Retail banking in Asia Pacific is entering a new chapter. Financial institutions are no longer simply digitalising processes; they are reimagining how banking is designed and experienced. Consumers now expect more than a mobile app or a web portal. They want transparent instant onboarding, round the clock support and services that anticipate their financial needs, often before they even ask. According to Asian Banking & Finance, digital channels now account for around 60 percent of basic financial product activity across the region, underscoring how mobile and online banking have become the preferred access points for many consumers.
With growing competition from digital native players and rising expectations from both regulators and customers, banks need to move faster with fewer resources and greater impact. Choosing the right digital banking platform is no longer a back-office decision, it is a strategic one.
A clear benchmark for digital banking excellence
In its new 2025 Retail Digital Banking Platforms: Asia Pacific edition report, Celent evaluated nine leading vendors based on advanced technology and the breadth of retail banking capabilities. BPC was named a Luminary, the highest designation, positioning it in the top right of Celent’s evaluation matrix.
“BPC’s SmartVista Digital platform has a proven track record of delivering exceptional technology, customer support and continual innovation to APAC banks of every tier,” said Michael Bernard, Senior Analyst at Celent.
Celent cited SmartVista’s modern microservices architecture, open API framework and broad feature set as standout qualities. These capabilities allow banks to launch and scale services quickly without compromising on flexibility, security or performance.
A changing landscape for digital banking in APAC
The digital banking landscape in APAC is evolving quickly. According to Kearney, nearly 80 percent of bank interactions in the region now occur through digital channels, underscoring how mobile-first usage has become the dominant mode of access. At the same time, regulators across the region are tightening standards around data privacy, onboarding, and open banking. In Australia, for example, the Consumer Data Right enables consumers to securely share their banking data with accredited providers, while Singapore’s APIX serves as a sandbox and marketplace for application programming interfaces, both aimed at modernising access and innovation in financial services.
Many banks still struggle with siloed systems, which lead to fragmented customer journeys and long time to market when launching new offerings. Infrastructure limitations make it difficult to support artificial intelligence, analytics or journey-based engagement. These limitations have a direct impact on customer experience, business agility and operational cost.
Celent’s research shows that leading institutions are moving toward platforms that offer composability, real time capability and unified digital channels. Banks that continue to operate on legacy infrastructure risk falling behind in their ability to serve and retain increasingly digital customers.
What sets SmartVista apart from the rest
Compared to other vendors evaluated in the Celent study, such as Infosys Finacle, Oracle and Backbase, SmartVista distinguishes itself by combining extensive functional depth with modern, flexible architecture. BPC’s SmartVista provides a unified platform with ready to deploy services that span the entire retail banking lifecycle.
SmartVista brings together everyday banking, SME tools, merchant services, digital wallets and agent support on a single cloud ready infrastructure. It’s no code environment allows banks to create and update product journeys in less time and without the need for constant developer involvement. This means banks can respond faster to market changes, customer needs and regulatory updates.
BPC designed SmartVista to address the practical challenges that banks face when delivering digital services at scale. This means a seamless and consistent experience across channels, with rapid configuration of services, real time dashboards, extensive built-in capabilities, such as biometric onboarding, personal finance tools, virtual cards, QR payments and loyalty features. Security is embedded throughout, including tokenisation, digital identity validation and role-based access control.
A platform that grows with your ambition
As digital banking becomes the default mode of engagement, institutions need more than technology, they need a partner that helps them navigate change without adding complexity. Customers now expect secure, personalised and proactive services. They want to manage their finances with the same ease and confidence they expect from any digital brand. For retail banks, this means working with a digital banking vendor that not only understands the technical demands of transformation but also brings the flexibility, speed and industry insight needed to stay relevant. A modern partner can help banks deliver better experiences today, while laying the foundation for long-term innovation and growth.
To learn more about SmartVista and why Celent named BPC a Luminary, visit www.bpcbt.com.
