Jan. 29, 2019

Aria Systems said it entered a deal with Polaris Media, the third-largest publishing firm in Norway, to provide its cloud-based billing and monetization platform to the company in a bid to enhance digital subscription revenue, according to a company announcement.

Aria Systems provides a suite of applications called the Aria Media and Publishing Suite, which is designed to help media companies manage print and digital subscriptions holistically, according to the company.

"The landscape in the media and publishing industry continues to change as consumers opt for more digital options tailored to their preferences, but they also want the choice to continue with traditional print," Tom Dibble, president and CEO of Aria Systems, said in the announcement. "AMPS is ideal for addressing the challenges of seamlessly managing both print and digital models as it can operate alongside existing systems, while also offering robust capabilities to manage digital subscribers."

Aria Systems entered a deal in June 2018 with Amedia, the second-largest publisher in Norway and the country’s largest publisher of local newspapers, to provide its cloud-based billing and monetization platform.

Aria Systems provides similar services to companies like Roku, Adobe, Audi and Pitney Bowes.

Topics: In-application Billing, Mobile Apps, Region: EMEA

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Jan. 28, 2019

Acorns, a mobile app-based savings and investment platform, has raised $105 million in Series E funding, led by NBC Universal, Comcast Ventures and others, that values the company at $860 million, according to a company release.

Additional investors include TPG, DST, BlackRock, Bain Capital Ventures and Michael Dell’s MSD Capital. NBC Universal, which is now the biggest single investor in the platform, will get a seat on the company board of directors filled by Mark Hoffman, chairman of CNBC.  

The funding will be used to grow the business and expand product offerings. The company has also signed a strategic agreement with CNBC whereby the financial business network will provide content for the mobile platform designed to boost financial literacy.

"We have always been guided by our mission to look after the financial best interests of the up-and-coming," Acorns CEO Noah Kerner said in the announcement. "After four years, we can attest to the positive impacts of access and empowerment because every day we see our customers taking control of their financial lives,"

Acorn offers several financial products, including Acorn Spends, a checking account with a debit card that saves automatically, and Acorn Later, an IRA product that lets customers instantly sign up for an account. Acorns later currently has 370,000 customers.

The company has $1.2 billion in assets under management and has grown from 1.8 million customers in 2017 to 4.5 million this year. The bank has a partnership with Lincoln Savings Bank, which is FDIC insured, according to a spokesperson.

Topics: Financial News, Mobile Apps, Mobile Banking

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Jan. 28, 2019

IBM is teaming up with PNC Bank, Aetna, Anthem and Health Care Service Corp. to develop a blockchain-based network to streamline payments, claims, update provider networks and speed the sharing of health information.

The goal is to create a frictionless environment and create an interoperable environment in the healthcare industry, according to a press release. The companies plan to develop test cases and also will add new health companies, healthcare providers, startups and technology firms.

"This collaboration will enable healthcare related data and business transactions to occur in  a way that addresses market demands for transparency and security, while making it easier for the patient, payer and provider to handle payments," Chris Ward, head of product at PNC Treasury Management, said in the release. "Using this technology, we can remove friction, duplication and administrative costs that continue to plague the industry."

A key area of focus will be to focus on use cases and applications that will "bring transparency and near real time visibility" into the claims and payment processing areas, Barb Hayes, general manager of payer for IBM Watson Health, told Mobile Payments today through an email from a spokesperson.

Hayes said that blockchain would help eliminate duplicate processing and reduce disputes, which could allow more effective risk management.

The consortium plans to open up the platform to different stakeholders to build use cases and solutions using the platform. Whether they use a mobile app or allow remote access to the platform depends on the use case, Hayes said.

Topics: Bitcoin, Mobile Banking, Mobile Payments, Technology Providers, Transaction Processing

Companies: PNC, IBM Corporation

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