Agora & FPT partner on AI for Southeast Asian banks

Agora and FPT have agreed a regional partnership focused on artificial intelligence for banks and financial services firms in Southeast Asia.

The arrangement links Agora's real-time communications technology with FPT's AI products and delivery teams. The companies are targeting customer service and digital engagement in markets where banks face rising demand for always-on support across voice, video and messaging.

Mobile-first usage patterns have shifted expectations in the region. Many customers now expect immediate responses and tailored interactions in digital channels. Banks have also expanded app-based services and remote onboarding as competition in digital banking has increased.

Regulatory requirements are tightening across Southeast Asia. Supervisors in Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand have increased scrutiny of cybersecurity, operational resilience and consumer data protection. Banks often need to meet multiple national regimes at once, particularly when services span borders or operations rely on shared technology platforms.

Agora sells real-time engagement infrastructure, including voice and video, and offers conversational AI tools that can sit alongside contact centre systems and mobile applications. FPT provides IT services and software, including an AI portfolio marketed through its FPT Smart Cloud unit.

Product scope

The joint offer focuses on customer engagement, automation of high-volume service workflows and operational efficiency, with regulatory compliance in view across multiple Southeast Asian jurisdictions.

In practice, FPT's AI voice and messaging agents are being combined with Agora's real-time voice and video layer. The package is intended for use across mobile apps, web platforms and contact centres, and is positioned as multilingual and designed for low-latency interactions.

Use cases include retail and corporate banking support, lending and credit lifecycle engagement, and insurance servicing. The partnership also covers cross-border customer communications, a common requirement for banks with regional footprints and diaspora-focused products.

Tony Wang, Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of Agora, linked the collaboration to the balance between rapid digitisation and control requirements in finance. "As financial institutions across Southeast Asia continue to digitise, innovation must go hand in hand with trust, security, and compliance," Wang said.

He added: "By combining Agora's real-time conversational intelligence with FPT's enterprise AI ecosystem, we enable banks and financial institutions to deliver natural, reliable, and scalable digital engagement."

FPT is using the partnership to extend its banking and financial services work across the region. Mark Hall Andrew, Chief Revenue Officer of FPT Smart Cloud, said banks want AI platforms that scale quickly while integrating with existing systems and regulatory requirements. "Banks are looking for AI platforms that can scale quickly while integrating seamlessly with existing systems and regulatory requirements," Andrew said.

He added: "By combining FPT's enterprise AI capabilities with Agora's real-time infrastructure, we are helping financial institutions deliver more efficient and responsive digital experiences."

Bank deployments

FPT said its enterprise AI products are used by more than 40 banks and financial institutions globally, including deployments in digital banking, consumer finance and contact centre operations.

In one example, Sacombank used AI voice agents in an AI contact centre design. FPT said this increased call-handling capacity by more than 58% and allowed the system to manage up to 41,000 calls per day. It also reported improved customer satisfaction metrics.

At Vietcombank, FPT said AI agents are used across messaging platforms to handle frequent questions on cards, loans, interest rates, foreign exchange and promotions, freeing frontline staff to focus on more complex needs.

Home Credit Vietnam also uses FPT AI voice agents in call centre operations. FPT said the system handles millions of customer interactions per month while keeping service quality consistent.

The partnership adds Agora's voice and video infrastructure to these types of deployments, with a focus on secure digital interactions across channels. The integration also reflects a broader shift in contact centres, as banks blend automation for routine queries with live support for higher-value advisory services and sensitive cases.

Agora is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker API. FPT is headquartered in Vietnam and operates across technology, telecommunications and education. FPT Smart Cloud is positioned as its channel for enterprise AI products in sectors including banking, insurance, retail and logistics.

The joint platform is designed to handle high interaction volumes while maintaining operational stability and compliance standards as banks in Southeast Asia expand digital service coverage.