IBM Blockchain Platform now live in Melbourne
IBM has made its blockchain platform available out of the IBM data centre in Melbourne, allowing customers to run their applications on the company’s cloud and abide by data sovereignty requirements. The platform will also be available via the data centre in Sydney by the end of March, with head of blockchain and consulting practice leader for IBM in Australia and New Zealand Rupert Colchester saying the reason for a second location is largely for availability and redundancy. “By its very nature, it’s a distributed ledger technology so often ledgers are running in different locations and the demand for two is through clients and customers in this geography wanting to […]
Is Ripple too far ahead of its time?
As Swift and Ripple vie for the future of cross-border payments, an article published in American Banker has shed some light onto the obstacles facing both brands. At the same time, Swift has taken a step towards blockchain by linking its payments standard – GPI, or Global Payments Innovation – to R3’s Corda blockchain. It’s likely to be a winner-takes-all market because getting everyone onto the same network is crucial for getting the most out of the technology. As such, now might be a pivotal time for Ripple. The uptake numbers are sitting in Swift GPI’s favour though. Swift says more than 450 banks, which handle over 80% of international […]
CBA plugs 500,000 customers into Apple Pay in just two weeks
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s backflip on its longstanding Apple Pay boycott has paid off in spades, with more than half a million people flocking to the new payment service just two weeks after it was made publicly available to customers. The stampede of iPhone users is so big it has boosted the CBA’s total number of mobile banking by half, propelling the number from 1 million Android users to a total of 1.5 million total mobile numbers. The fresh numbers were revealed to investment analysts this week by CBA chief executive Matt Comyn, who credited the bank’s customer engagement platform for the delivering the result, before outlining how robust […]
Neo-lender Wisr sees increase in banking defectors amid Banking Royal Commission
Neo-lender Wisr (ASX:WZR) has launched a bold new campaign targeting disillusioned customers of big banks, following the Hayne Royal Commission handing down its findings into consumer lending practices. The ‘Australia’s Getting Wisr’ campaign taps into the prevailing sense of unfairness that Australians feel towards the big banks and how customers can make smarter choices when seeking personal loans. The campaign in the coming months will showcase the company’s personal loan, financial wellness programs and new smartphone application. It is the first brand campaign undertaken by Wisr since launching the brand in March 2018 and will appear nationally on television and online from this week. Earlier this week the Hayne Royal […]
Modern myki miracle: Android users give thumbs up to mobile payment trial
It has all the makings of a public transport miracle: a rollout of new myki technology that isn’t plagued by huge problems. At least not yet. Commuters taking part in a smartphone myki payment trial have given the beta test a cautious thumbs up, heaping praise on the convenience of topping up remotely and the system’s decent touch-on speed. Android users started using their mobile phones to pay for fares on Victoria’s trains, buses and trams after Public Transport Victoria invited 4000 people to take part in the test-run last month. There is still work to be done to ensure everyone can benefit: iPhone users remain locked out of the […]
Australian fintech leaders and startup founders react to the Hayne royal commission final report
After nearly 70 days of hearings, pouring through more than 10,000 public submissions the banking royal commission’s final report has been released. In it, Commissioner Hayne explains that one of the “complicating” factors is the impact of technological developments on the financial advice industry. Hayne writes: “Many in the industry have recognised that technology is likely to play an important role in the future of financial advice, but there is not yet a clear picture of what that role might be. Any recommendation directed to altering the current structure of the industry would need to grapple with the fact that the industry itself will very probably look very different in […]
The finalists of the 2019 Fintech Business Awards have been announced
The finalists of the 2019 Fintech Business Awards have been announced. Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists – both individuals and companies.
Know whether your bank is giving you a good home loan deal with uno’s loanScore
Australian fintech uno Home Loans is empowering customers to take back control with the launch of loanScore.
