Skip to main content

Fujitsu

Global

Archived content

NOTE: this is an archived page and the content is likely to be out of date.

Fujitsu Enables Fast Fintech for Nanto Bank with mBaaS Smartphone Application Service Platform

A first for a regional bank in Japan, mobile Backend as a Service realizes faster provisioning and integrated management of fintech services

Fujitsu Limited

Tokyo, December 25, 2015

Fujitsu today announced that it is providing its mobile Backend as a Service (mBaaS)(1) open platform, the FUJITSU Cloud Service Smart Biz Connect for Finance, to Nanto Bank, Ltd. for smartphone application services. Smart Biz Connect for Finance is the only mBaaS in Japan to comply with the Security Guidelines on Computer Systems for Banking and Related Financial Institutions(2) issued by the Center for Financial Industry Information Systems (FISC)(3).

Smart Biz Connect for Finance, mBaaS based on FUJITSU Digital Business Platform MetaArc, enables financial institutions to implement smartphone application services from multiple vendors. Nanto Bank is the first Japanese regional bank to use mBaaS(4).

As a first step to begin delivering new smartphone application services, Nanto Bank will link Smart Biz Connect for Finance and an application from NetMove Corporation, then from March 2016, plans are to offer an Online-to-Offline(5) information-delivery service for users of IC-equipped combined cash and credit cards. Nanto Bank and NetMove are both members of the Fujitsu-sponsored fintech(6) consortium Financial Innovation For Japan (FIFJ), and today's announcement marks the first business deal between a financial institution and fintech company(7) to emerge from FIFJ.

Fujitsu, by provisioning Smart Biz Connect for Finance and sponsoring FIFJ, works to support the smooth deployment and expansion of fintech services in the financial industry.

Background

With the growing interest in fintech, Fujitsu has moved to accelerate open innovation in financial services by sponsoring FIFJ, a consortium comprised of a total of 164 of Japan's leading financial institutions and fintech companies, including Nanto Bank, NetMove, and others. While actively working to accelerate the development of financial services, Fujitsu has also been focusing its efforts on creating ICT platforms.

Nanto Bank decided to add new smartphone application services as part of its drive to expand customer financial services, and selected Smart Biz Connect for Finance as the platform, based on ease of deployment and operations, and future service expandability.

The first meeting of FIFJ on September 3, 2015The first meeting of FIFJ on September 3, 2015

Smart Biz Connect for Finance Features and Deployment Benefits

Smart Biz Connect for Finance comes with pre-built, cloud-based implementations of functions commonly needed for the development and provisioning of smartphone application services, including member registration and authentication and push notifications, which are available through an API(8), which means that this mBaaS open platform allows services to be built quickly and inexpensively while enabling integrated operations of multi-vendor smartphone applications.

1. Integrated management of multi-vendor smartphone applications, including fintech companies

Smart Biz Connect for Finance was developed on the premise that its financial institution customers would arrange to provide smartphone applications from multiple fintech companies and other vendors. This enables centralized, efficient operations and management of applications developed by multiple vendors from an operations portal.

2. Compliant with FISC's Security Guidelines on Computer Systems for Banking and Related Financial Institutions

As Smart Biz Connect for Finance is the only mBaaS open platform in Japan to comply with FISC's Security Guidelines on Computer Systems for Banking and Related Financial Institutions, financial institution customers can confidently deploy smartphone applications which handle users' personal information.

3. Minimizes build time and development, operations costs for smartphone application services

Smart Biz Connect for Finance implements as APIs many commonly used functions needed to build smartphone application services. Customers can use those APIs to customize applications or to connect to applications from fintech firms, while keeping development costs down and development times quick.

Building smartphone application services using Smart Biz Connect for Finance can save up to 70% in terms of development and operations cost as compared with not using mBaaS, and can speed up the development process by as much as 80%.

Outline of Smart Biz Connect for FinanceOutline of Smart Biz Connect for Finance

Future Developments

Fujitsu aims to deploy Smart Biz Connect for Finance to more than 40 financial institution customers over the next three years.


  • [1] Mobile Backend as a Service (mBaaS)

    A type of PaaS in which all of the functions required to develop and run smartphone applications, including push notifications and member authentication, are implemented in advance as a service platform on a cloud-based server. Because these functions are built in advance, developers do not need to start from scratch, which greatly reduces development costs and development times.

  • [2] Security Guidelines on Computer Systems for Banking and Related Financial Institutions

    Guidelines published as common approaches to security for financial-information systems, created independently as standards for computer systems in financial institutions, insurance companies, securities companies, etc.

  • [3] Center for Financial Industry Information Systems (FISC)

    A non-profit organization that sets standards for security and oversight in information systems used by financial institutions.

  • [4] First Japanese regional bank to use mBaaS

    As found by Fujitsu as of December 25, 2015.

  • [5] O2O

    Online-to-Offline. Uses online media to promote offline visits to a physical location, or uses information generated by online contact to influence offline shopping behaviors.

  • [6] Fintech

    Finance and Technology. Aims to eliminate inefficiencies in existing financial services through the use of smart devices and big-data analysis, and to provide more innovative financial services.

  • [7] Fintech company

    Fintech services are financial services that combine advanced ICT and financial expertise, and startups that provide these services are called fintech companies.

  • [8] API

    An abbreviation for "Application Programming Interface," which refers to the orders, rules, and functions used during programming.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 159,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.8 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

Press Contacts

Public and Investor Relations Division
Inquiries

Company:Fujitsu Limited


All company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.

Date: 25 December, 2015
City: Tokyo
Company: Fujitsu Limited