AFFIN Group, a leading Malaysian financial institution, saw an opportunity to modernise its core banking system to support future growth and innovation.
It adopted Möbius, an open banking solution powered by Microsoft Azure which enables the Group to operate on a flexible and resilient hybrid platform.
The Group enhanced operational continuity and resilience, strengthened security, and automated key processes. Improved operations led to improved customer satisfaction and stronger brand loyalty.
Incorporated on 23 October 1975, AFFIN Group proudly commemorates its fiftieth anniversary in 2025, a milestone that reflects five decades of steadfast dedication to growth, innovation, and financial excellence, all in line with its vision to be the Most Creative and Innovative Financial Company in Malaysia. AFFIN Group operates as the financial holding entity of Affin Islamic Bank Berhad, Affin Hwang Investment Bank Berhad, and Affin Moneybrokers Sdn Bhd. Generali Insurance Malaysia Berhad and Generali Life Insurance Malaysia Berhad are affiliated companies of AFFIN Group.
AFFIN Group provides an array of financial products and services catering to individual, enterprise, commercial, and corporate clients. The focus market segments are categorised under essential business units such as Community Banking, Enterprise Banking, Corporate Banking, Treasury, and Investment Banking.
To support its long-term growth and evolving customer expectations, AFFIN Group previously operated on a traditional core banking system hosted on-premises. While this foundational setup served the bank well for many years, the Group saw an opportunity to modernise its technology stack to unlock greater agility, resilience, and speed.
Recognising the potential to accelerate product innovation and streamline operations, AFFIN began exploring solutions that could offer more modular architecture, reduced dependency on hardware, and faster time-to-market for new features. “We saw this as a chance to future-proof our operations and shift focus toward higher-value work,” shares Encik Risham Akashah, Group Chief Technology and Operating Officer at AFFIN Group.
AFFIN Group started looking for an open banking solution to offer better services, keep pace with technological changes, and operate more efficiently—all while providing secure and flexible options for customers. The Bank evaluated several options, prioritizing solutions that addressed the challenges of their legacy systems while offering flexibility, scalability, and the ability to implement new functionalities in line with evolving business needs.
AFFIN Group came across Möbius by Silverlake Cloud Computing, available as a Platform-As-A-Service on Azure. “We had already been using Microsoft Azure for almost two years to host other solutions,” explains Risham. “We chose a cloud-agnostic solution, meaning it can work across various cloud platforms, but it offered integrated features that aligned well with our existing use of Microsoft Azure, making it the best fit for their needs.” The Bank adopted a hybrid approach, using a combination of both the old and new systems. This setup allowed the company to gradually move all operations to the new system without causing disruptions to day-to-day banking activities.
As a result, AFFIN Group has upgraded its core banking system to a more flexible, efficient, and automated platform. Today, Möbius handles E2E (end-to-end) customer service, covering the entire customer journey, from the moment someone interacts with the bank to the completion of their service, ensuring a smooth and seamless experience. It also offers STP (straight-through processing) fulfilment, automating processes without human interaction and making transactions faster and more efficient. For example, instead of requiring manual approval for a loan application, Möbius allows the system to automatically process it based on pre-set rules. Möbius can also handle everything from managing customer savings and checking accounts to supporting Shariah-compliant banking products or even international trade transactions.
With Möbius, AFFIN Group has elevated its core banking capabilities to a new level of flexibility and resilience. "The platform allows us to make updates without disrupting the Group’s main services. It also removes the burden of hardware maintenance, allowing our teams to focus on more strategic priorities,” shares Risham. As a crucial benefit, the bank has also enhanced its security. “The platform is stable, fast, and reliable. It offers enhanced protection and backup with built-in resiliency, ensuring reliability at our main location as well as across multiple data centres,” Risham adds.
“The platform allows us to make updates without disrupting the Group’s main services. It also removes the burden of hardware maintenance, allowing our teams to focus on more strategic priorities.”
Encik Risham Akashah, Group Chief Technology and Operating Officer, AFFIN Group
Möbius also empowers AFFIN Group employees to make time for higher-value work. “With the platform handling infrastructure behind the scenes, our teams are no longer tied up with hardware maintenance or replacements,” shares Risham.
With a more resilient platform and freed-up staff, AFFIN Group can design better banking products. “By moving toward a more adaptive and responsive system, we’ve gained the agility to offer our customers a broader range of features and services,” notes Risham. “With better banking products, we have increased our customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
AFFIN Group continues to evolve. "Self-service options like mobile apps and e-wallets are part of our roadmap, reflecting the critical role technology has played in the banking industry’s evolution. It has enabled banks to offer customers nearly 24/7 access to services, transforming how we deliver convenience and flexibility," concludes Risham.
“With better banking products, we have increased our customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
Encik Risham Akashah, Group Chief Technology and Operating Officer, AFFIN Group
Follow Microsoft