CommBank has announced a five-year strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), reinforcing AWS as the bank's preferred cloud provider. This partnership aims to advance CommBank's technology infrastructure, enhancing its digital banking services through increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-native designs.
The agreement facilitates the development of innovative solutions like the CommBiz Gen AI powered messaging service, which transitioned from concept to production in just six weeks. This service is designed to transform banking experiences for Business Banking customers by leveraging CommBank’s Development Operations Hosting platform and other AI platforms.
Rodrigo Castillo, Chief Technology Officer at CommBank, stated: "As customer adoption of digital banking continues to grow, we’re harnessing AI and cloud to deliver faster, safer and more personalised digital banking services." He emphasized the importance of equipping engineers with the necessary tools and skills to drive innovation in customer experiences.
Jamie Simon, Director of Financial Services at AWS Australia and New Zealand, commented on the longstanding relationship between AWS and CommBank: "Together we will simplify and standardise their technology foundations on the most secure and resilient cloud platform."
The collaboration is expected to enhance CommBank's ability to deploy changes rapidly within its digital ecosystem. The bank has already seen a doubling in AI model usage, reaching over 2,000 models in 2024. The Gen AI messaging service aims to provide Business Banking customers with efficient payment processing by utilizing advanced technologies such as Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Bases.
AWS also supports CommBank engineers by offering training opportunities and certifications like AWS Cloud Certification. This initiative follows the launch of CommBank’s AI Factory in September 2024, aimed at accelerating AI adoption across the bank.
CommBank's journey with AWS began over a decade ago, leading to significant transformations in its cloud delivery processes. Key platforms such as Netbank, CommSec, and MUREX have been migrated to AWS environments, improving scalability and security.