Worldwide


BIAN adds first Middle East member

The Banking Industry Architecture Network has gained its first member in the Middle East with the addition of Commercial Bank of Qatar to its roster.

Survey: Holiday Gifting Going Digital (Dec. 5, 2013)

Nearly 90 percent of consumers likely will purchase at least one gift card from a Website or mobile app this season, according to a study of consumer shopping trends conducted by InComm, a prepaid product and transaction services provider.

The hidden cost of corporate compliance

Former SunGard chief executive Cris Conde writes about the importance of training in firms’ governance, risk management and compliance strategies and why they should treat it as an investment.

A brave new world for CIOs?

A new role for CIOs in the banking sector was highlighted at the recent Gartner Symposium: to maintain their future relevance and position, they need to be seen as consultants in the technology space, not just providers.

BBVA Asset Management picks Markit for EDM platform

BBVA Asset Management has chosen an enterprise data management platform from Markit, which will act as hub for its securities, portfolio, fund, issuer and position data in several countries, including Spain and Mexico.

White paper: Banking on Tech City

Tech City is the name given to the hub of high growth technology companies in East London and is lauded as the engine room of British innovation. In November 2010, Prime minister David Cameron launched his Tech City Initiative, saying “We’ve also asked some of the world’s biggest businesses and banks to help provide the […]

Blog: Grande 140-Character Payments

If ever there was a prize for solving a first world problem, creating the ability to buy a coffee for a friend or acquaintance by sending a tweet would be Nobel- worthy. But if the goal is to keep Starbucks in the conversation around the office (and sell more coffee), this should work.

Blog: Thinking Mobile First

Consumer expectations of mobile banking and prepaid are escalating rapidly, and the industry needs to respond aggressively, and think differently. As consumers demand more from their financial services providers, putting the mobile channel first in your strategy is key.

NCR makes “fundamental” changes to financial services business

NCR is “fundamentally and permanently changing” financial services its financial services business with a £1.6 billion acquisition of Digital Insight, a Californian on-line and mobile banking solutions provider. It has also bought UK-based fraud prevention company Alaric.

Second IT glitch “unacceptable” says RBS

An IT problem that left customers of RBS and its Natwest and Ulster Bank subsidiaries unable to use their accounts yesterday evening was described as “unacceptable” by a bank spokeswoman. For three hours – on what was expected to by the largest online shopping day of the year, dubbed “Cyber Monday” – the banks’ customers […]

Banks! Stop fadding about – talk to customers

Is there an industry more obsessed with fads than banking?. Maybe it’s because it is such a follow-the-leader industry. Perhaps it’s because banking is a very me-too business with few (if any) real brand distinctions. Or is it simply that senior management is so obsessed with the needs of shareholders.

Is it safe to trust the machines?

Bank algos may superficially appear to be well-tested – but the process may be open to any number of unexpected flaws, according to Steve Wilcockson, industry manager at big data specialist firm MathWorks.

Big banking is watching you

Online retailers have become sophisticated at observing customer behaviour, and then marketing based on the individual’s inclinations and past actions. Now, banks are starting to do it too. That could lead to some interesting scenarios, according to Charles Radclyffe, chief executive officer at business intelligence consultancy BIPB.

Insights on the Bitcoin Brouhaha

On Nov. 27, the bitcoin was trading at a record $1,000. While some applaud its decentralized nature, others, including regulators, have become wary of its potential effects. We asked two analysts to square off with Viewpoints on the pros and cons of the volatile virtual currency.

Viewpoint: Why Bitcoin Is Going Gangbusters and Why It Matters

If Bitcoin manages to become wildly successful, it’s likely that several similar currencies will appear alongside it. The focus of hackers all across the globe will then surely turn to these anonymous stores of virtual value rather than to traditional account-based payments.

Voxsmart prepares cloud mobile voice recording service for banks

A new mobile voice recording service is being developed by UK tech company Voxsmart, which it claims is the first to automatically capture every type of communication on a mobile device so that it can be used for trading compliance purposes, including the FCA in the UK and Dodd-Frank in the US.

Breaking dawn: the new reality for the buy-side

Enlightened buy-side firms are facing the challenges of high-touch regulation, fragmented liquidity and ongoing cost pressures head on and developing new business models and approaches at every stage of their workflow.