Thursday 30 October 2014

What's the deal with Finacle?

Infosys swimming pool, Bangalore.
I ask the question just after news that its erstwhile head, Haragopal Mangipudi, left Infosys to be replaced by SAP veteran Michael Reh. This was the first senior change carried out by Infosys' new CEO, Vishal Sikka, who joined the company in August.

How to keep a corporate customer

If corporate banking customers are unhappy with the customer service their bank offers them, the chances of them leaving are higher today than ever before, was the stern warning by panellists at the recent summit organised by billing and pricing software supplier, Zafin. Steve Murphy, research director at CEB Tower Group, cited research that the 68 per cent of corporates will not hesitate to move to another bank if they feel their current provider is not offering them top service.

Monday 20 October 2014

How to mitigate cyber risks

© www.wuky.org
One of the focal points at the SIA Expo conference in Milan was cybersecurity. Coen Voormeulen, chairman of CPMI (formerly CPSS), the cybersecurity working group at the Bank of International Settlements, kicked off the discussion by suggesting that 'cybersecurity threats are evolving' and that 'they can come from a variety of sources'.

SIA Expo 2014: the inside track

Panel discussion at SIA Expo 2014
The main theme of this year's SIA Expo conference in Milan was that we are moving towards a more digital world, enforced with the strapline: 'Don't worry, be digital'. Although the majority of Italian citizens believe their country lags behind the rest of Europe in digital payments, speakers were keen to explore how attitudes could be changed in the country. The event focused on payments, mobile technology and innovation in the financial services space and was organised by Italy-based service provider, SIA.

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Branches and mobile banking: do you need both?

© www.visionaustralia.org
One of the discussions at the Payments Knowledge Forum, which took place in London last week, was whether or not both branches and mobile banking are needed? While there were plenty of good arguments for both sides of the debate, the main common point was consumer experience. Consumers want to have an enjoyable banking service that is easy to use and consistent, whatever the channel. Robert Johnston, marketing director at NCR, said that a key differentiator from one company to another is the quality of consumer experience, more so than the products that are on offer. 

Friday 3 October 2014

Sibos: final thoughts

Boston. Sibos: final thoughts
The carnival is over and the industry is moving on. Here are our final thoughts on this year's Sibos event before it fades from the memory.

Sibos: day four round-up

Bill Gates @sibos
Sibos 2014 closed with a keynote speech from Bill Gates, who famously branded banks 'dinosaurs' 20 years ago. There were also concluding comments and reviews of the week from the various forums and streams.

Here are the highlights from day four.

Thursday 2 October 2014

Payments Knowledge Forum: the inside track

@TFL
This year's Payments Knowledge Forum (PKF) in London kicked off with the theme that we are moving towards an ever more virtual world. David Smith, Wincor Nixdorf, opened the event with the statement that people are constantly on the move and expect their services to move effortlessly with them.

So how can the payments industry live up to this expectation?

Sibos: day three round-up

Innotribe
Sibos entered its third day with the introduction of new forums, a focus on real-time payments and the conclusion of the annual Innotribe start-up challenge.

Wednesday 1 October 2014

Sibos: day two round-up

@Swift
Day two of Sibos continued the theme of collaboration, with more focus on standards, market infrastructures and new technologies under the spotlight.