Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, is supplying its LinqUS On-Demand Connectivity (ODC) Subscription Management solution and the GSMA compliant Embedded SIMs (eSIMs) to China Mobile. The operator is the world's largest telecom carrier with over 845 Million subscribers[1], and the solution will enable secure connectivity for connected cars. As a result,   with China Mobile network, a new subscription profile can be securely provisioned in any cars equipped with embedded SIM and end users will  enjoy  "in-car "connected services throughout the lifecycle of the car, such as infotainment, navigation support, safety or vehicle diagnostic.

The connected car market is projected to be worth US$130 billion by 2021[2]. In the meantime, buyers are increasingly looking at value-added services as an important criterion when choosing a new ride, and fuss-free and high-quality connectivity will be an area of interest in years to come. Case in point, data from a 2015 McKinsey survey suggest that 60% of Chinese car owners would switch to another brand if they feel a competitor could offer better connectivity. China sold 24.6 million cars in 2015, and became the largest car market in the world. In such a competitive climate, automotive makers will have to innovate in all aspects in order to distinguish themselves from the rest.

Internet of Things is one of the most important growth drivers as China Mobile transforms from being a mobile network operator to becoming a digital service provider. The promise of IoT is immense.

"Today, Gemalto has deployed more than 20 On-Demand Connectivity solutions, and has executed at least 300 over-the-air (OTA) deployments around the globe. We also have the largest portfolio of M2M and IoT solutions and services, including eSIM, which are compliant with the latest GSMA specifications," said Suzanne Tong-Li, President, Greater China & Korea at Gemalto. "With such rich experience and expertise, we believe we are in a sweet spot to help operators like China Mobile make a successful leap to IoT."  

[1] Source: JRJ.com

[2] Source: Straits Time

Ingenico Group, the global leader in seamless payment, today announced that it has signed an agreement to provide global, full-service payment processing to Scalefast, a fast-growing eCommerce platform provider for the video game and entertainment industries, leveraging its eCommerce and cloud-based mobile point of sale (mPOS) solutions.

This comprehensive partnership will enable Scalefast to provide its customers with an integrated, multi-channel payment solution that allows them to accept payments both in-store and online.

Ingenico ePayments, the online and mobile commerce division of Ingenico Group, will provide Scalefast with support for all major credit cards, alternative payment methods and value added services in a full-service, multi-acquirer model. Additionally, Ingenico Mobile Solutions, Ingenico Group’s mPOS division, will provide the company with next generation RP750x mobile card readers to allow its customers to accept card-present payments on mobile devices, regardless of location, including trade shows and events.

"For our customers, being able to provide a seamless eCommerce experience is critical, and as many of them begin to expand their business to accept offline payments, either in-store or at an event, that experience needs to be able to move with them,” said Nicolas Stehle, CEO at Scalefast. “Ingenico Group allows us to offer a seamless multi-channel solution to our customers, making it easy for them to move their eCommerce businesses into the physical world using the mobile devices already in their pockets.”
Scalefast is the only direct-to-consumer eCommerce solution that helps entertainers and their fans join forces through engaging shopping experiences. Having a robust payment partner allows Scalefast to not only sell across the globe, but also create new revenue streams for its clients with digital and physical products sales in-game, online and in-person. Ingenico Group is a key value chain partner for Scalefast, as they offer commerce technology, intelligence and logistics for team-play across the gaming and entertainment ecosystem.

The company selected Ingenico Group due to its global, multi-channel capabilities and its experience in helping merchants and solution providers move from online payments to in-store payments. Scalefast was impressed with Ingenico Group’s deep expertise in the video game and retail industries, as well as its ability to provide multiple acquirer connections and advanced conversion optimization tools and services. These include Ingenico Connect, which enables easy integration to the Ingenico ePayments platform, and a range of checkout optimization tools, such as the Elevate Business Intelligence solution. Scalefast selected Ingenico Group’s RP750x card reader because of its ability to accept a variety of payment options, including EMV chip & PIN and magstripe transactions as well as the flexibility to connect to Android and iOS devices through Bluetooth™ or audio jack.

Scalefast provides a unique solution to companies that wish to leverage the potential of online selling, without the cost and risks involved with creating a full eCommerce infrastructure,” said Pierre-Antoine Vacheron, executive vice president of Ingenico ePayments. “By working with Ingenico Group, Scalefast is able to offer its customers a multi-channel solution that encompasses a seamless, global eCommerce payment acceptance solution and mobile card readers that allow them to accept payment virtually anywhere, anytime.” 

 British AI-powered information intelligence company, Signal Media, has announced it has raised a further £5.8m ($7.4m) in funding from UK and US VCs to take their award-winning UK business into new industry verticals, expand into the US during 2017 and strengthen the existing product. The announcement brings total investment to £8.3m ($10.5m).

In the year that will be remembered for Brexit, Trump and for a perfect storm of political, economic and social unpredictability, many businesses are finding it impossible to track news cycles, monitor markets and manage change, an issue compounded by fake or unreliable news sources.

Knowledge workers, communications teams and research executives use Signal’s AI to monitor the world’s news media. Signal principally targets the financial services, legal and professional services sectors. Signal’s technology analyses more than two million articles per day across 90 countries to curate real-time, accessible, actionable knowledge on everything from competitor activity to reputational threats and market movement. 

Signal is used by some of the UK’s biggest financial, legal and professional services businesses such as Freshfields, Old Mutual Wealth and PageGroup. The new funding will enable Signal to deepen its news coverage in these markets - where it has grown its client base from 10 to 100 in just 12 months - and expand to new verticals including Health, Pharma and Technology. It will also fuel Signal’s growth in the US.

The investment will also be used to further bolster Signal’s senior team, following the recent hire of Brandon Mensinga, an ex-Swiftkey VP. The business has tripled its headcount since seed investment, and currently employs 50 people worldwide, having achieved over 500% YoY revenue growth during 2015-16.

David Benigson, Signal CEO, said:

“High volumes of poor quality information is making it impossible for leaders to understand what is really happening in their world. Our revolutionary technology helps businesses track change and make smarter, faster decisions with certainty and clarity. This funding will fuel our global growth and drive product development.”

The funding will allow Signal to expand its award-winning partnerships with universities including Essex, Glasgow, UCL, City, Amsterdam and Regina (Canada). It will also enable additional investment in product development beyond news media to track change in tax & regulation, risk & compliance and business development, as well as ensuring its platform can access even the most hard-to-reach information sources. Today’s funding brings the total invested in Signal to £8.25m since its inception.

Simon Menashy, Investment Director at MMC Ventures, said:

“Signal is one of the most promising companies in UK tech, and David and Miguel’s drive and vision has attracted some of the top AI talent in Europe. The company has grown incredibly quickly by solving real business problems using cutting-edge technology. Its impressive list of clients demonstrates the value of Signal’s product and we think the team can build the next big global information business.”

Megumi Ikeda, Partner at Hearst Ventures, said:

“The Signal team recognises that businesses need to change the way they access and act on information. In a 24-second news cycle, slow and incomplete news monitoring have forced businesses onto the defensive. In a market that has long struggled to innovate, Signal has effectively differentiated itself from its competitors, offering a product that enables businesses be proactive in their communications and decision-making.”

Lombard Risk Management plc (LSE: LRM), a leading provider of integrated collateral management and regulatory reporting solutions for the financial services industry, has extended its partnership with one of the largest financial services providers in Central and Eastern Europe, for a further five years.

The contract extension will see Lombard Risk supply its award-winning collateral management, clearing, inventory management and optimisation solution,COLLINE®, to the bank along with additional functionality that includes a license for Exchange Traded Derivatives and regulatory software upgrades, a new module for stock lending, as well as local language reporting and support.

Lombard Risk has provided COLLINE® to this client over the past five years and its local language capabilities are particularly important to them. By offering an agile and adaptable solution, Lombard Risk has ensured that it can continue to support the banks’ strategic collateral management objectives going forward to 2021.

COLLINE® enables firms to move away from managing collateral in business line silos. The single global collateral platform, COLLINE®, supports efficient collateral management, managing global inventory for all asset types, enabling collateral optimisation, and provides users with the capability to manage liquidity and trading book capital.

Helen Nicol, Global Product Director, COLLINE®, Lombard Risk commented: “We are delighted that our client, a leading bank in Central and Eastern Europe, has chosen to continue with our collateral management solution for the next five years. We always strive to adapt our solutions to our client’s specific needs and delivering new functionality to the bank demonstrates our ability to do this.”

Irdeto, the world leader in digital platform security, today announced that PayU, the leading online payments service provider, has implemented Irdeto Cloakware for Payments & Banking solutions to prevent theft and fraudulent transactions for its customers. The secure service is now live in one of PayU’s key regions. By implementing Irdeto’s unique security technology, PayU is raising the bar on security to protect all payment transactions for merchants and consumers.

Cyber threats targeting payment systems are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated as e-commerce grows and more methods of payments are introduced. While traditional security approaches only protect the credit card data, Irdeto is supporting PayU with the only solution on the market using whitebox cryptography to secure all transaction information, including financial data, the user’s personal information and credit card details. This enables PayU merchants and consumers to enjoy a safe digital shopping experience, no matter what security threats lie ahead. In addition to a more secure and robust ecosystem, PayU will reduce the scope and cost associated with PCI compliance for its merchant customers who opt for a hosted payment page. 

“Cybercriminals now employ many different and complex tactics to steal customer and merchant data - and it’s changing every day,” said Guy Duncan, Global CTO, PayU. “These constantly evolving strategies and attacks make traditional approaches to security ineffective. Today’s threat landscape requires a new approach that protects the entire digital shopping experience. Irdeto has been in the security and anti-hacking business for nearly 50 years and were the right long-term partner for us. By integrating Irdeto Cloakware solutions, we are taking an innovative approach to ensure that our customer’s personal and financial information remains protected, and we are reducing PCI compliance burdens for our merchants.”

Cloakware for Payments & Banking is a comprehensive solution suite that combines whitebox cryptography, server-side diversification and integrity verification to protect JavaScript, payment forms and APIs. By deploying state-of-the-art security solutions, organizations like PayU strengthen consumer trust that is required to complete a purchase, substantially reducing current 30% to 60% fall-out ratios. Supported by Irdeto’s cutting-edge security solution, PayU will be able to expand their merchant base rapidly in key markets while introducing a trusted solution to support new services and secure transactions. In addition, through tokenization and support for one-click payments, the seamless and secure user experience provided by Irdeto and PayU will help increase conversion rates for merchant customers.

“E-commerce ecosystems are becoming an easy target for hackers who exploit gaps left in security defenses,” said Doug Lowther, CEO, Irdeto. “Irdeto’s mission is to help payment service providers and banks close those gaps by safeguarding and monitoring digital transactions and securing APIs for both web and mobile applications. Our solutions provide a critical layer of security for today’s anytime and anywhere e-commerce and payment environments so organizations like PayU can provide a convenient and safe digital shopping/banking experience for consumers.”

Get in touch with Irdeto to discuss how to close your security gaps and find out more here: http://irdeto.com/products/payments-and-banking.htm

IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions, today announced it has added CME Clearing to its netting synchronization service from MarkitSERV, the trade processing platform for OTC derivatives.  The service provides a single source of electronic messages from multiple clearinghouses to help banks and asset managers update risk management systems when trades are netted or compressed at the clearinghouse.

Claire Lobo, managing director and head of business development for MarkitSERV at IHS Markit, said: “Netting introduces a new set of post trade events to the OTC derivatives market and the need for banks and asset managers to consume netting data from multiple clearinghouses illustrates the value of MarkitSERV’s central hub and global network.  The workflow and integrations we offer automatically synchronize bank risk systems when position data change due to netting, novation, termination or other event in the derivatives lifecycle.”

Clearinghouses net exposures to help firms reduce the capital and operational costs associated with OTC derivatives.  For CME, the service initially supports netting of cleared interest rate swaps, basis swaps, forward rate agreements, overnight index swaps and swaptions.

Sunil Cutinho, President of CME Clearing, said: “MarkitSERV synchronization is an important solution for our clients because it enables straight-through processing of post trade services like netting, coupon blending, and compression.  This also paves the way to deliver further efficiencies and innovations as we scale out swaption clearing and develop listed invoice spread trading.”  

In addition to automating trade booking, firms can also reconcile all OTC derivatives trades, cleared and uncleared, with their counterparties and clearinghouses with the data maintained centrally by MarkitSERV.  MarkitSERV can also send regulatory reports to update trade repositories on behalf of customers.

MarkitSERV introduced netting synchronization with LCH in November 2015.  More than 20 firms are actively using the functionality.   

Ghana International Bank plc (GHIB), a Ghanaian-owned international Bank based in the City of London, has gone live with KnowCo’s stress-testing system, KST.

GHIB delivers banking services for Ghanaians around the globe, and for corporates doing business in Africa the Bank is a gateway to the global financial system, providing access to expertise, capital and extensive cross-border capabilities. GHIB is majority-owned by the Bank of Ghana, Ghana’s central bank, and was incorporated in London in 1998, although previously present in London since 1959 as the London branch of another shareholder, Ghana Commercial Bank.

Following an internal review of the bank’s risk management systems and processes, GHIB concluded that its plans for development and growth demanded further support in the high-focus area of stress-testing. The Bank subsequently began its search for a solution, which led to a comprehensive evaluation of competing offerings. Festus Mensah, Head of Regulatory Reporting, explains why KnowCo’s product was selected:

“We needed a system that was tried and tested, but also flexible and future-proof, and which most importantly could be scaled to match our continuous programme of risk management enhancement. After reviewing the market we found that KnowCo’s KST solution was the system which best matched our requirements, through elimination of spreadsheets and manual input associated risks, with an easy to implement and execute, auditable stress-test functionality. Backed by a responsive support team and strong domain expertise, we are better able to respond to an evolving and challenging regulatory environment.

KST meets our demanding ambitions for enhanced stress-testing to support the Bank’s plans for prudent expansion and growth. The system is highly configurable and is kept constantly up-to-date with regulatory developments.”

KnowCo’s KST is a client-server system, fed automatically with new data overnight by its data loading module. Data is captured at cash-flow level and can be rendered and reconciled to the same level of granularity.

Stress scenarios for liquidity, credit risk and IRRBB, as well as business plans and projections for the whole balance sheet, can be stored in the KnowCo database, housed in the client bank’s

production environment, and can be run at any time on any dataset, facilitating ICAAP, ILAAP and RRP production and consistency.

Out-of-the-box reporting for risk intelligence is comprehensive and easily configurable into more customised reporting for individual client requirements.

Paul Ashton, KnowCo’s Managing Director, commented “We are delighted to have added Ghana International Bank to our growing KST user-base, and we look forward to continuing to provide risk management efficiencies and enhancements supporting the Bank’s drive for controlled growth.

We believe that the KnowCo solution is the most intuitive and transparent system for smaller- to mid-sized banks on the market, providing comprehensive capabilities around stress-testing and business modelling, all built on our deep experience of bank risk management best practice and our constantly-updated knowledge of regulatory expectations.”

KnowCo is a specialist UK-bank support resource for:

• ICAAP, ILAAP and RRP
• Risk Appetite Statement development and enhancement
• Regulatory Disclosure
• Business Planning and Modelling and
• Risk Management Policies, Processes and Assurance

KnowCo’s K-ALM software suite facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements for:

• Credit risk capital (Pillars 1 and 2) stress-testing and management
• IRRBB stress-testing and management
• Liquidity risk stress-testing and management
• Funds Transfer Pricing
• Strategic business modelling
• Regulatory metrics such as LCR and HHI

The Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK) has chosen Wolters Kluwer’s OneSumX to provide its software for International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)9 implementation and reporting.

OneSumX for IFRS comprehensively addresses the specific methodologies and calculations of IFRS, particularly fair value and amortized cost, impairment and hedge accounting, all of which are continuously evolving. The solution's modularity and flexibility enable firms to benefit from certified off-the-shelf functionality which can be tailored to deliver the most effective implementation for their specific situation.

The state run export agency was already a customer of OneSumX Regulatory Reporting for Financial Reporting (FINREP) and has now expanded its use of Wolters Kluwer’s software to provide a framework for the accounting and disclosures component of IFRS9 – due to be implemented by all financial institutions by January 1, 2018.

“SEK required a solution that could comprehensively manage its IFRS9 requirements, working in tandem with FINREP,” notes Susanna Rystedt, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) at SEK. “Wolters Kluwer, with its strong reputation in the field, was a natural choice for us given our existing work with the firm in the field of regulatory reporting.”

“Wolters Kluwer is delighted that SEK has extended its use of our market leading suite of products,” notes Kris Van Bavel, managing director, EMEA, Finance, Risk and Reporting, for Wolters Kluwer. “IFRS9 will have a multi department impact, across Finance, Risk and Compliance functions, and teams at all financial institutions should prepare to work collaboratively. Our integrated modular solution will better enable firms to fulfil the complete IFRS9 requirements by the 2018 implementation date. We certainly look forward to continuing to work with SEK and other clients on managing the road to implementation for this critical part of the regulatory and accounting framework.”

Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) is a division of Wolters Kluwer which provides legal, finance, risk and compliance professionals and small business owners with a broad spectrum of solutions, services and expertise needed to help manage myriad governance, risk and compliance needs in dynamic markets and regulatory environments. The division’s prominent brands include: AuthenticWeb™, Bankers Systems®, BizFilings®, Capital Changes, CASH Suite™, CT Corporation, CT Lien Solutions, ComplianceOne®, Corsearch, Expere®, GainsKeeper®, LegalVIEW®, OneSumX®, Passport®, TyMetrix® 360, Uniform Forms™, VMP® Mortgage Solutions and Wiz®.

Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of €4.2 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide.

 Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Atlanta-based Online Banking Solutions, Inc. (OBS). Through this acquisition, Fiserv will gain additional cash management and digital business banking capabilities, which complement and enrich its existing solutions.

“Financial institutions are increasingly focused on deepening relationships with commercial customers,” said Jeffery Yabuki, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fiserv. “The addition of Online Banking Solutions’ technologies further enables Fiserv clients to provide greater value to their commercial customers through sophisticated cash management solutions when and where they need them.”

OBS offers a modern cash management platform with the user experience and functionality that sophisticated business users expect. Its cash management capabilities are designed for digital channels, have easy-to-use interfaces and enable notification and authentication via smartphones, tablets and wearable devices. A single platform facilitates a unified experience across multiple devices, while integrated security and analytics offer enhanced fraud prevention. In addition to cash management, OBS provides a secure browser that functions as a secure, convenient gateway to applications provided by financial institutions to their commercial customers.

OBS received the “Up-And-Comer Award” in the Aite Group U.S. Cash Management Vendor Evaluation 2016.

OBS products are currently integrated across a number of Fiserv solutions and with other core processing platforms. OBS product integration is currently available across Fiserv core account processing platforms such as Signature^®, Premier^® and Cleartouch^®, and post-closing will include DNA^®.

“Our relationship with Fiserv is already established through our activities with several mutual clients,” said Dan Myers, CEO, Online Banking Solutions. “Joining Fiserv allows us to create new opportunities for our associates and to broaden the reach of our leading solutions to more banks and credit unions, ultimately enabling them to better serve their commercial customers.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close before the end of 2016. Financial terms have not been disclosed.