Banks and trade credit insurers are traditional rivals, competing to offer cover to companies selling products on credit terms, but Coface Asia Pacific chief executive Bhupesh Gupta believes that may be changing.Coface has developed an online product for underwriting small business customers and recently formed a partnership with an Italian bank to offer the product, EasyLiner.Gupta said Coface was looking at forming a similar relationship in Australia to sell EasyLiner, which includes a collection service.Gupta was appointed chief executive of the Asia Pacific region in June and took up the job in September. The former GE Capital Asia Pacific chief risk officer is based in Hong Kong.He was in Sydney last month to meet the local team, including the chief executive of the Australian branch Graham Crozier, who is also a recent appointment.Coface underwrites risk in 100 countries. Gupta estimates the global market to be worth A$7 billion or $8 billion a year and Coface's share around $1.5 billion."We are more proactive than a bank writing a letter of credit and we have more of a network. We give companies the ability to look at trading partners in different countries and set limits on their exposures," Gupta said."The Australian market is getting more and more global and, while Australia has been luckier than most, it is not immune from global risks. And there is more risk out there."We see the banks starting to change in response to these higher risks and we see opportunities to partner with them here."Gupta said Coface had a substantial budget for investment in automation and efficiency."The investments we are making will improve the confidence we have in our risk assessments, give us better response times and make us more proactive with customers."