Published
- 01:00 am

Despite of a locally unpopular referendum outcome released, last June, the business society of Gibraltar is striving forward. Recent studies reveal that 90% of Gibraltar’s business and services in the EU single market is conducted with the UK, thus investors on the Rock stay positive regarding economic growth.
In an era when the concept of international trade is under threat, this investment totaling in excess of €100,000,000 over several years, signifies Gibraltar’s commitment to work towards the common goal of collaboration with international partners, rather than a future of isolationism. It is hoped by the developer that World Trade Center Gibraltar will be a beacon for promoting international trade in the coming days, weeks, months and years, whilst Brexit is negotiated.
Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo said: “We are proud to be here today to inaugurate Gibraltar’s first World Trade Center. ...Brexit is not the beginning of the end of Gibraltar, it’s actually just the end of the beginning, and the arrival of this first World Trade Center is Gibraltar saying to the world: “Here we come!”’
The developer Gregory Butcher said, “It’s wonderful to see this project finally become a reality and for so many people to experience for themselves the new standard that World Trade Center Gibraltar has set. Gibraltar is a service economy and it’s imperative that we can offer the major businesses that are already here, and international businesses looking at Gibraltar as a potential jurisdiction, the kind of working environment they demand in order to stay competitive.”
Alongside a line of major international tenants that have taken space, including serviced office heavyweights, Regus, the head office for popular gaming company, Bet Victor, eminent accountancy firms such as BDO and one of the leading coffee brands, Costa Coffee, the new office building is home to a plethora of budding entrepreneurial SMEs including some of the world’s most exciting financial services innovators; these new SME occupiers can now enjoy the benefits of World Trade Center Gibraltar community, working alongside major occupiers and putting their organizations on a global footing.
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- 07:00 am

Celtic Bank is pleased to report that Patrick Phillips has joined as a Vice President, Business Development in the bank's SBA and Commercial Lending Department. Patrick will be responsible for New Mexico and will run markets across all 50 states.
"We certainly feel fortunate to have Patrick join our team," said Jim Harris, Business Development SVP. "He has a well-established reputation as a high performer in the SBA lending community. Patrick combines professionalism with a very impressive array of financial skills. It is obvious that he genuinely cares about the small business owners that he assists."
Patrick has an extensive experience in the industry and is looking forward to build more meaningful and lasting relationships through the financial services offered here at Celtic Bank.
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- 03:00 am

A universal leader in the field of multi-asset execution and order management systems, FlexTrade Systems, Inc. has won the “Best FX Trading Technology Platform” award, at the Fund Technology and Wall Street Letter Awards 2017 ceremony, held in New York.
FlexTrade offers two major trading platforms for the institutional FX market, FlexFX (for the Buy-Side and Sell-Side), and MaxxTrader (FX White Label Solution). The platforms are highly configurable and offer accumulated liquidity from more than fifty banks, ECNS and exchanges for trading spot, forwards, NDFs and swaps in a stream via RFS and RFQs. They also include real-time risk management, prepackaged and customizable algorithms, as well as access to an array of broker algorithms.
The Fund Technology and WSL Awards 2017 (formerly the Wall Street Letter Institutional Trading Awards) are designed for brokers, exchanges, technology vendors, data providers, and trading platforms. It supports institutional and asset management traders who have demonstrated achievements over the course of 2015/2016.
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- 04:00 am

Chase Payment, providing consistent support of Canadian SME, unveils today its plan to extend partnership with Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) until April 2022.
“Chase Paymentech has been an incredible partner for Canadian SMEs and the CFIB is pleased to renew collaboration with Chase, as they serve our members well and offer the lowest payments processing costs available, to smaller firms,” said Dan Kelly, CEO of the 109,000-member organization.
The renewal means CFIB members continue to receive preferred pricing for merchant services from Chase Paymentech, part of JPMorgan Chase & Co., named the number one wholly-owned merchant acquirer in the world by The Nilson Report as of April 2016.
“Helping small businesses around the world is a priority for us, and we look for partners like the CFIB who share that focus,” said Sam Jawad, president of Chase Paymentech Canada. “The scope of the CFIB allows us to deliver safe and secure payment processing with extra value.”
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- 09:00 am

ACI Worldwide, an advanced global supplier of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions was awarded with International Award, for its UP e-Commerce Payments solution.
The MPE Awards 2017 participants, presented during the Merchant Payments Ecosystem annual conference in Berlin, were judged by a panel of independent industry experts. The awards attract a large number of entries, and recognize the achievements of companies across the entire payments ecosystem.
"To be recognized by an industry organization like MPE is a testament to both our great team and great solutions,” said Wolfgang Berner, director, global e-Commerce, ACI Worldwide. “Merchants and their payment providers demand simplicity, global connectivity and security from their e-Commerce payments solutions, and ACI’s ability to deliver this is reinforced through its recognition at the 2017 MPE Awards.”
ACI’s UP e-Commerce Payments solution combines an extensive global payment network of more than 350 card acquirers and alternative payment methods, delivered by the PAY.ON Payments Gateway, with ACI ReD Shield’s real-time fraud prevention capabilities. This solution brings together the industry’s most extensive network of global payments endpoints with flexible, open payment technology and integrated fraud management. Available via cloud delivery and on premise, UP Merchant Payments delivers simplicity and security for any payment type in any merchant modality (in-store, mobile and online).
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- 07:00 am

NATO has authorized the Dutch secure mobile phone Sectra Tiger/S 7401 for use at the NATO SECRET level. Thus, the technology meets all the requirements on security imposed, within the NATO organization for the reporting confidential information.
The ability to transfer information quickly and securely, without the risk of eavesdropping, can be vitally important for authorities, defense organizations, and critical societal functions. Sectra Tiger/S 7401 offers the highest level of protection against eavesdropping attacks, even from state actors, and is a unique solution that is approved for both mobile and fixed communication at the NATO SECRET security level.
Sectra developed Sectra Tiger/S 7401 under guidance from the Netherlands National Communications Security Agency (NL-NCSA). This approval confirms that the long and fruitful cooperation between Sectra and NL-NCSA meets the highest requirement for communication security.
Thanks to cooperation with customers and national security authorities in numerous countries, Sectra’s various solutions for secure communications have now been delivered to more than half of the EU’s member states, for national use and within the context of the EU and NATO. Users include government officials, officials in the diplomatic corps, decision-makers in defense and critical infrastructure, and military personnel in the field. Common to these is that they use security-approved products to communicate securely and that they have high demands on flexibility and mobility.
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- 05:00 am

Telecoms specialist adviser, Analysys Mason has published its annual series of Connected Consumer surveys, analysing mobile customer behaviour in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The survey took into consideration following factors, such as purchasing criteria when changing mobile plans, the impact of data pricing and network coverage on customer satisfaction, and the adoption of OTT services such as WhatsApp.
Published Connected Consumer survey reports include:
- Mobile services and devices in Sub-Saharan Africa
- OTT and digital economy services in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Mobile churn and customer satisfaction in Sub-Saharan Africa
Stephen Sale, Research Director at Analysys Mason shares some insight from the surveys:
- The main factor cited by customers planning to make a change to their mobile plan was higher data speeds.
30% of respondents stated that they intended to make a change to their mobile plan in the next six months. 44% of these stated that they were looking for improved data speeds, with the highest proportions occurring in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. The number two and three factors were improved network coverage (cited by 33% of respondents planning to make a change) and larger data allowances (32%).
- Overage policies negatively affect customer satisfaction of postpaid customers in South Africa.
In South Africa, 51% of postpaid users with handset bundles regularly exceed their data allowances and report lower satisfaction scores, probably due to the pay-as-you-use overage policies common in South Africa. Only around 20% of our respondents stated that they use data within the limits of their allowances.
- Operators have little control over handset distribution in much of the region.
Consumers in SSA often choose non-operator channels for their handset purchases and pay in cash. In Ghana and Nigeria, operator channels accounted for as little as 16% of all handset sales.
- WhatsApp is the leading OTT communications app in the region but voice-centric apps such as imo, Skype and WhatsCall are also popular.
WhatsApp was the most popular OTT service in each country and was used by 86% of respondents overall. 42% of respondents said that they use apps for free voice calling. The high rates of VoIP usage should be of particular concern to operators as smartphone penetration increases.
- Sub-Saharan Africa is a mobile-first region for ecommerce.
43% of survey respondents made online purchases at least once a month. Mobile handsets are the primary means of access, with 74% of respondents making purchases through their mobile phone, far above any other device category. Access to a mobile money wallet is a strong predictor of mobile commerce engagement. In Kenya, 80% of Safaricom’s customers made regular purchases from their mobile devices.
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- 05:00 am

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, has been named among the 2017 FORTUNE Magazine “World’s Most Admired Companies®”.
Fiserv serves thousands of clients worldwide, including financial institutions ranging from the largest banks to neighborhood financial institutions. This marks the fourth consecutive year Fiserv has been awarded this prestigious recognition and fifth time in the last six years. This year, Fiserv ranked at the top of its category for innovation. The company also rated highly for financial soundness, long-term investment value and quality of management. These acknowledgements reflect Fiserv leadership as an innovator and expert in fintech, as well as the company's focus on creating value for clients, associates and shareholders.
“A large part of our mission is to enable our clients to deliver financial technology solutions and customer experiences that enhance differentiation and build their businesses,” said Jeffery Yabuki, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fiserv. “It is an honor to be recognized as one of the Most Admired Companies in the world for the fourth year in a row. I am so proud of our 23,000 associates worldwide who bring their very best to Fiserv for the benefit of our clients every day.”
The annual FORTUNE Magazine “World's Most Admired Companies” list is a definitive benchmark of corporate reputation. Thousands of executives, directors and analysts are surveyed in order to compile the list. Survey respondents rate companies on nine criteria — innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value, quality of products or services, and global competitiveness.
In a world that is moving faster than ever before, Fiserv helps clients deliver solutions that are in step with the way people live and work today – financial services at the speed of life. Learn more at Fiserv.com.
Additional Resources
FORTUNE Magazine World’s Most Admired Companies 2017 - http://beta.fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies
Fiserv Awards and Recognition - https://www.fiserv.com/about/awards.aspx
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- 08:00 am

Oxygen Finance Ltd (“Oxygen”), the leading early payment provider, has today (16 February) announced the acquisition of Satago, the all-in-one, on-demand cash flow finance solution for SMEs.
The transaction will see the two businesses working together to offer comprehensive early payment, finance and cash flow solutions for both large buying organisations and suppliers of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Oxygen provides the capability for large public and private sector organisations to pay suppliers ahead of contracted terms in return for a discount against their invoices. The company offers functionally-rich technology integrated with the buyer’s existing ERP system, improves Purchase to Pay (P2P) processes andundertakes supplier on-boarding activities.Buyers generate savings and efficiency gains through the operation of an effective payment strategy.
Satago provides cloud-based technology that integrates with an SME’s existing accounting software, giving it the same level of credit control as larger businesses. By automating and managing communication with debtors, it helps clients to generate invoice reminders, visualise credit risk and formulate policies and limits, all with the aim of improving cash flow. Combined with a dynamic, on-demand selective single invoice finance solution launched last year, Satago is the only finance provider on the market to assess and actively improve clients’ financial health as well as offering them finance.
Ben Jackson, CEO of Oxygen, commented: “Satago’s offering is hugely complementary to Oxygen, accelerating our growth and enabling clients to interact with their suppliers through automation that would have been inconceivable just a few years ago.
“Oxygen’s early payment solutions for large buyers, which facilitates payment to suppliers ahead of contracted terms, is the perfect partner for Satago’s proven business model of giving SME suppliers the tools in their native accounting applications to improve receivables management.
“Combining these capabilities, Oxygen and Satago will be well positioned to lead the market in delivering modern, integrated payment and receivable strategies for large buying organisations and their suppliers, SMEs included.”
Steven Renwick, CEO and founder of Satago, added: “Satago is a natural fit for Oxygen. Our accounts receivable technology and supplier-focused single invoice finance facility is neatly complemented by Oxygen’s early payment technology.
“We are really excited to combine the businesses to do more to help UK SMEs get paid even faster and improve their cash flow.”
Late payment is a continued problem for many SMEs and micro businesses in the UK, with many relying on getting paid during their debtor day period to maintain cash flow and avoid facing a shortage of working capital.
According to a recent report by Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd (December 2016), nearly 50 per cent of UK SMEs are paid late, with an average debt of £32,185 and £26.3billion combined.
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- 03:00 am

NYMBUS Inc., a provider of the world’s most current mission-critical core banking technology, today announced Kaiperm Diablo Federal Credit Union has selected NYMBUS SmartCore to enable growth and differentiation. With NYMBUS SmartCore, a full holistic core banking platform, Kaiperm Diablo will be able to modernize the digital customer experience for its members in Northern California, while streamlining back-end operations and processes.
Kaiperm Diablo Federal Credit Union was first chartered in 1957 and since expanded membership to include Kaiser Permanente employees at all locations in Northern California.
“Being located just outside Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area, we recognize the importance of technology innovation to meet the evolving needs of our tech-savvy members,” said Leslie (Les) K. Chan, chairman, Board of Directors, Kaiperm Diablo Federal Credit Union. “NYMBUS and Kaiperm Diablo have a shared vision of how technology can be used to drive membership growth and competitive differentiation. In addition, only NYMBUS was positioned to deliver the technology innovation with the speed, agility and urgency we required.”
Kaiperm Diablo, like many financial institutions, is addressing the rapid shift in consumer needs and growing competition from outside the financial services industry. The core banking platform is the most important technology of any financial institution. NYMBUS SmartCore is a full holistic core banking platform that unifies all the required functions in one system with one data set. This allows Kaiperm Diablo to streamline workflows, while modernizing existing software and hardware infrastructure. Like all of NYMBUS’ customers, Kaiperm Diablo is assigned its own dedicated private cloud, ensuring the highest levels of security as well as compliance with the latest industry standards in a faster, easier and most affordable manner.
David Mitchell, president at NYMBUS, said: “Digital innovation is driving business forward, nowhere more evident than in financial services. We’re seeing phenomenal growth of our core banking platform, particularly among financial institutions who are with the traditional legacy fintech providers, and we are incredibly excited to partner with Kaiperm Diablo. Together, we’ll be able to drive business growth and enhance the digital customer experience for its members.”