DUCA Credit Union taps Intellect to modernise digital banking

By Vriti Gothi

Toronto-based DUCA Financial Services Credit Union has selected Intellect Design Arena to overhaul its digital banking infrastructure, as part of a broader effort to modernise member engagement and accelerate product innovation.

Under the partnership, DUCA will implement Intellect’s eMACH.ai Digital Engagement Platform (DEP), replacing its existing Forge-based legacy system with a unified digital platform spanning mobile and online channels. The move positions DUCA among a growing cohort of Canadian credit unions adopting the eMACH.ai architecture, following Intellect’s announcement in December 2025 that 35 credit unions had selected the platform.

DUCA, which serves more than 92,000 members and manages CAD 7.5 billion in assets across 19 branches in Southern Ontario, said the upgrade is intended to support faster product launches, enhance digital self-service capabilities, and streamline operations through a multi-tenant SaaS model.

The implementation will involve a phased migration designed to minimise operational disruption. Intellect said its familiarity with both DUCA’s current Forge environment and the eMACH.ai architecture would enable a low-risk transition. The platform also provides access to composable, microservices-based banking capabilities, including open finance-enabled core, lending and commercial banking modules tailored to the Canadian credit union sector.

Aron Rogers, Chief Technology Officer at DUCA, described the move as a key step in the organisation’s digital transformation strategy. “By prioritising a low-risk migration and a high-performance, Canada-ready digital banking experience, we are ensuring that our technology enables our members’ ambitions,” he said. “This move allows us to innovate with greater speed and agility, providing the seamless, modern banking experience our community expects.”

Intellect said the partnership reflects increasing competitive pressure within Canada’s credit union market, where institutions are seeking greater agility and personalisation capabilities to retain and attract members, particularly younger demographics.

Rajesh Saxena, Chief Executive Officer of Intellect Global Consumer Banking, said the platform is designed to address system fragmentation and slow innovation cycles. “Canadian credit unions operate in a fiercely competitive environment and require true partners rather than just technology vendors,” he said. “Our eMACH.ai DEP platform enables DUCA to rapidly deploy new features, reduce costs and streamline operations while delivering personalised, member-first experiences.”

The agreement underscores continued investment in digital transformation across Canada’s credit union segment, where institutions are increasingly turning to composable, cloud-based architectures to compete with larger banks and FinTech entrants.