Finastra simplifies trade finance with AI-powered assistant using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service

Assist.AI boosts efficiencies and bridges the knowledge gap in trade finance, enabling banks to focus on strategic projects

LONDON, Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Finastra today announced the launch of Assist.AI, an AI-powered assistant designed to enhance the trade finance operations within its Trade Innovation solution. The tool, built on architecture powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, bridges the knowledge gap in the trade finance industry, providing users with instant, accurate, and context-aware assistance.

The trade finance industry faces significant challenges, including a diminishing knowledge base and a widening disparity between seasoned professionals and new entrants. Assist.AI addresses these issues by offering prompt-based assistance, allowing users to interact with the tool by entering specific questions related to trade processes. This ensures that users receive precise answers sourced from relevant resources without the need to sift through extensive documentation.

Assist.AI offers Trade Innovation users the following benefits:

• Enhanced user support: Provides instant, accurate, and context-aware assistance, significantly improving the user experience.
• 24/7 availability and efficiency: Ensures users can access support anytime, boosting efficiency by automating routine inquiries and freeing up valuable time for more strategic tasks.
• Continuous improvement and adaptability: The solution learns and adapts based on interactions, ensuring ongoing relevance and continuous improvement in responses.

"This timely and much needed solution represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to advancing Open Finance and leveraging AI technology to solve real-world challenges in financial services. By providing instant assistance to bank employees, we are empowering our clients to navigate the complexities of trade finance with greater ease and efficiency," said Andrew Bateman, EVP Lending at Finastra.

Finastra identified a significant talent gap in the trade finance industry through interactions with various clients. As experienced staff retire or transition to other careers, banks need to invest in training new staff on the latest developments in trade finance and the use of Trade Innovation. Assist.AI uses Microsoft Copilot technology to facilitate this training and support, making it a timely and essential addition to the industry.

"We are pleased to work with Finastra to make trade finance simpler and more efficient for banks worldwide. Using the robust capabilities of Microsoft Azure, this solution exemplifies the power of AI in enhancing operational efficiency and user experience," said Bill Borden, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Financial Services at Microsoft.  "This collaboration not only showcases our shared vision for the future of financial technology, but also strengthens the long-standing relationship between Microsoft and Finastra. Together, we are committed to driving innovation and empowering businesses to achieve more through cutting-edge technology."

Assist.AI is a global solution, available to users of Finastra Trade Innovation worldwide. To learn more, visit Finastra's website.

finastra.com

About Finastra
Finastra is a global provider of financial services software applications across Lending, Payments, Treasury and Capital Markets, and Universal (retail and digital) Banking. Committed to unlocking the potential of people, businesses and communities everywhere, its vision is to accelerate the future of Open Finance through technology and collaboration, and its pioneering approach is why it is trusted by ~8,100 financial institutions, including 45 of the world's top 50 banks. For more information, visit finastra.com.

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SOURCE Finastra