Backbase has announced a strategic partnership with Unblu, a leader in conversational engagement for financial institutions, aimed at transforming digital banking into a more personalized user experience. This collaboration seeks to address the growing demand for seamless digital interactions while still offering the human connection that customers value during critical financial decisions.
The partnership highlights a key issue within modern banking: customers expect efficient digital solutions but also desire personal guidance. According to Backbase, banks that rely solely on self-service options risk losing customer loyalty, whereas those that successfully integrate efficiency and human interaction can enhance customer relationships significantly.
The combined solution will integrate Unblu’s Conversational Engagement Platform—featuring live chat, voice and video calling, co-browsing, and AI-driven chatbots—directly into Backbase’s banking platform. This integration allows customers to transition from digital self-service to human-assisted support seamlessly, all within a single user journey. In turn, relationship managers and service agents gain comprehensive customer context, enabling them to provide enhanced support.
Mayank Somaiya, Global VP of Marketplace at Backbase, emphasized that digital banking must not come at the expense of human interaction. He noted that embedding Unblu’s collaboration tools into their platform allows banks to facilitate transitions from automated services to expert guidance, ensuring customers feel supported through their digital experiences.
Jens Rabe, Co-CEO at Unblu, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting its potential to help financial institutions deliver the personalized customer experiences that today’s users expect. By embedding their digital interaction tools directly within the Backbase ecosystem, banks can foster deeper relationships while adhering to compliance and security standards.
This collaboration also offers a unified employee workbench, connecting previously isolated capabilities across the bank’s technology stack. Whether in case management, relationship management, or frontline service, employees can provide comprehensive customer support. Customers can either complete their digital journeys independently or connect instantly with bank representatives through various communication channels like live chat, voice, video, or co-browsing—all within the Backbase platform.
The partnership not only enhances customer interactions but also streamlines employee workflows. By automating routine tasks and providing real-time insights, bank employees can focus more on meaningful conversations with clients. With a unified data foundation, advisors gain a complete view of customer context for each interaction, ensuring a consistent and seamless service experience across online, mobile, and in-branch platforms.
Furthermore, the partnership maintains regulatory compliance with built-in features such as encrypted communications, audit trails, and data residency controls. This ensures that banks can uphold their compliance obligations while offering improved services to their clients.
The partnership aims to unlock value in several key areas. For instance, in onboarding and account opening, customers can complete digital applications and quickly connect with bank employees for verification or guidance via live chat, video, or co-browsing. In wealth management, relationship managers can conduct video consultations and collaborative financial planning sessions directly within the banking experience. Meanwhile, AI chatbots can handle common queries and route more complex cases to human agents without losing context, thereby enhancing customer service.
Additionally, the partnership promises to transform traditional bank branches into digitally-enabled service hubs, where advisors can interact with clients both remotely and in person. The pre-integrated solution is expected to be available to Backbase customers worldwide in early 2026, allowing financial institutions to deploy the complete suite or select specific Unblu capabilities according to their priorities.
As outlined in the partnership announcement, Unblu is positioned to help financial institutions enhance customer experiences, ultimately becoming a trusted partner in their clients’ financial journeys. The Digital Client Interaction platform connects retail banks, private banks, and credit unions with their clients in a compliant and meaningful manner, supported by an extensive product portfolio that includes AI capabilities and collaborative digital tools.
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