COLUMBIA, SC & LITTLE ROCK, AR – September 29, 2021 – Optus Bank, a $300 million asset-size minority depository institution (MDI) and community development financial institution (CDFI), announced today that it is now offering voice banking through Amazon Alexa. In partnership with Smiley Technologies, Inc., a developer, and provider of secure, innovative core banking solutions for community banks, this feature will allow Optus Bank customers to bank hands-free through Amazon Alexa, the world’s largest virtual assistant.

“Although our mission of helping our customers and communities build wealth has not changed in over 100 years, our tools have evolved to remove the friction in our customers’ financial lives.  The Amazon Alexa feature is part of that effort to provide our rapidly growing customer base ability to seamlessly access their Optus Bank accounts,” said Dominik Martian, CEO of Optus Bank. “This new feature also meets one of our guiding principles:  a commitment to customer-centric design of products focused on meeting the needs of all customers but especially those previously unbanked, underbanked, and historically underserved people and places. We thank Smiley Technologies, Inc for their partnership to help develop this feature for us.”

The Optus Bank skill allows users to access information about their Optus account including balances, deposit amounts and history, transfers, and transactions, and even the impact that users have as customers of a community development bank. After you’ve linked your account and opened the skill you can ask questions like, “What are my balances?”, “What was my last deposit?” or “What is my community impact?” Financial information will be read aloud and/or displayed visually.

Elizabeth Smiley Glasbrenner, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Smiley Technologies, Inc., said, “The Alexa Amazon feature is another innovative product that we develop and implement for our bank partners like Optus Bank. This new feature will help the bank fulfill their mission-driven purpose in their community, which is something I’m very passionate and intentional about. “

Optus Banking Voice for Amazon Alexa is available now through the Amazon Skills Store (www.amazon.com/alexaskills)

About Optus Bank

Based in Columbia SC, Optus Bank is a community bank, with a mission-driven purpose. The bank helps strengthen their community by closing the wealth gap created by systemic disparities in the financial industry. By providing loans and banking services to local businesses and individuals they serve to turn deposits into direct support for the communities where their customers live and work. Optus Bank is one of 20 Black-owned banks in the United States and the only Black-owned bank in South Carolina. Prior to the Optus Bank name change in 2019, it was named South Carolina Community Bank. For more information on Optus Bank, please visit: https://optus.bank/

About Smiley Technologies, Inc.

Based in Little Rock, AR, Smiley Technologies, Inc. is a core provider for community banks that was founded in 2002 out of the need for better software and superior service. The company provides a trusted voice in the banking industry providing secure, innovative banking solutions and exceptional customer service that promotes valued strategic partnerships with its banking customers. The Company values customer-centric business practices and traditions that recall those who ushered in the first big wave of bank technology innovation a half century ago. For more information on Smiley Technologies, please visit: https://www.sibanking.com.

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