Case Study: Bank Zero achieves scalable, secure branchless banking with IBM LinuxONE and open-source technology

Launching the app-driven, no-fee bank of the future

Bank Zero wanted to launch a zero-fee, branchless digital bank in South Africa, but needed a secure, scalable, cost-effective technology foundation to support an app-driven model for both individuals and businesses. Working with IBM, the bank set out to build its platform from scratch while maintaining strong performance, transparency, and low operating costs.

IBM helped Bank Zero implement IBM LinuxONE Rockhopper II running Ubuntu, plus IBM FlashSystem storage and IBM security capabilities such as pervasive encryption and enterprise key management. The result was a highly automated, secure platform that delivered sub-millisecond response times even as card transactions doubled and app logins increased tenfold; Bank Zero is on track to break even at 100,000 customers and says it could scale to 2 to 3 million customers without major changes.

Bank Zero

Jay Prag

CTO and CSO