Insights

TAS announced the full operation of its services as a new Application Center in Italy.

The request by TAS to operate within the SITRAD (System for Telematic Data Transmission) as a standardized Application Center was approved by the CIPA Steering Committee on 24 May 2022.

From the following 1st July, TAS (in collaboration with Nexi Payments) began to provide a wide range of services related to domestic interbank applications through SITRAD, including Interbank Commercial Collections, Check Image Truncation and other fundamental interbank procedures such as Archive Alignment and Transferability, Portfolio Provisions, Transfers between Banks, Free Messages, Documented Operations and Interbank Charges Detection.

Starting from September 2023, TAS (in collaboration with Nexi Payments) has successfully activated the first banking group, Banco BPM, for the Check Image Truncation application, followed in April 2024 by the Crédit Agricole Italia group for the same application, while Banco BPM completed the activation of all services in the same month.

With the full commencement of operations as an Application Centre, TAS continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions in the payments and financial services sector in Italy and beyond.

PierLuigi Bellinazzi, TAS Domestic ACH Manager, comments on this significant achievement: "Since the first days of my work at TAS way back in 1998, I have cultivated the ambition of seeing the company evolve into a Service Centre. Today I am therefore very proud, together with all our colleagues at TAS, to have become part of the small group of Italian Application Centers (Nexi Payments, BCC Sistemi Informatici, equensWorldLine and BANCOMAT). Thanks to our new status as an Application Center, we will be able to offer even more complete and attractive for services for Financial Institutions looking for solid and reliable partnerships in the field of financial operations."

The revolution of Financial Transfers across borders continues for an increasingly digitalized, fair, and efficient Europe.

The recent approval by the European Parliament of new regulations on instant payments marks a new turning point in the payments landscape within the European Union.

The recent provisions, which will come into effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU, aim to ensure the promptness of money transfers between consumers' and businesses' accounts, representing a significant step towards greater financial efficiency and security.

With the new rules, all payment service providers must offer customers the possibility to make instant transfers that take no longer than ten seconds from approval, at any time and day. This will result in almost immediate liquidity for individuals and businesses, promising to significantly improve the daily operations of millions of Europeans. Additionally, the costs of instant payments must not exceed those of regular transfers.

The new regulation also outlines an efficient process for handling multiple orders of instant fund transfers sent in bundles to Payment Service Providers (PSPs), with particular attention to businesses in business-to-business (B2B) payments. When a Payment Service User (PSU) sends a package of instant fund transfer orders, the receiving PSP must immediately split the package, turning each order into individual transactions of instant credit transfer.

Furthermore, currently, payment and electronic money institutions are excluded from the definition of "entity" in Directive 98/26/EC, limiting their participation in instant euro transfers. The regulation aims to include them, allowing them to participate in Payment Systems and contribute to the adoption of instant fund transfers.

Another significant aspect of the regulation is the applicability of the new rules even in member countries that do not use the euro as the official currency, provided their bank accounts support regular euro transactions. This will ensure widespread sharing of the benefits of instant payments, further promoting economic integration among EU countries.

The new regulation emphasizes the importance of anti-fraud measures, requiring payment service providers to implement advanced fraud prevention systems and offering consumers tools to limit risks, such as the ability to set a maximum amount for instant transfers.

One of the main novelties is also the obligation for payment service providers to verify the correspondence of beneficiary names and IBANs for all transactions.

Additionally, the regulation ensures universal access to instant euro fund transfers for all Payment Service Users (PSUs). It states that there should be no disparities in the channels used to initiate instant payments compared to other types of fund transfers.

TAS's solution for Instant Payments fully covers compliance with the new regulation, with the possibility of adopting the platform modularly and as a service.

Thanks to ur long-standing relationships with most Italian banks, TAS has become a leader in Instant Payments solutions in Italy and has in-depth market knowledge and a unique ability to meet the needs of financial institutions in the product adoption journey.

With its expansion across Europe, TAS is well-positioned to drive innovation in the instant payments sector, offering a comprehensive, modular, and innovative solution that meets the needs of Italian and European banks.

Our commitment is indeed to be a true partner for banks, working closely with them to understand and meet their specific needs.

The modularity of the solution allows banks to choose only the necessary components and design a tailored architecture based on their specific requirements. Additionally, our solutions are based on a modern architecture designed to ensure complete service continuity, with real-time operations 24 hours a day.

Our offering model is based on a very flexible approach and can be implemented in the cloud, on-premises, or in SaaS mode, allowing for rapid and effective time to market.

Key features of TAS solution:

• Full compliance with SEPA Inst protocol requirements: complete processing time <10 sec., Timeout management.
• Cloud-native platform: for a turnkey offering with real-time 24 × 7 operations.
• Omni-channel: corporate portal, retail banking, back-office, etc.
• API interfaces: for payment initiation, reachability, and message requests.
• Message enhancement: message data enrichment through integration with core banking.
• Message screening: message verification through integration with screening systems (e.g., AML, Fraud, etc.).
• Message pairing and r-messages: Pairing of related messages and management of r-messages.
• "Four Eyes" principle: workflow can be defined with multilevel approval processes wherever necessary.
• Error alert: notifications can be sent in case of errors.
• Scalability and fault tolerance: the solution ensures full vertical and horizontal scalability.
• Certified full SWIFT message interface: the message network interface is a fully certified SWIFT application.

Contact our experts to find out how TAS can support you in implementing fast, effective, secure, and fully compliant solutions with the new regulations.

We continue to invest in innovation within the payment sector by introducing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) solutions aimed at significantly improving efficiency, security, and overall user experience.

Now available on our website is an intelligent chatbot named LIA, designed to respond to user inquiries quickly and efficiently. This is just one example of our innovation journey focused on two main areas: integrating advanced AI-based features into our products and optimizing internal processes through the effective implementation of AI.

Enhanced Security with "Fraud Protect"
Security in payment systems is an absolute necessity, especially in the digital context that poses continuous challenges and threats. "Fraud Protect," our fraud management solution, now incorporates advanced AI technologies to identify suspicious transaction patterns, significantly enhancing fraud prevention and anti-terrorism security. Additionally, the introduction of the intelligent chatbot "IVIC," which engages with users in potential risk situations, improves customer experience and helps reduce false positives.

Optimized Transaction Processing and Reconciliation
AI plays a crucial role in automating transaction processing and reconciliation processes. By reducing manual errors, we increase operational efficiency, ensuring greater accuracy in transactions. Predictive analysis plays a fundamental role in managing transaction peaks, allocating resources more efficiently. TAS's Banking Treasury product is evolving to implement AI-based predictive treasury models, capable of predicting liquidity needs in real-time, even on an intraday basis.

Global Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Payment Systems
We believe that the use of AI in the production process of payment systems has become essential and capable of influencing productivity, quality, and product innovation. From transaction processing to project management to customer support, AI is transforming every aspect of the process, opening new horizons in an ever-evolving industry. That's why we continuously invest in integrating new AI-based technologies into our products to stay ahead and ensure increasingly effective and secure payment solutions.

Milan, November 10^th, 2023 — TAS S.p.A., a leading company in Italy providing software and services for banking and financial applications, leading the eponymous group also present in Europe and America (the "TAS Group"), is pleased to announce the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Newsoft, headquartered in Lecce. This marks a significant step towards expanding TAS services and promoting innovation in Southern Italy.

Founded in 2004 by Prof. Rocco Solida, Newsoft is active in various sectors, including software production, research into new information management techniques, design and implementation of information systems, feasibility studies, industrial automation and robotics, personnel training and development, control and management system development, IT consulting, and data processing services.

Both companies express great satisfaction with this operation. "This acquisition provides us with the opportunity to broaden our scope and bring our expertise into new markets," declares Fabio Bravi, Head of M&A, Special Projects, and Corporate Developments at TAS. "We recognize the value and talent in Newsoft and commit to maintaining and further developing the legacy of innovation and technological expertise of Prof. Rocco Solida. The goal of this operation is to consolidate and strengthen TAS's presence in the Capital Markets and promote technological development in new areas. We are excited to work together with the Newsoft team and deliver cutting-edge solutions to our clients."

"We are pleased that the legacy of an excellent company like Newsoft is passing to a valuable group like TAS. We are confident that this synergy of expertise will maintain the spirit of innovation that has always characterized our company and will be able to bring additional development and expansion in a region with great potential like Southern Italy," comment Stefania Solida and Alessandra Solida, daughters of the founder of Newsoft.

The TAS Group received financial advisory assistance from KPMG and legal and labor assistance from Lexia Avvocati in this operation.

Newsoft received legal assistance from Attorney Luigi Colombo of Orrick and financial assistance from Lucciola & Partners in this operation.

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Milan, November 2^nd, 2023 - TAS SpA (hereinafter "TAS"), a leading company in the supply of software and services for banking and financial applications in Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Fabio Benasso as Chairman of the Group following a meeting of the Board of Directors held today.

Fabio Benasso began his career at Accenture in 1984 after graduating in Business and Economics from the University of Pavia. From 2006 to 2021, he served as the CEO of Accenture Italy and Geographic Unit Senior Managing Director for the IGEM Region, as well as a member of the Global Leadership Council of Accenture International BV. From 2013 to 2023, he was the Chairman of Accenture Italy, and from September 2021 to the end of August 2023, he served as Advisor to the Chair and CEO and a member of the Executive Committee of Accenture International BV.

He also held the position of CEO for Expo and CEO for Milan Post Expo, in addition to serving as Vice Chairman with Delegation for Simplification at Assolombarda Confindustria Milano Monza e Brianza. Until his departure from Accenture S.p.A., he was a member of the Board of Directors and the General Council. He held the position of a member of the General Council of Confindustria, was a member of the Board of Directors and the General Council of the Confindustria Digital Federation, and a member of the General Council of Anitec-Assinform. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy and served as Vice Chairman from 2018 to 2021. In 2014, he assumed the chair of the Sustainability Committee. Since the end of March 2022, he has been the Scientific Director of the LGH Foundation of the a2a Group. He has been the Chairman of FIA - Italian Accenture Foundation since March 2023.

Valentino Bravi, CEO of TAS, stated: "We are thrilled to welcome Fabio Benasso as the new Chairman of the TAS Board of Directors. His extraordinary managerial experience, gained in companies of great significance in both the Italian and international landscapes, makes him a key figure in guiding the TAS Group towards a future of innovation, technological leadership, and sustainability, all of which are areas we have been investing in during these years."

Giuseppe Franze, a member of the TAS Board of Directors and Partner of the Rivean Capital fund, said: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to welcome Fabio Benasso. Fabio has been a pioneer in the Italian ICT field, a partner at Accenture since 1996, and has taken it from a few thousand employees to one of the leading players in the Italian market with over 25,000 employees in Italy. Fabio's appointment is part of the broader growth path of the TAS Group, bringing expertise, vision, and leadership thanks to his extraordinary experience. With his entry, Rivean reaffirms its commitment to accelerating the development of TAS."

Fabio Benasso, Chairman of TAS, commented: "I am very pleased to take on this role at TAS and will leverage the experience I have gained over the years. I believe in the need to invest in technology and people, and to work towards a sustainable economy. In TAS, I see an environment where I can act in this direction, and I am happy to contribute to the development of projects in a critical and ever-evolving sector like payments, bringing growth and innovation to both the company and the country."

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Milan, September, 2023 - We are proud to be among the Top 100 in the IDC FinTech Rankings for the 15th consecutive year, as a global provider of innovative solutions in card management, digital payments, financial messaging and capital markets.

The IDC FinTech Rankings evaluates and categorizes the top IT vendors based on 2022 calendar year revenues and the percentage of revenues exclusively attributed to financial institutions, including banks, capital markets firms, and insurers or directly to fintech solution providers for hardware, software, and/or services.

TAS Remote Teller allows bank customers to carry out all the operations traditionally carried out in the branch with the teller and get in touch with a remote bank operator to enhance the bank-customer relationship thanks to technology.

An automated counter where you can carry out banking operations and speak remotely with an operator. It is TAS Remote Teller, a solution at the centre of a pilot project within one of the major Italian banking groups. The goal is to offer an automated branch, which allows you to supervise even remote areas, reducing costs significantly compared to a traditional branch. «Without however renouncing the quality of the service, the possibility of cross-selling and generating empathy and trust in the banking customer - says Valentino Bravi, CEO of TAS. By reducing branches to save costs, there is the risk of losing quality, because the branch is increasingly distant from the customer. At the moment this solution is being tested at some pilot branches of one of the major Italian banking groups and the extension of this model to other branches is also planned».

The customer talks to the operator via video

With a view to a hybrid evolution of bank branch models, the Remote Teller adapts to unattended branches: simple sitting rooms are enough to ensure privacy and comfort for the customer, characterized by the bank's brand identity, of course. But it also finds a place in already manned branches, to streamline traditional operations and allocate the offices to other consultancy or value-added activities. «The customer who enters the branch authenticates himself with his payment card at the counter – explains Bravi. In front of him he will therefore find a maxi screen, or even more than one, where he can get in touch with a remotely connected teller, who will follow him in all the traditional operations that are carried out at the bank teller, through simple steps and a video monitoring». The TAS Remote Teller solution offers a very wide range of accessible services, covering more than 95% of the operations that are usually carried out at a bank branch.

More trust, more cross selling

The advantage is therefore to offer the same quality of service provided in presence. But by reaching customers in unmanned areas and also activating cross-selling strategies by leveraging the bank-customer relationship, even if remotely. «The possibility of speaking with an operator generates empathy and allows tellers to better understand the needs of the customers they are following - underlines Bravi. It can therefore happen that you intercept and have to respond to new customer needs: the solution therefore allows you to pass the connection to another operator, specialized for example in mortgages, or investments. A relationship of trust is generated with the operator, as well as with the bank, precisely thanks to the technology, favouring customer retention, as well as the sale of new products".

The launch of the pilot with an Italian bank

TAS also announces that a pilot project has started with one of the four major Italian banks. The goal is to bring the Remote Teller to the branch and extend this new model to various branches in the area. «Within 2 months we integrated our solution – explains Bravi. Naturally it is a customizable tool on the needs of the bank and can also be integrated through the API interfaces».

The future evolution: the shared branch

In the future, this technology could also allow banks to review their real estate strategies: think of a bank branch in a shopping centre or at a hospital. Or, again, within spaces shared with other players, banking and non-banking. «Beyond the regulatory limits, the evolution we are starting to think about is that of the shared branch, like a multi-bank store - concludes Bravi. There are a series of problems to overcome, such as cash management, but it would certainly allow banks to reduce costs, creating shared areas, where an assistant who takes care of receiving customers is sufficient".

Accelerate the digitization of payments

TAS has created a series of end-to-end solutions for digital payments, which allow banks and e-money players to digitize payment management, also launching innovative solutions: from payments through digital wallets, up to PagoPA. «Furthermore, our Global Payment Platform (GPP) integrates with any type of payment and offers a series of advanced services, security for example - declares Bravi - but also advanced analytics solutions and anti-fraud systems» TAS also manages the world of POS services, ATMs and advanced counters. «The latter are ideal tools for people who are familiar with monitors and computers or portable devices – Bravi said. But the basic functions are so simple that, according to our surveys, they are also used by the more mature clientele who are reluctant to use digital devices. In case of difficulty, they can always contact the teller, who will be connected and will supervise the processes at each step, just like at a traditional bank teller".

Author: AziendaBanca by G.C “TAS. Lo sportellista da remoto, per unire fisico e digitale”

English Translation by TAS

Milan – 18 April 2023 – TAS S.p.A., a leading company in Italy in the supply of software and services for banking and financial applications, and the head of a group of companies of the same name (the “TAS”) also present in Europe and America, announces today the acquisition by the subsidiary Global Payments SpA of the entire share capital of Mitobit Srl (hereinafter "Mitobit"), a Tech-Enabler founded in 2014 and specialized in the supply of software applications and services for the Payments, Banking, Insurance and Fintech sectors. Mitobit has a strong focus on technological innovation and digitization, providing services in the IT area, including software development and as-a-service platforms, mainly focused on payments and e-money for the Finance sector.

For TAS it is the fourth acquisition since July 2022 of an emerging company in the Italian Fintech scene, after ASTRO IT, Krisopea and Nemos.

"Our acquisition policy aims to enhance the excellence of the TAS group so that we can provide our customers with complete, integrated solutions and services that enable them to compete in an increasingly dynamic payments market where cutting-edge technology and industry experience are key differentiation factors. Mitobit has these characteristics and we are very excited that it is now part of our group" comments Fabio Bravi, Head of M&A, Special Projects and Corporate Developments of TAS.

“At Mitobit, technology is the lifeblood of our team. Our mission is to build innovative software that meets each company's unique needs. This makes us incredibly proud to be part of the TAS group: two like-minded entities devoted to creating technological breakthroughs and a customer-oriented approach. We are confident that, with our combined expertise and experience, we will be even better placed to deliver high-quality products tailored to an ever-evolving industry where solid foundations and professional standards are paramount”. Davide Carnevali and Luca Falcon, directors and founding partners of Mitobit, declared.

TAS has been assisted in the transaction by KPMG as Financial Advisor and by Lexia Avvocati for the legal and labor law aspects.

Mitobit was assisted in the transaction by the lawyer Alessandro Diani of the LegalTaxLab network for the legal aspects and by Studio Muliari for the due diligence, tax and employment aspects.

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The audit held on 20 March for the maintenance of the HDS certification (hébergeur de données de santé) for TAS France gave a positive outcome.

This is a very important certification, imposed by French legislation, in order to be able to process, and even simply host, health data on its servers.

Go to the certifications page