Product Manager

MSB unifies retail and enterprise banking on one platform with Backbase and SmartOSC. Built with implementation partner SmartOSC, and Backbase Expert Services, the app targets 200,000 new customers a month through fully self-serve onboarding. HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 29 September 2026 - Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB) announced the official launch of MSB's new digital banking apps for retail and enterprise customers. The apps went live at a launch event held in MSB's new headquarters building in Hanoi, bringing together around 200 guests, including bank leadership, Backbase, and implementation partner SmartOSC. Two Apps, One Unified Platform Most banks run separate platforms for retail and enterprise customers. MSB built two apps on one platform to close that gap, giving both customer groups one consistent experience instead of two disconnected ones. The redesign was based on customer research, market analysis, and the pain points customers raised on the bank's previous platform, checked against compliance and governance requirements throughout. On the retail side, the app introduces Security Hub, a set of features built to protect customer accounts, alongside end-to-end lending journeys designed for customers who are new to the bank. Customers can manage daily banking, credit cards, and loyalty rewards from a single app, with full visibility and control over their transaction history and the ability to export it on demand. The enterprise app mirrors that approach, connecting non-credit and credit journeys into one flow instead of the paperwork-heavy process business customers dealt with before. Built to scale MSB expects the apps to bring in 200,000 new retail customers and 500 new enterprise customers a month through its self-serve onboarding journeys. The bank has redesigned close to 40 end-to-end customer journeys and digitized 70% of its internal processes as part of the rollout. MSB chose Backbase for the flexibility of the platform and the ability to shape it around MSB's own targets rather than a fixed setup. MSB's experience with Backbase's AI-native Banking OS gave it the confidence to scale further, and SmartOSC's local team brought the market knowledge and hands-on support needed to hit the tight deadline as one team with MSB and Backbase. Backbase Expert Services provided platform guidance, design principles, and best practices to ensure scalable platform adoption. "We built these apps to bring the future of finance to our customers. Retail and enterprise customers now get one consistent experience, from their first transaction to their most complex banking need. That's the standard we set for ourselves, and the standard we want MSB to be known for in Vietnam." Mr. Vu Ngoc Bong Lai, Head of Strategy and Innovation Division, at MSB. "Vietnam's digital economy is one of the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, and a handful of banks are setting the pace for what digital banking there can become. MSB looked at that shift and decided to lead it. They came to us with a clear ambition: unify retail and enterprise banking on one platform, on an aggressive timeline. Today, they are live with both. For Backbase, it confirms that the AI-native Banking OS gives a bank a real foundation to build on, so their teams spend time on what sets them apart, not on rebuilding what's already there." Abhijit Chavan, Senior Vice President, Asia & ANZ, at Backbase. "Digital transformation is ultimately about turning technology into meaningful experiences and sustainable business value. Working alongside MSB and Backbase, SmartOSC is proud to contribute the implementation expertise and delivery capabilities needed to bring this vision to life. This launch demonstrates what can be achieved when business ambition, technology, and execution come together as one team." Mr. Alex Nguyen, Senior Vice President, at SmartOSC. Hashtag: #Backbase https://backbase.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/backbase/ https://x.com/backbase https://www.instagram.com/backbase_global/ The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Backbase. Backbase built the AI-native Banking OS - the operating system that turns fragmented banking operations into a Unified Frontline. Customers, employees, and AI agents work as one across digital channels, front-office, and operations. Backbase was founded in 2003 by Jouk Pleiter and is headquartered in Amsterdam, with teams across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America. 120+ leading banks run on Backbase across Retail, SMB & Commercial, Private Banking, and Wealth Management. Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB). Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB) was established in 1991 as Vietnam's first joint-stock commercial bank. Headquartered in Hanoi and listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange under the ticker MSB, the bank serves nearly 10 million retail and nearly 100.000 corporate customers across the country. SmartOSC. With a 20-year track record, SmartOSC is a leading digital transformation consultancy and implementation partner in Asia-Pacific, helping global enterprises elevate their digital experiences. Combining agile strategy with deep technical expertise, SmartOSC delivers end-to-end solutions across Digital Banking, Digital Commerce, Omnichannel, Data, and AI. Trusted by brands including CIMB, MSB, LG, Sony, PayPal, and OCB, SmartOSC helps businesses optimize operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive sustainable growth.

SurePay appoints Robert Soetens as Chief Product Officer. * Payments * 22.09.2026 09:26 am SurePay, a leader in payment verification and fraud prevention, today announced the appointment of Robert Soetens as Chief Product Officer (CPO). Soetens will lead the growth of the company's fraud risk intelligence platform, built on the payment verification network the company has operated since 2016. That network reaches more than 4,500 banks and 30,000 businesses globally. Alongside this appointment, SurePay co-founder Marcel Rienties takes on the newly created role of Chief Innovation Officer. Rienties will focus on where fraud goes next, Soetens on the platform that meets it. David-Jan Janse, CEO, said: "Verification stops a payment reaching the wrong account. What customers need now is to know whether the payee should be trusted at all and that is what we are building towards, spotting malicious payees before money moves and sharing what we see back with our community. We built SurePay around a simple idea, that a payment should always reach the right person, first time. Robert is the right leader to take that from national schemes to a global network. We're thrilled to welcome him to the team." Robert Soetens said: "What drew me to SurePay was the strength of the foundation already in place, a unique network and data position that very few fraud prevention companies have. That is a rare thing to inherit, and it means we don't have to reinvent the wheel to grow, we just have to build on what's here the right way. My focus now is turning that network into something smarter. It sees payment behaviour that no single institution can see on its own, and our platform turns that into risk signals banks can act on. The ambition is simple. Stop fraud before money moves." Soetens joins at a point of rising pressure across the payments industry. According to the UK Finance's 2026 Annual Fraud Report, payment fraud losses across the UK banking sector reached £1.28 billion in 2025, up 4% year-over-year. Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, where victims are manipulated into paying criminals themselves, rose 19% to £576.4 million, with case volumes up 7% to 248,070. Industry estimates suggest roughly eight people are defrauded every minute in the UK alone. Soetens joins SurePay from Backbase, the digital banking platform company, where he spent seven years at the company in senior product leadership roles, most recently as Vice President of Product

People First Bank launches new digital banking platform on Backbase AI-native banking OS. People First Bank and Backbase have announced the successful launch of People First Bank's new digital banking platform, operated by Backbase's AI-native Banking OS - a major milestone in the bank's broader technology transformation. People First Bank was formed through the merger of Heritage Bank and People's Choice in 2023, with the goal of bringing together two distinct legacy technology systems to serve approximately 750,000 customers nationally. The new platform underpins the recently launched People First Bank App and Online Banking experience, providing customers with simpler onboarding, stronger security, improved reliability and a more intuitive user experience. People First Bank selected Backbase for its flexibility and proven market track record. Backbase allowed them to work toward unifying their platforms and channels without replacing any core banking systems - reducing risk and accelerating time to market through pre-built journeys for onboarding and lending. It also provides a strategic integration asset, making future mergers easier to execute and positioning the bank as a partner of choice in Australia's customer-owned banking sector. Australian Fintech Companies Andy Weir, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at People First Bank, said the new platform was an important step forward for customers. "Digital banking is the primary way most customers engage with their bank, so getting that experience right is extremely important," Weir said. "Customers can now join more easily, navigate their accounts more intuitively and access improved support when they need it. We have also built a foundation that lets us keep improving over time." Weir described the launch as one of the bank's most significant technology milestones. "This is a major step in a broader transformation program that is modernising the technology that supports our customers and our people," Weir said. Discover more financial services Open Banking Solutions Responsible Lending Guides "Over the past three years we have delivered a new residential lending platform, and now a completely new and enhanced digital banking experience. "Importantly, we have done this in a way that creates a strong basis for future delivery, allowing us to continue improving digital banking, while progressing payments and core banking initiatives in the year ahead." The digital banking partnership delivered six production releases in the first nine months, and more than 600 employees participated in a launch program ahead of customer rollout to refine the experience and identify improvements. The platform is currently being rolled out to former People's Choice customers, with Heritage customers continuing to use existing digital banking services while preparations for their migration continue. Weir said the phased approach reflected the bank's focus on customer experience and operational resilience. "This is a significant change and we want to make sure customers are supported every step of the way. The staged rollout allows us to focus on delivering a smooth transition while continuing to learn and improve." Jeremy Thomas (pictured), Regional Vice President ANZ at Backbase said, "People First Bank is one of the most significant digital launches in Australian customer-owned banking. The team's commitment to getting this right, from executive alignment to staff onboarding, is what made it possible. We're proud to partner with People First Bank and what they're building for their customers." Australian Fintech Companies