CaixaBank and Global Payments convene the FinAppsParty app development marathon, to be held simultaneously in Barcelona and Atlanta

• The bank will hold the 24-hour financial app development "hackathon" for the fourth consecutive year.
• This will be the most international edition yet thanks to collaboration with Global Payments, a NYSE listed company.
• The 2014 event will focus on creating new financial services applications for wearable devices.

CaixaBank has convened FinAppsParty, the financial industry app development marathon, in collaboration with U.S. firm Global Payments (the bank's international partner in the payments method industry and one of the largest worldwide providers of payment solutions) and Barcelona Digital Centro Tecnológico. The 24-hour non-stop event will take place on 24 and 25 October.

This fourth edition of the hackathon will be the most international yet, being held simultaneously in two cities for the first time: Barcelona and Atlanta (United States). The two venues (the Palo Alto Foundation in Barcelona and the Atlanta Tech Village) will be connected by a permanent video link, allowing the participants in both locations to interact and share ideas via social networks. This is the first time that an international partner has decided to join the event, which will also be held in the United States under the name "FinAppsParty".

The competition will be open to any app developers with fresh ideas to offer the financial services industry. The theme for the 2014 event will be wearable technologies (glasses, watches, wristbands and any other devices that participants may wish to suggest), with developers having to create ideas for new services that operate with said technology.

An international jury for the best projects

A panel of judges comprised of digital financial services experts at CaixaBank, Global Payments and Barcelona Digital Centro Tecnológico will select the best apps submitted in each city, which will compete for cash prizes.

Teams of up to four persons are permitted. The organization will provide each team with the LG G watch, provided by LG, to assist as they develop their applications, although participants can create apps for the wearable device of their choice. Participants will also be provided with Internet connection, support materials such as power sockets and blackboards, a catering service and mentoring from a team of specialists in both technology and business development.

Registration is free via the website http://www.finappsparty.com.

150 participants took part in the last FinAppsParty

CaixaBank has organised the mobile applications development marathon FinAppsParty since 2011. Last year's event featured a total of 150 participants competing in 48 teams. Over the years FinAppsParty has attracted developer teams from all over the world, including the United States, Israel, Portugal, Mexico and Kenya.

The bank was one of the first anywhere in the world to adopt the "hackathon" format as a means of harnessing collective intelligence and co-creation to drive innovation. It has also been an international pioneer in the development of financial services for wearable technologies, with the launch of the world's first banking application for smartwatches and an application for Google Glass.

About CaixaBank

CaixaBank is a consolidated financial group admitted for trading. It has banking and insurance businesses together with a business which invests in international banks and leads the Spanish market with a firm commitment to national and international growth thanks to its proven experience in investments in the banking industry.

CaixaBank, chaired by Isidro Fainé and led by CEO Gonzalo Gortázar, has 13.6 million customers, a network of 5,695 branches and 31,574 employees. It is the number one retail bank thanks to its sizeable sales business, its accurate and anticipatory risk management and its ongoing efforts in innovation.

CaixaBank is considered an international benchmark when it comes to innovation and new technologies. It has received numerous accolades, including the award for the world's most innovative bank at the Global Banking Innovation Awards, staged by the Bank Administration Institute (BAI) and Finacle, and the award for best retail bank for technology innovation in the world, granted by Euromoney.

About Global Payments

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading provider of payment services for merchants, value added resellers, financial institutions, government agencies, multi-national corporations and independent sales organizations located throughout North America, South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Global Payments, a Fortune 1000 company, offers a comprehensive line of solutions and services for credit and debit cards, business-to-business purchasing cards, gift cards, electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification and recovery including electronic check services, as well as terminal management.

isit www.globalpaymentsinc.com for more information about the company and its services.

About Comercia Global Payments

CaixaBank and Global Payments work as partners to provide payment services to merchants. In 2010 the two firms set up Comercia Global Payments in the Spanish market, where it commands a market share of 24%. In July 2013 CaixaBank and Global Payments announced the launch of Comercia Global Payments Brasil, a 50/50 joint venture operating in the Brazilian payments market.