Agora and FPT Partner on AI Banking Communications for Southeast Asia
Agora and FPT Smart Cloud launch regional AI partnership for Southeast Asian banks, combining real-time communications with AI agents to automate customer service and boost compliance.
Agora (Nasdaq: API) and FPT Smart Cloud announced a regional strategic partnership on February 24, 2026, combining real-time voice and video technology with enterprise AI to serve banks and financial institutions across Southeast Asia.
Partnership Targets Growing Demand for Always-On Banking Support
The joint platform pairs Agora's real-time voice, video, and chat infrastructure with FPT's AI voice and messaging agents. Together, they target customer service automation, workflow efficiency, and regulatory compliance across retail banking, lending, insurance, and cross-border financial services.
FPT's enterprise AI products are already deployed across more than 40 banks and financial institutions globally. Sacombank in Vietnam deployed FPT AI voice agents and increased call-handling capacity by 58%, managing up to 41,000 calls daily. Vietcombank uses FPT AI agents across messaging platforms to handle inquiries on cards, loans, and foreign exchange. Home Credit Vietnam operates FPT AI voice agents handling millions of monthly customer interactions.
"As banking and financial services across Southeast Asia continue to digitize, innovation must go hand in hand with trust, security, and compliance," said Tony Zhao, CEO of Agora. Mark Hall Andrew, Chief Revenue Officer of FPT Smart Cloud, noted that banks are seeking AI platforms offering rapid scalability while integrating with existing systems and regulatory requirements.
Real-Time Payments Growth Is Driving Demand for Faster Customer Service
Southeast Asia's digital banking infrastructure has expanded rapidly, creating pressure on banks to match transaction speed with equally fast customer support.
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Indonesia's BI-FAST real-time payment network recorded two billion transactions in 2023 and is projected to grow at a 44.6% compound annual rate through 2028. Malaysia's DuitNow is projected to reach US$1.211 trillion in transaction volume by 2028. Thailand's PromptPay accounted for 43.2% of total national payments volume in 2023. Across the region, real-time payment networks are collectively projected to reach US$2.4 trillion in transaction value by 2025.
ASEAN banking and financial services AI budgets are projected to reach 25% of total technology spend by 2026, with automation and customer interaction tools as the primary targets.
Singapore Leads Region as Banks Modernize Customer Experience Infrastructure
Singapore's banks are ahead of regional peers on customer experience readiness. According to Finastra, 69% of Singapore institutions rate their customer experience capabilities ahead of peers, and 83% plan further investment in real-time payments, 24/7 chatbots, and AI-powered personalization. Singapore institutions also hold a 71% lead over regional peers on core infrastructure and security readiness.
The Agora-FPT announcement coincides with parallel infrastructure moves elsewhere in the region. In February 2026, CIMB Niaga in Indonesia completed a cloud migration to modernize customer servicing workflows, signaling a broader wave of contact center upgrades across Southeast Asian banks.
The Agora-FPT platform supports multilingual, low-latency interactions across mobile apps, web platforms, and contact centers, designed for Southeast Asia's linguistically diverse banking population. Both companies stated the joint offering is built to meet tightening regulatory requirements across Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand.
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