Commercial Bank of Ceylon has taken centre stage at TM Forum’s DTW Ignite 2026 in Copenhagen, showcasing a global industry first that demonstrates how advanced telecommunications architecture can be successfully adapted to transform modern banking.

The Bank joined Axonect, formerly known as Axiata Digital Labs, to demonstrate the first successful deployment of TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA) in the fintech sector, powered by Axonect’s Fabric and API Management platforms.

The landmark implementation positions Commercial Bank, Sri Lanka’s largest private-sector bank, at the forefront of digital banking innovation while demonstrating how financial institutions can modernise complex legacy technology environments without compromising governance, resilience, security or regulatory compliance.

Bringing Open Digital Architecture to Banking

The global showcase was presented by Sumudu Gunawardhana, Chief Information Officer of Commercial Bank, together with Anthony Rodrigo, CEO of Axonect.

Originally developed for the telecommunications industry, ODA has been adapted at Commercial Bank to support a more composable, agile and scalable banking technology environment.

The implementation enables the Bank to achieve the flexibility and scalability associated with modern cloud environments while maintaining control over critical areas including data governance, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.

According to Commercial Bank, the transformation has already generated measurable operational benefits and strengthened the Bank’s overall technology ecosystem. The implementation has also supported several major digital capabilities, including the rapid deployment of Google Pay, real-time PayPal cross-border remittance clearing and an API-driven digital ecosystem designed for high availability and resilience.

Building a Scalable Digital Ecosystem

The architecture incorporates an extensive network of microservices and active APIs, enabling Commercial Bank to deliver secure, scalable and integrated digital services across multiple markets.

The approach also provides a foundation for simplifying integration between systems and accelerating the development of new digital services, while maintaining the security and compliance standards expected within the financial-services industry.

Commenting on the initiative, Anthony Rodrigo, CEO of Axonect, said the deployment demonstrates the potential for ODA principles to extend well beyond telecommunications and support enterprise transformation across industries.

As artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, APIs and data governance increasingly converge, open digital architectures can provide organisations with a common framework for building more secure, intelligent and future-ready technology ecosystems.

Willie Stegmann, Executive Vice President – Composable IT & Ecosystems at TM Forum, also highlighted the broader significance of the collaboration, noting that the initiative demonstrates how open architectures can support innovation, simplify integration, facilitate scalable AI adoption and enable new digital business models across industries.

Moving Towards Agentic Banking

For Commercial Bank, the achievement represents more than a technology milestone. It forms part of the Bank’s broader digital transformation journey towards what it describes as “agentic banking” — an increasingly autonomous, AI-driven operating model supported by advanced software delivery capabilities, governed artificial intelligence and robust data-sovereignty frameworks.

This next phase is expected to enhance the Bank’s ability to participate in open-finance ecosystems, expand the use of AI across banking operations and scale its digital capabilities into new markets and sectors.

Strengthening Sri Lanka’s Position in Digital Banking

Commercial Bank has established itself as one of Sri Lanka’s leading institutions in digital banking and financial innovation. The Bank was the first Sri Lankan bank to exceed US$1 billion in market capitalisation and was ranked No. 1 among Sri Lankan banks in the 2026 Top 1000 World Banks ranking published by The Banker.

The Bank also has the highest capital base among Sri Lankan banks and operates an extensive domestic and international network, including more than 270 branches in Sri Lanka, 21 branches in Bangladesh, a majority stake in a Tier I bank in the Maldives, a microfinance operation in Myanmar and a representative office at the Dubai International Financial Centre.

The successful ODA deployment at DTW Ignite 2026 represents a significant milestone not only for Commercial Bank and Axonect, but also for the broader financial-technology sector. It demonstrates how open, flexible and scalable architecture can help financial institutions modernise legacy environments while preparing for the next generation of AI-enabled and digitally connected banking services.