Bank technology

Andera Inc., one of Bank Technology News' top ten tech companies to watch for 2013, will be acquired by Bottomline Technologies for about $44.5 million in cash and 102,000 shares of Bottomline stock.

Diebold is partnering with the $5.5 billion-asset Suncoast CU to test an ATM that reuses consumer-deposited cash for future withdrawals. Tampa, Fla.-based Suncoast is the first financial institution in the U.S. to test the technology.

An organization calling itself Anonymous Ukraine has boasted of a huge theft of American debit and credit cards. Many of the card records are old, and some appear to be from earlier breaches. However, the claims have to be taken seriously, investigators say.

One of the two banks suing retailer Target and security vendor Trustwave in connection with the retailer's high-profile data breach has backed off.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Golden Pacific Bancorp and financial technology firm Better Finance have teamed up to create an online lending program that is designed to sharply reduce the time it takes to approve and process an SBA loan.

Recent comments by Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry, suggesting steps to make large-bank executives accountable for anti-money laundering problems, have reignited the debate over where to direct blame for Bank Secrecy Act violations.

Top financial executives met Thursday to discuss how their industry can innovate, but most of the discussion focused on a more defensive topic: what banks and the government need to do to stave off mounting cybersecurity threats.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria has pumped $117 million into its U.S. bank to fund the purchase of online banking startup Simple.

The constant monitoring is helping the bank keep tabs on customers' likes and dislikes — and stay on top of complaints.

Mobile banking has expanded beyond the market for youthful early adopters and is rapidly becoming a mainstream product. American Banker reporters discuss who else is logging on and the hurdles the industry faces to keep the momentum going.

In order foster low-cost relationships, banks should offer free digital checking accounts to new and existing customers … then charge for paper notices or statements.

Retail and consumer financial services veteran Jane J. Thompson has become a member of the VeriFone Systems board of directors, the terminal manufacturer said.

Hans Morris, a former Citi banker and Visa president, is stepping back from General Atlantic to launch his own venture-capital firm. Nyca Partners plans to invest between $8 million and $12 million a year in companies that can "transform the way financial services are provided," he said in an interview.

U.S. Bank has begun offering e-payment kiosks to companies that want to shrink lines during their stores' busiest hours.

Google last week rolled out its new operating system for smart watches, and some banks, including U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and ING Direct Canada, are already looking into developing apps for it. But are consumers ready to do their banking on their wrist watches?

A Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday focused on Target and other organizations could have done to prevent massive breaches and possible legislative steps can be taken to improve data security.

U.S. Bank in Minneapolis has named Gareth Gaston to the newly created position of executive vice president of virtual banking.

More banks are deciding to invest millions in mobile banking, video tellers and core-processing upgrades after avoiding capital spending for a long time. They says it's a good move for the long term, but some will take heat from investors and other critics in the short run.

With more reliable loan data, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would have greater confidence that borrowers would not default. In return, lenders would receive a juicy carrot: fewer buyback requests.