, is pleased to announce the successful launch of the MX.3 SaaS solution at ATB Financial. Murex SaaS is a managed services offering for the MX.3 platform, encompassing infrastructure and application management.

ATB pursued this initiative in order to create a simple yet comprehensive foreign exchange experience for their customers. In addition to the customer benefit, ATB was also able to rationalize their IT landscape, broaden the scope of financial instruments they provide on their digital platform, and prepare for a large volume increase in their trading activities. Due to the strength of the solution’s risk management capabilities, extensive asset class coverage, and the rapid and cost-effective implementation of its SaaS offering, Murex was an obvious partner for this initiative.

The first phase of the project was completed in under 10 months covering interest rate derivatives front-to-back-to-risk, including both market and credit risk as well as collateral management. ATB’s official go-live on Murex SaaS took place in August 2017. Project implementation costs were significantly reduced compared with an on premise installation. Additionally, the Murex SaaS offering has enabled ATB to reduce ongoing IT costs through outsourcing all management, maintenance and upgrades of the solution to Murex. 

Trading, risk and back office teams based in Calgary and Edmonton will use the Murex SaaS solution for managing interest rate derivatives from front-to-back. They will also use the system for risk management across credit risk, market risk and collateral.

ATB’s Chief Transformation Officer, Wellington Holbrook notes “ATB prides itself on being a leader in the assessment and adoption of new technologies that will benefit both our team and our customers. It was clear to us Murex’s award-winning solution was the best fit for our needs. The project was completed on time and on budget. After such a smooth collaboration, we’re keen to launch phase two of the project and extend the platform to include commodities and FX trading.”

Edouard Balliere, Head of Business Development for Murex Americas remarked, “We are extremely pleased with the successful implementation of Murex SaaS at ATB. The solution will help ATB rationalize and reduce IT overheads. We also proved SaaS deployments achieve significant professional services and maintenance cost reduction over well-defined initiatives such as the one ATB assigned to us. We look forward to working closely with ATB to support their growing business in the future.”

Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (NRI), a leading provider of consulting services and system solutions, today announced that it has completed the first implementation of Oracle Financial Services Analytical Applications (OFSAA) in Japan, implementing the solution at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU). Completing the project in July 2017, NRI provided the entire spectrum of technical support for BTMU, from development of programs and peripheral functions to system operations.

As part of the implementation, NRI deployed the following modules:

·    Assess Liability Management (ALM) Solution: 

·    Funds Transfer Pricing (FTP) Solution 

·    Liquidity Risk Management (LRM) Solution

ALM, FTP, and LRM solutions are solutions designed to increase operational efficiency and productivity across lines of the business through smart-monitoring, analysis, and execution. The ALM solution allows institutions to measure interest rate, foreign currency, and liquidity risk, while FTP enables institutions to determine the spread earned on assets and liabilities as a result of interest rate exposure. In addition, Oracle's LRM solution helps banks achieve on-time regulatory compliance with the pre-configured regulatory scenarios, rules and computations. In tandem, all three solutions allow for an enterprise-wide boost in regulatory compliance and risk management.

“NRI's goal is always to assure that we secure and implement the best enterprise solutions for our partners, and the deployment of this suite of Oracle solutions with BTMU has served as an excellent first for Japanese financial services,” said Namiki Kubo, Senior Managing Director of NRI. “Not only was this a successful implementation, but the process has also established NRI as the primary integration specialist for Oracle financial solutions in Japan.”

In parallel to this project, NRI has accumulated knowledge and experience regarding OFSAA implementation, and established a specialized agency committed to successful projects.

iGTB, the transaction banking and technology specialist from Intellect Design Arena Ltd, has been selected by Bangkok Bank, Thailand’s market leader in corporate and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) banking, as a technology partner to implement a comprehensive cash management platform and corporate portal.

The self-service digital portal will integrate a number of previously separate platforms, giving the bank’s clients – from SMEs through to multinational corporations – a consistent and consolidated view of their working capital and payments activities, irrespective of the country they operate in.

The solution will also provide considerable benefits for the bank, with back-end processing of transactions, risk management and reporting all centralised and handled in one place – leading to vast improvements in STP rates.

Thanit Sirichote, EVP, Corporate Cash Management at Bangkok Bank, says: “This partnership is a serious statement of intent, and an important component of the broader digital transformation that is underway at the Bank. We will be offering our corporate clients, of all sizes, better, more comprehensive, and more tailored services that increasingly use data analytics to get to the heart of what they are trying to achieve and how best to support them.

“This solution will also give us a much greater capacity to serve clients internationally – meaning they can consolidate their banking relationships, minimise costs, and access a suite of highly relevant products, all through a single, easy-to-use portal.”

Manish Maakan, CEO of iGTB, adds: “This is a key strategic step for iGTB – our first Global Transaction Banking deal in Thailand, signed with the largest commercial corporate bank in the country. Building on our presence in Singapore and Malaysia, this is a statement of our wider ambitions across the region, and we’re delighted that our unique CBX18 based Contextual Banking approach will help Bangkok Bank with their digital transformation. This won’t simply be a “get in, get out” technology implementation, it’s a joint effort where we offer our transaction banking thought leadership and expertise to ensure Bangkok Bank are strategically positioned for the long term.”

“We are delighted to be a part of Bangkok Bank’s transformational journey!, said K. Srinivasan, President, Emerging Markets, Intellect Design Arena. “This prestigious partnership with Bangkok Bank, Thailand validates our position as the preferred transaction banking specialist in the Asia Pacific region. Intellect will assist Bangkok Bank in its digital journey by proving real-time, flexible, and automated banking processes to maximise operational efficiency and provide best-in-class customer service.”

In today’s economy, banks seek to adapt a more customer-centric business model by delivering new services with greater transparency. Traditional banks understand that they must equip themselves with digital capabilities to avoid being disintermediated by new players in the industry. Oracle’s open API banking solution set can help banks make the difference they need. Packaged and ready for integration with any financial institution’s tech ecosystem, Oracle’s  end-to-end solution is well suited for open API initiatives that require design, documentation, simulation, management, identity/security management and monetization backed by business analytics.

With both, the rise of fintechs and increased scrutiny from regulatory agencies dominating

industry conversation, banks must look to embrace change rather than simply comply with it. This means going beyond acting as traditional banks and begin operating as ‘platforms’ that enable direct integration from third party applications. Open API protocols have even gained global prominence through region-specific initiatives that focus on end-customer benefits. PSD2 regulation in the European Union and initiatives by the Singapore Monetary Authority, U.K. Financial Conduct Authority and Australia Economic Committee are ongoing efforts to make open banking and open APIs standard.

This environment ushers an age of transparency that demands an open API architecture, which typically requires components from several vendors if it is to be executed successfully. Oracle today, eliminates the need of engaging with multiple vendors, and offers customers an end-to-end open API solution under one roof. It also provides the added benefit of an unparalleled hyper-connected experience.

“Times have changed and today, more than ever, a two-fold approach is necessary when implementing customer facing technology,” said Oracle Senior Vice President Chet Kamat. “Quite simply, the two aspects are acquiring plug-and-play lifecycle experience products—like mobile applications and omni-channel user experience solutions—and adopting open API banking. Oracle offers a solution versatile enough to cater to both these needs.”

Oracle’s open API banking solution enables financial institutions to roll out their API initiatives quickly. Banks can gain new revenue streams, rethink their operating and business models, all without disrupting their pre-existing tech architecture. This is made possible by the sheer breadth of offerings within Oracle’s toolset.

Oracle’s open API banking solution set includes:

• Oracle Banking Digital Experience: This full spectrum multi-channel solution provides over 1000 fine grained APIs which can be leveraged for Open Banking.
• Oracle Revenue Management and Billing: Allows the bank to price each API call based on rate plans blended with enterprise class relationship pricing. This provides a unique API monetization model for financial institutions.
• Oracle Identity Cloud Service Management: A next-gen security and identity platform that helps banks define and manage their API security policy.
• Apiary: This cloud banking platform can be leveraged to design, prototype, document and test APIs.
• Oracle API Platform Cloud Service: Manages the entire API lifecycle beginning with design and standardization to documenting, publishing, and parameterization and testing of prototypes.
• Oracle Banking Payments: With payments underlining most API regulations, banks need a robust payments engine to deliver rich payment experiences. Built grounds up on ISO20022 Oracle’s payments solution gives banks the ability to cater to rich API workloads. 

16 October 2017 - Amsterdam/ London: Ohpen was recognised for its investment and innovation into the United Kingdom economy by the Department for International Trade (DIT). His Excellency Peter Wilson CMG, British Ambassador to the Netherlands and professor doctor Barbara Baarsma presented the award to Ohpen UK’s CEO Angelique Schouten and COO Matthijs Aler.

The DIT’s Annual Investment Awards were held in Amsterdam where Ohpen’s headquarters is based. Winning in the Innovation category, Michiel Veldhuizen, Country Director Netherlands of the Department for International Trade commented on behalf of the panel:

“Ohpen, with its revolutionary core banking platform hosted in the cloud, is fundamentally changing the way financial services providers work. Working with a team of 25 based in London their innovation provides a solution to the serious problem facing all financial service providers. Namely that they are dependent on a patchwork of outdated core banking systems and are forced to spend ever more time, money and effort just to keep them running. Ohpen’s innovation allows its clients to focus on its core business: providing financial services to their customers.”

The Ohpen team was on hand to accept the award. Understandably, they were thrilled, with Schouten stating:

“We are about innovation, not stagnation which is not always easy in such a conservative industry. Our philosophy is legacy out, agility in. The team works hard to offer a compelling core banking solution to retail banks, asset managers, insurers, building societies and other financial services companies, with peace of mind and up to an 80% IT cost-saving. To be recognised by the Department for International Trade is an honour and on behalf of the entire Ohpen UK team – thank you!”

BNP Paribas Securities Services teams up with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to deliver an innovative blockchain-based platform, called Corporate Event Connect, which will provide fast, accurate and secure corporate event announcements to clients around the world.

Corporate actions processing is one of the most complex areas of asset servicing. Information on the multitude of corporate actions taking place every year is processed and cascaded down to investors via various intermediaries, leading to inefficiencies and errors.

By leveraging TCS’ Quartz blockchain technology, BNP Paribas will be able to capture and store corporate action information in a structured format to ensure data accuracy and rapid dissemination to clients. The platform’s built-in security will ensure the information is tamper-proof, resistant to node failure and recoverable.

Asset servicing information, such as merger and acquisition announcements and dividend payments, will be collected through TCS BaNCS for Corporate Actions from more than 90 markets, including 27 local official sources in BNP Paribas’ proprietary network. 

Philippe Ruault, Head of Digital Transformation at BNP Paribas Securities Services, said: “Managing and disseminating corporate event information in an accurate and timely fashion has long been a pain point for the custody industry and we are delighted to be working with TCS on this project. Blockchain is proving to be an extremely useful technology for us, and it is particularly exciting to build a digital ecosystem in cooperation with our clients and partner providers to deliver such a key service.”

R Vivekanand, Vice President and Co-Head at TCS Financial Solutions, said: “Working with BNP Paribas to remove inefficiency and duplication in the corporate event cycle is an exciting opportunity for TCS. We are well positioned to deploy our Quartz blockchain solution, coexisting with TCS BaNCS, to deliver secure, unique information instantaneously to all the participants across the globe. This ‘Coexistence’ approach is unique to Quartz, and we believe it will accelerate adoption of blockchain technology for our customers.”

The platform will use deep learning technology to translate information in seven languages, including five main European and two Asian languages.

ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a leading global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions, today announced the next generation of fraud protection with its UP Payments Risk Management solution. Through state-of-the-art adaptive machine learning and an unrivalled approach to shared intelligence, the real-time payments fraud protection solution delivers banks, intermediaries, merchants and telcos the industry’s most powerful fraud strategies.

As organisations globally seek to outsource payments, fraud, compliance and security-related tasks to trusted partners, they require a fraud prevention solution that allows revenues to grow while minimising risk. ACI’s UP Payments Risk Management solution features cloud-based options delivered in payments-grade global data centres. The solution’s real-time fraud management services protect any payment, regardless of channel (card-present/card-not-present), payment engine (ACI or third-party) or segment (bank, intermediary or merchant). 

ACI’s next generation real-time payments fraud protection includes:

• State-of-the-art adaptive machine learning: open architecture facilitates real-time reacting and adapting to new fraud signals; designed to immediately leverage fraud and payment data against emerging threats through proprietary or third party modelling and analytic capabilities 
• Shared intelligence approach to leverage cross-industry knowledge and data: Fraud intelligence gathered through ACI’s extensive and global card-not-present and card-present fraud prevention network; global risk analysts and consultants deliver standard and bespoke fraud strategies augmenting prospect/customer fraud teams  
• Unrivalled ability to perform real-time payments fraud screening: more than twenty years of experience delivering fraud detection and prevention in the transaction path
• Deep understanding of payment engines: more than forty years of payments expertise developing award-winning offerings for integrated payments and fraud processing for existing and emerging payments mechanisms (i.e. immediate payments, mobile, person-to-person, etc.)
• Flexible deployment models: in addition to being available in the cloud, UP Payments Risk Management can also be deployed on-premise as licensed software

“Companies are increasingly looking to outsource services, including fraud prevention,” said James Wester, research director, IDC. “The complex requirements for recognising and preventing new and emerging fraud threats, however, requires real-time, responsive tools.”

UP Payments Risk Management, which offers flexible delivery models, is underpinned by market-leading platform performance—scalability, reliability and fraud detection accuracy. As such, the solution’s complex event processing (CEP) capabilities deliver faster, state-of-the-art processing and throughput.

“Successful fraud prevention is all about decision-making – accepting the good transactions and denying the bad ones – with the best available information in real-time,” said Andreas Suma, vice president, ACI Worldwide. “A winning fraud prevention solution allows organisations to focus on what they do best. The necessity for universal fraud management services in the cloud continues to increase, and banks, intermediaries, merchants and telcos seek to outsource everything from payments, fraud, compliance and security-related tasks. UP Payments Risk Management is an unparalleled offering that combines fraud and transaction data from the payment universe and insights from ACI’s global fraud experts—stopping fraud and improving every customer experience across the payments ecosystem.”