Minna Bank's Full Cloud-Based Banking System to be Provided Externally for the First Time to MUFG Bank
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First Provision of the Core Banking System Developed by Zerobank Design Factory
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TOKYO — Minna Bank announced that the full cloud-based banking system developed and operated by Zerobank Design Factory (ZDF), a subsidiary of Fukuoka Financial Group, in collaboration with Accenture and operating on Google Cloud, has been selected as the core system for the newly established digital bank by MUFG Bank.
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Minna Bank announced that the full cloud-based banking system developed and operated by Zerobank Design Factory has been selected as the core system for the newly established digital bank by MUFG Bank.
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In 2022, ZDF announced its plans to offer the system to both local and global financial institutions, as well as non-financial entities seeking to launch banking services. This marks the first instance of ZDF extending the system to external organizations.
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Looking ahead, ZDF aims to address the challenges faced by companies entering the banking industry and other sectors through the provision of the system, thereby contributing to the growth and innovation of the digital banking market both domestically and globally.
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Japan's First Digital Bank | Minna Bank Case Study | Accenture
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* Google Cloud is a trademark of Google LLC.
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Masashi Nakano, Senior Managing Director, Lead, Financial Services, Asia Pacific and Japan, Accenture
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In Japanese banks, the need for increased management speed has highlighted key challenges with the inefficiency and high costs of existing core systems. One effective solution to address this is the adoption of a cloud-based and microservice platform bank system. This system incorporates numerous advanced technologies, including multi-cloud, microservice architecture and DevSecOps. Designed to enhance new banking systems, this solution significantly contributes to the growth of services, accelerates deployment speed, and improves operational efficiency. This innovative system with its modular design and capability for partial integration with existing systems offers versatile applications for banks, non-bank financial institutions, and non-financial entities both domestically and globally. Accenture will continue to collaborate with financial institutions to address management challenges and contribute to their growth.
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Toby Brown, Global Managing Director, Regulated Industries, Google Cloud
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Our collaboration with Minna Bank reinforces that cloud-based technology can deliver flexibility, speed, and reliability for core systems within global banks. Minna Bank's use of Google Cloud's advanced technologies — like Google Kubernetes Engine for elastic scale, Spanner for global data consistency, and Vertex AI for intelligent insights — is a blueprint for accelerating digital transformation far beyond banking, enabling industries from retail to mobility to seamlessly embed financial services and create new value for their customers.
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Kenichi Nagayoshi, President and CEO, ZDF and Minna Bank
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Launched in May 2021 as Japan's first digital bank, Minna Bank now serves 1.3 million accounts and many customers nationwide. Minna Bank has been advancing three businesses: the B2C business providing financial services to individuals, the B2B2X business offering financial functions and services to partner companies via API, and the banking system provision business. Since its inception, the bank has accumulated and updated its technologies and expertise related to systems, functionalities, and design required for a digital bank. As a result, we believe that the recent first external provision of our system marks a valuable milestone. Moving forward, we hope to contribute, even if just a little, to the development of the digital banking market both domestically and internationally through the provision of this system.
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About Minna Bank
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Minna Bank, Ltd. is Japan's first digital bank which commenced commercial operations on May 28, 2021. Minna Bank means 'a bank for everyone' in Japanese. Its mission is to 'Deliver valuable connections to everyone.' Minna Bank strives to become a pioneer in the financial services industry, creating and connecting ecosystems including consumer and business customers and various communities. Minna Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fukuoka Financial Group.
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ZDF is the system development company who builds Minna Bank's core system, and the first developer in Japan to build the core banking system on a public cloud. ZDF is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fukuoka Financial Group.
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Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (FFG, TOKYO:8354), established in 2007, is Japan's largest regional financial group. FFG has a wide network covering the entire Kyushu region. FFG is actively pursuing a Digital Transformation (DX) strategy, and established Minna Bank, Japan's first digital bank architected from the ground up.
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