SWIFT chooses Google Cloud for collaboration

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) is collaborating with Google Cloud on its new network connectivity solution, Alliance Connect Virtual, Google announced Thursday.

Alliance Connect Virtual will allow customers to connect to SWIFT directly from the public cloud. Specifically, it will allow banks to deploy traditional physical hardware-based SWIFT VPN connections as virtual appliances in the public cloud. In the past, such connectivity required organizations to either host SWIFT infrastructure hardware on-prem or in co-locations or, alternatively, to consume SWIFT services from external third-parties, explained Google Cloud Solutions Architect Chris Page in a blog post.

SWIFT handles secured financial messaging for banks, corporates, brokers, and treasuries in more than 200 countries.

$13.9B Axos Bank uses blockchain-based TassatPay for real-time B2B payments

The 13.9 billion Axos Bank will leverage TassatPay to offer its commercial clients access to real-time B2B payments.

The integration will allow the San Diego, Calif.-based digital bank’s commercial clients to make real-time payments to other Axos Bank commercial customers enrolled in TassatPay. The digital payments alternative is provided through a private, permissioned blockchain-based platform and offers reduced costs, immediate settlement and the high security, according to the Tassat Group’s press release.

To date, TassatPay’s proven platform has processed more than $400 billion in digital payments, the release said.

“Axos Bank, with its heritage of digital banking leadership and a customer base that primarily banks online, is a natural fit for TassatPay,” said Kevin Greene, Tassat’s chairman and CEO. “TassatPay’s ability to provide secure, real-time payments will enable Axos Bank and its customers to compete and win in the fast-growing digital economy.”

$4.6 B connectFirst Credit Union to deploy nCino

Toronto’s $4.6 billion connectFirst Credit Union will deploy the nCino Bank Operating System across multiple lines of business, the vendor announced Thursday.

The bank will move its business to a single, digital platform, which members can access anytime, according to the announcement. Specifically, the bank will use nCino’s commercial, retail and deposit account opening solutions. The execution of the cloud-first transformation will be led by Deloitte Canada.

“We’re focused on providing customizable experiences for our member that meet the unique needs of all Albertans,” Wellington Holbrook, CEO at connectFirst, said in the release. “Our partnership with nCino will be the next critical step on that digital transformational journey,” he added.

The credit union has been innovating all areas of its business to transform its digital banking infrastructure and technology; deploying the cloud-based platform will allow connectFirst to reduce the time required to open new memberships and new accounts by incorporating automation and analytics into the process, according to nCino.

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