I&M FX Direct Platform automates forex trading with live pricing, execution, seamless cross-border control for Kenyan businesses.
For years, corporate treasury teams across Kenya have been caught between volatile markets and dated transaction routines. The process, characterized by phone calls, delayed confirmations, and opaque pricing, rarely matched the rhythm of modern trade. With FX Direct, I&M Bank is stepping into this gap with a platform that takes friction out of the forex workflow and gives clients unbroken access to the market.
The launch comes at a time when businesses are struggling under increasing pressure for speedier decision-making. Currencies move quickly, supply chains are becoming more unpredictable, and latency in the execution of trades can distort cash flow planning. FX Direct reacts to these needs by automating the whole process, substituting Straight Through Processing for manual intervention to push orders from initiation to settlement in one smooth, seamless motion.
A system built around market reality
What makes FX Direct so compelling is the way it reflects the speed of institutional finance. Instead of static rate sheets, clients get a live view into currency markets. Prices are always in motion, making room for tactical buying or selling that was hard to accomplish for firms reliant on dealer calls.
It supports both Spot and Forward positions, giving companies room to structure near term and strategic exposures in one workflow. For firms managing invoice cycles across several currencies, this flexibility matters. Layered tools are not needed, splitting decision making across teams. Everything lives inside the platform’s interface.
Another new addition is automated order management via FX Direct. Clients can establish rules that automatically initiate trades when predefined market conditions become apparent. This eliminates the pressure for constant monitoring and provides a means for treasurers to act at market points they have already determined to be viable.
Designed for Businesses with Cross-Border Reach
Meanwhile, I&M’s decision to root this platform in a browser-based environment quietly broadens its use case. The bank realizes that clients operate across time zones and rarely have the luxury of trading only during branch hours. FX Direct, therefore, works across devices without installation and is available wherever the user has secure internet access.
Setting the minimum monthly transaction threshold at US$50,000 positions the platform for companies that are moving currency with some frequency. These are those firms with import pipelines, regional subsidiaries, or international suppliers. Any delay in execution trickles down to their wider operational rhythm.
A Digital Strategy with Regional Consequences
Though the rollout began in Kenya, the implications extend well beyond that single market. I&M operates across East Africa and has spent recent years building digital links between its subsidiaries. FX Direct fits neatly into that strategy. Running parallel with BRISK-the bank’s near real time transfer service-the new forex platform hints at an emerging ecosystem where regional clients can manage payments and currency exposure with fewer obstacles than before.
In practice, this approach strengthens I&M’s position among multinationals in search of consistent treasury infrastructure across borders. As trade grows between markets such as Kenya and Tanzania, the value of a unified FX environment grows with it.
Setting a New Benchmark for Treasury Teams
FX Direct is, in the end, a tool shaped by the pressures facing modern finance teams. It brings clarity to pricing, speed to execution, and structure to order flow. It also relieves the administrative load that has always slowed institutions on days with heavy trading. Giving control directly to clients shows that the bank understands the operational challenges of today’s corporate environment. The platform is not going to solve all forex complexity, but it changes the practical experience of trading. That alone sets a new reference point for how digital treasury services should work.
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