Open Banking, Open APIs, and Open Architecture #DigLitBootcamp

Open Banking, Open APIs, and Open architecture

24 March 2020, Tuesday, 11:00-12:00 (Warsaw, Amsterdam, Sarajevo)

Opening the “open” – during the webinar, we will unpack the concept of “Open” banking, “Open” APIs, “Open” architecture. The webinar will help key decision makers in the financial institution discuss strategic decisions related to investment into information systems and software. We will explain how financial institution can easily incorporate external data into its own MIS, for example from credit bureau, registry office or a bank used by client, due to open architecture. We will also discuss, how open Application Programming Interface can help connecting two different software, limiting the necessary investment into adopting the information systems used in MFIs. The webinar will help you understand and communicate with IT managers and providers.

Presenter: Alexis Lebel, Chief Executive Officer at OpenCBS

Alexis LEBEL started his career as an auditor with KPMG in the financial services industry. In 2004, he joined an international NGO in Afghanistan, where he worked on a World Bank financed community mobilization and local governance programme. He subsequently specialised in microfinance and spent a further four years in Afghanistan where he started the greenfield microfinance institution OXUS, now one of the market leaders in the country. This is the time when, with a handful of other passionate people, he started to work on Octopus, the ancestor of OpenCBS, which originally was developed for the OXUS network of Microfinance Institutions.

After 2010 he worked in China, Rwanda, Liberia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan as a consultant on technical assistance projects in microfinance and SME finance. In 2013, together with most of the team which used to develop Octopus, he co-founded OpenCBS, which has now become a successful technology company developing an Open Source Core Banking Software for banks and microfinance institutions. He is CEO of the company since October 2015.

OpenCBS is Fintech company offering an Open Source Core Banking System as well as other value-added solutions for the financial services industry: a Tablet application for eKYC, Digital Field Application and appraisal, and a Loan Origination Solution. OpenCBS products are ready for Open Banking and based on Open APIs. As one of the few social businesses operating in Fintech, OpenCBS proposes very affordable products for all types of financial institutions. Contrary to other software providers, OpenCBS does not make users hostage but rather works with them as partners: they are involved in the design of the roadmap, they are welcome to suggest improvements and they are encouraged to team up together in order to share development costs. Over the past few years, OpenCBS has been growing with its clients and has continuously developed its technical platform using agile methodology. This community-based approach has served OpenCBS well: the platform is now used by 20 paying clients and over 160 free users, mostly microfinance institutions, social lenders, credit companies and banks in developing countries, impacting above 400,000 end-clients. By offering an affordable and simple platform that allows institutions to provide financial services in a transparent and efficient manner, OpenCBS contributes actively to financial inclusion and responsible financial services.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE