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A Guide to Banking in the Metaverse: Part 1

Shefali Vasave | July 13, 2022 | 536 views | Read Time : 05 min

Banking in the Metaverse
The next generation of banking technology is here, and it’s in the metaverse. The metaverse is a virtual space that allows users to go beyond the web browser to engage in or even share experiences. The metaverse is built using technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain and more. Consider being able to shop at a store, or play a game, or interact with friends, or meet with your bank representative, all in the 3D and without leaving your home. Now that the future is here, financial institutions will need to prepare to enter the metaverse and reimagine how they cater to their customers online. According to the Financial Brand, more than 47% of bankers believe that by 2030, many customers will use AR/VR as a channel for transactions. The opportunity is now.

1 Benefits of Banking in the Metaverse

The most significant opportunity for banks is to capitalize on AR/VR to develop seamless consumer and employee experiences in the real-world. Some of the benefits include:

1.1 For Consumers

  • Providing consumers with the ability to check balances, pay bills, transfer money, and do business utilizing AR and VR channels is known as metaverse banking
  • Personalizing the banking experience by offering white glove service, tailored financial recommendations, investment planning and much more.

1.2 For Employees

  • Providing immersive learning opportunities in the secure, replicated settings of customers or integrating their remote staff in ways that foster engagement, learning, and a sense of belonging.
  • Equipping employees with the ability to underwrite loans using digital twins of a property instead of 2D photos and videos of the building.

2 How the Metaverse Will Impact Consumer Relationships?

Banks shouldn't think of just entering the metaverse, determining the conditions of interaction, and capitalizing on it in order to increase trust and foster engagement. Innovative financial institutions will need to establish open communication with their consumers so that they are aware of the goals and intents of the organizational brand. The value transfers between institutions and consumers are no longer viable since the dynamic is one of collaboration and not just a vendor buyer relationship. Banks will need to reorganize how they create value if they want to build and maintain trust.

3 Moving Forward

Many prominent financial institutions are riding the wave of metaverse banking. In the next part of this article, we will discuss organizations that are moving fast when it comes to adopting banking on the metaverse and how they are monetizing it.

Spotlight

Aspire Home Finance Corporation Limited (AHFCL)

ASPIRE Home Finance Corporation Limited (AHFCL) is a professionally managed company focusing on affordable housing segment, to fulfill the aspirations of lower and middle income (LMI) families. AHFCL works on the business philosophy of financial inclusion of LMI families by providing them an access to long term housing finance. AHFCL focuses exclusively on retail housing loans. AHFCL has centralized set up with decision making at the Head office. Further, strong risk assessment practices at every stage of loan processing ensures build up of quality loan book. AHFCL is promoted by Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd (MOFSL) - a well-diversified, financial services company focused on wealth creation through knowledge. Mr. Motilal Oswal is the Chairman of AHFCL Board. AHFCL is managed by a team of professionals having strong experience in Indian housing finance market and headed by Mr. Anil Sachidanand, a veteran of over 25 years in Indian home finance industry

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CORE BANKING, FINTECH

Transforming B2B Customer Experience with Multichannel Banking Solutions

Article | March 28, 2023

Contents 1. Introduction 2. Maximizing Revenue: Cross-Selling and Upselling Strategies 3. Optimizing B2B Operations: Multichannel Banking and Cash Management Solutions 3.1 Digitizing Cash Management in Multichannel Banking: Key Imperatives 4. Leveraging Data Analytics for Multichannel Banking Optimization 5. Striking Balance between Convenience and Security 6. Multichannel Banking Evolution: Trends and Insights 7. Future Scope 1. Introduction Integrating multichannel banking solutions for a seamless customer experience remains a challenge in today’s digital era as financial institutions and banks are expected to provide services through ATMs, online banking, mobile, and in-branch. To boost efficiency and profitability, adopting multichannel payment processing is crucial. Technology enables merchants to process payments from all channels using a single account, thus, eliminating the need for multiple merchant IDs. Consolidating online sales into one location streamlines business processes, reduces card network fees, and leads to significant cost savings. 2. Maximizing Revenue: Cross-selling and Upselling Strategies Banks and financial institutions can effectively promote their multiple products and services to customers based on their needs, behavior, or demographics. Cross-selling and upselling techniques can encourage customers to hold multiple products, which can lead to business growth, new client acquisition, and increased customer lifetime value. Cross-selling involves offering related products or services to existing customers, such as promoting credit cards and internet banking to savings or current account holders. On the other hand, upselling involves increasing the amount invested in an existing or additional product. Both techniques can significantly boost sales, and revenue, and help achieve business objectives. 3. Optimizing B2B Operations: Multichannel Banking and Cash Management Solutions The evolving demands of corporate clients, rising competition from fintech companies, and the emergence of cutting-edge technologies are providing banks with a distinct prospect to revamp their cash management services and capabilities. 3.1 Digitizing Cash Management in Multichannel Banking: Key Imperatives Unlocking the Benefits of Collaboration Fintechs are becoming highly sought-after collaborators due to their product innovation, which enables banks to offer new and compelling services, solutions, and products that aid in attracting and retaining cash management clients. Tech & Alliances for Dynamic Cash Ecosystem Using innovative technologies and services, a cash management approach focuses on delivering cash efficiency and effectiveness to clients. New alliances and data-driven insights create a thriving ecosystem. Omnichannel Architecture In an omnichannel world, architecture plays a crucial role in delivering a seamless customer experience. While the traditional multichannel approach offers diverse touchpoints, it can also lead to a sub-optimal customer experience. Harnessing Real-time and Predictive Analytics In the realm of cash management, banks are increasingly relying on predictive analytics to mitigate risks, underwrite loans, and detect fraud. However, the potential advantages of real-time analytics for both cash management customers and the banks that cater to them are even more extensive. Integrate Cloud Services Compared to conventional decentralized cash management systems, cloud-based systems offer a greater degree of process and control uniformity in all scenarios, bolstering their resilience against potential capacity limitations stemming from factors such as remote work setups, cyber threats, and sudden surges in transaction volume. 4. Leveraging Data Analytics for Multichannel Banking Optimization Data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers, 6 times more likely to retain those customers, and 19 times more likely to be profitable (Source: McKinsey Global) Using data analytics, banks can gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and patterns across channels. This helps identify customer needs, optimize channel usage, and personalize the banking experience. Predictive analytics can proactively offer relevant solutions to customers through their preferred channels, improving satisfaction. Banks can also optimize channel offerings by identifying the most effective channels for different customer segments, such as mobile banking for younger customers and branches for older customers. 5. Striking Balance between Convenience and Security Multichannel banking has revolutionized the way customers interact with their banks. With the advent of digital banking, customers can now carry out a wide range of transactions using multiple channels such as mobile apps, online banking, ATMs, and branches. While this has made banking more convenient, it has also created new security challenges for banks. Here are some key considerations that banks should keep in mind when implementing a multichannel banking strategy: Multi-factor Authentication: Multi-factor authentication is a crucial security measure that can help prevent unauthorized access to customer accounts. Banks can implement multi-factor authentication by requiring customers to provide two or more authentication factors such as a password, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Fraud Detection and Prevention: Banks should have robust fraud detection and prevention systems in place to identify and prevent fraudulent transactions. These systems should be designed to detect suspicious activities such as large withdrawals, multiple failed login attempts, and transactions from unusual locations. Encryption: Encryption is a critical security measure that can protect sensitive data such as customer account information and transaction details. Banks should ensure that all customer data transmitted through their multichannel banking platforms is encrypted to prevent interception by hackers. Training and Education: Banks should provide regular training and education to customers on how to use their multichannel banking platforms securely. This can include educating customers on how to create strong passwords, recognizing and reporting phishing scams, and using public Wi-Fi safely. Customer Support: Banks should have robust customer support systems in place to help customers with any issues related to their multichannel banking platforms. This can include providing support through multiple channels such as phone, email, and live chat. 6. Multichannel Banking Evolution: Trends and Insights As financial institutions continue to adjust to the ever-changing needs and preferences of their customers, it is imperative to remain informed about the latest trends and insights in multichannel banking. These critical trends and insights have played a pivotal role in shaping its evolution: Rise of Mobile Banking: The use of mobile banking apps has surged in recent years, with many customers preferring to use their smartphones for banking transactions. As a result, banks are investing in the development of robust mobile banking apps to cater to this demand. Integration of AI and Automation: Banks are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to streamline their operations and improve the customer experience. Chatbots and virtual assistants, for example, can provide customers with quick and personalized responses to their queries. Greater Emphasis on Data Analytics: Banks are using data analytics to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing customer data, banks can develop targeted marketing campaigns and offer personalized recommendations to customers. Expansion of Digital Payment Options: The growth of digital payment options such as mobile wallets and peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps is driving the evolution of multichannel banking. Banks are partnering with fintech companies to offer these services and stay competitive in the market. Adoption of Blockchain Technology: Banks are exploring the use of blockchain technology to improve security, transparency, and efficiency in their operations. For example, blockchain can be used to facilitate cross-border payments and reduce the need for intermediaries. 7. Future Scope With advancements in technology, financial institutions can continue to offer new and innovative channels to improve the customer experience. The use of artificial intelligence and chatbots is expected to increase, allowing customers to interact with their bank through voice and text commands. The integration of internet of things (IoT) devices with banking channels is another area of potential growth. For instance, customers could use their smartwatches to make payments or check account balances. Additionally, blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the way banks handle transactions, reducing the risk of fraud and improving the speed and efficiency of transactions. As financial institutions continue to adapt to the changing needs and preferences of their customers, multichannel banking will play a crucial role in delivering a seamless and personalized customer experience.

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CORE BANKING

Future of Banking: Examining Components of Digital Banking

Article | July 13, 2022

Contents 1. Evolution of Banking: From Brick-and-mortar to Digital 2. Multichannel Banking and Self-service Solutions 3. Demystifying Retail, Business and Corporate Banking 4. Mobile Banking: Payment Processing Overhaul 4.1 Overview of Fintech Companies in Banking Industry 5. Technology Trends in Digital Banking 6. Digital Transformation in Banking 6.1 Authentic User Experience 6.2 Blockchain Technology 6.3 Personalized Technology Services 7. Digital Banking Platforms Reaching out to SMBs 8. Future Aspects of Digital Banking Solutions 1. Evolution of Banking: From Brick-and-mortar to Digital Digital banking has transformed the traditional banking landscape and brought about a paradigm shift in the way individuals and businesses manage their finances. The cumbersome and time-consuming nature of financial transactions that involved physical visits to bank branches and long queues for basic tasks like account opening and money transfers is now a thing of the past. Between 2017 and 2021, 9% of all branch locations closed down, a loss of around 7,500 branches, according to the non-profit National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). (Source: Bankrate) With the digitization of banking, there has been a shift toward a cashless economy, with net and mobile banking gaining popularity over physical cash. With digital banking solutions like UPI, internet banking, and mobile banking, customers can access global transaction banking services directly from their own platforms, enabling seamless transactions anytime, anywhere. 2. Multichannel Banking and Self-Service Solutions The shift from traditional brick-and-mortar banking to digital banking has become ubiquitous, making self-service approaches in digital banking solutions vital for customers. These options allow customers to access banking solutions using software resources without human intervention, enabling them to conduct transactions such as checking account balances, making online transfers and withdrawals, paying bills, loan installments, exchanging currencies, and overall managing wealth with ease. Such solutions can be accessed through FAQs, chatbots, customer support portals, and other similar resources. The scope of self-service technology also encompasses internet banking and online shopping. Although the first and most successful self-service solution introduced by banks worldwide was the automated teller machine (ATM), the concept has now been extended to include a variety of digital banking platforms and applications. 3. Demystifying Retail, Business and Corporate Banking Digital banking services and products consist of three main sub-categories: Retail banking, Business banking, and Corporate banking. Retail banking, also referred to as consumer banking or personal banking, is a form of banking that offers financial services specifically to individual customers instead of businesses. It enables customers to effectively manage their finances, access credit facilities, and securely deposit their funds. Business banking refers to a company's financial transactions with a specialized institution that offers tailored financial services such as business loans, credit, savings accounts, and checking accounts, exclusively designed for corporate entities rather than individuals. This type of banking is conducted by a dedicated business banking division within a bank, which solely caters to the financial needs of commercial organizations. Corporate banking entails the provision of financial services to sizable corporations and multinational enterprises, which includes an array of offerings such as cash management, trade finance, corporate lending, and treasury services. With the advent of digital corporate banking, businesses can now effectively manage their financial transactions, process payments, and gain access to various financial tools and resources via digital platforms, ensuring improved efficiency and convenience. 4.Mobile Banking: Payment Processing Overhaul Mobile banking allows remote access to a wide range of banking services. Mobile app simplifies our lives by letting bank and other financial institution users check account balances, pay bills, transfer money, manage investments, and apply for loans with just a few clicks. Mobile banking alerts promote smart financial management, provide customization options, and enable easy monitoring for suspicious activity. A Chase Bank study revealed that 87% of consumers use their bank's mobile app monthly. Some features of a digital banking platform: Transfer money to friends and family within minutes via the ‘Manage Payee’ option on mobile banking apps. Clear utility bills via banks linked with UPI-enabled apps on your phone instead of standing in long queues outside gas stations with cash. Open Demat accounts online via the KYC process and manage all investments, deposits, and stocks in one place. Open bank accounts by uploading documents online; skip visiting banks and filling out forms. Get online assistance from banks 24/7 through chatbots and support systems. Mobile banking enables smooth functioning and boosts transparency in accessing financial data. Check account balances anytime without the need for passbook slips. Mobile banking apps provide customers with innumerable loan options, with banks deducting loan amounts from accounts on a fixed date via the ‘AutoPay’ option. 4.1 Overview of Fintech Companies in Banking Industry Here are some leading digital banking platforms catering to the needs of financial institutions: Alkami Technology: It is a major developer of cloud-based digital banking solutions for financial institutions in the United States. Its solutions enable users to clients their businesses with confidence, react to changing circumstances swiftly, and build vibrant digital communities. The company provides a range of services, including retail banking and business banking, digital account opening, loan origination, and multi-payment fraud protection solutions to assist clients in their transformation. It is dedicated to empowering its clients and supporting them in achieving their goals. Numerated: It is a fast-growing fintech that streamlines the origination process for business banking products. Over 400,000 businesses and 30,000 financial institution associates have processed $50 billion in lending using Numerated. The platform is used by financial institutions with a combined $1 trillion in assets, including Bremer Bank, Dollar Bank, Eastern Bank, MidFirst Bank, People's United Bank, Seacoast Bank, and others. The company has been recognized for its work as one of 2020's Top 250 FinTechs by CB Insights and 2021's Best Overall Business Lending Company by FinTech Breakthrough. Zoot Enterprises: It is a global leader in providing advanced origination, acquisition, and decision management solutions to financial institutions. Its cloud-based platforms offer flexibility for specific business needs, including loan origination, fraud detection, and data acquisition. Zoot enables clients to access hundreds of cutting-edge data sources in real time, delivering decisions in milliseconds. Its origination solution streamlines loan processing, providing powerful tools and robust integrations that reduce data entry, accelerate loan processing times, and avoid costly errors. Geezeo: The company delivers enriched digital banking experiences, processing, and augmenting transactions for over 500 financial institutions. Its insights enhance the overall customer experience, seamlessly integrating within online and mobile banking environments while allowing financial institutions to maintain ownership of their personal financial management (PFM) brand. It focuses on technology solutions that engage audiences with enriched data and offers expertise in digital banking, marketing, and technology. TurnKey Lender: It is a global leader in Unified Lending Management (ULM). Its intelligent software products automate the entire lending process, including traditional and alternative lending, SME financing, grant management, money lending, leasing, trade finance, in-house financing, and more. With customers in over 50 countries, TurnKey Lender is gaining traction as a pioneer in AI software development for lenders in regions like the United States, APAC, and the EU. The company’s solutions are used by all types of lenders, including large/mid-size banks, digital lenders, multi-finance companies, trade finance operators, traditional and non-traditional lenders, and telecoms. 5. Technology Trends in Digital Banking Banking technology is rapidly evolving. Advanced technologies like AI and ML will enable banks to analyze large data sets in real time and offer personalized solutions to customers. The market size of the global digital banking platform was valued at USD 20.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 20.5% from 2022 to 2030. (Source: Grand View Research) The increasing digital savviness of the global population is prompting the adoption of technological advancements. However, some individuals are still in an adaptive mode due to a lack of time and knowledge. AI and ML technologies enable banks to analyze large amounts of data, make informed decisions through predictive analysis, and improve lending patterns by analyzing consumer spending patterns. 6.Digital Transformation in Banking Financial institutions must leverage big data to automate business processes and reduce costs in light of falling interest rates and banking fees coupled with rising consumer demands. Adopting artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and automation in modernizing their applications could enable banks to develop omnichannel products, services, and capabilities, ultimately improving the user experience. Now, let's examine digital transformation in the banking industry: 6.1 Authentic User Experience (UX) Banks must share genuine customer experiences to retain loyalty. To achieve this, they must embrace the latest trends, technologies, and well-designed UX. 6.2Blockchain Technology To improve customer satisfaction, banks must reduce the intermediaries between them and their customers. This can be accomplished through increased transparency using blockchain technology, enabling untrusted parties to agree on a shared database and eliminating the need for transaction intermediaries. 6.3 Personalized Technical Services Key points about the benefits of personalized services such as automation, AI, and cloud computing in the banking industry: Automation minimizes human intervention and reduces errors, resulting in faster and more efficient service. AI helps banks predict outcomes based on past data, such as identifying fraud and making customer recommendations. Cloud computing enables banks to adopt new business models and create secure applications that meet regulatory requirements. About 27% of Americans use an online-only bank. Of those at online-only banks, 88% reported they are satisfied with the bank’s services. Meanwhile, only 66% of consumers using traditional banks report being satisfied with them. (Source: Bankrate) 7. Digital Banking Platforms Reaching Out to SMBs Digital banking platforms have revolutionized business operations by providing enhanced convenience and adaptability. Fintech firms have customized their platforms to meet the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), offering mobile apps that facilitate financial management, transaction processing, and access to a range of financial tools and services at all times and from any location. The following is a list of notable digital banking applications that have garnered significant popularity over time: Betterment: It is an online financial advisor that offers personalized, fiduciary advice for retirement planning, building wealth, and achieving financial goals. By utilizing advanced algorithms and technology, it offers automated investment services that are tailored to each client's unique investment objectives and risk tolerance. The platform offers a diverse range of investment options, low fees, tax-efficient investing, and access to financial advisors. Betterment's mission is to make investing accessible and affordable to everyone, with a user-friendly online platform that is easy to use and offers high-quality investment advice. Mercury: It is a startup-focused banking platform that provides a comprehensive range of financial services tailored to companies of any size or stage. The platform offers free checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, domestic and international wire transfers, treasury and venture debt, and other essential financial products, all with an intuitive user experience. In addition to its suite of banking services, Mercury also provides vibrant community programs that offer founders the resources, advice, and connections needed to build successful companies. Bluevine: It is a financial technology company that specializes in providing working capital financing solutions tailored to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States. With a suite of financing products, including invoice factoring, lines of credit, and term loans, Bluevine enables SMBs to secure the necessary funding to drive growth and expansion. The company's platform is designed to facilitate a seamless lending experience, with streamlined applications and fast approvals that can be completed in as little as 10 minutes. Novo: New York-based fintech firm, Novo offers digital banking services to small businesses in the United States. Its suite of products includes mobile check deposit, online bill pay, and debit card issuance for employees. The company has also integrated with popular small business software tools such as QuickBooks and Xero, providing businesses with greater financial management capabilities. Relay: Relay is an online banking and money management platform dedicated to giving America's small businesses the tools they need to grow and gain visibility into their finances. The company recognizes that traditional banking services often underserve small businesses. As a result, it has built a platform that gives entrepreneurs the power to control their cash flow by giving them a clear picture of their income and expenses. 8. Future Aspects of Digital Banking Solutions As technology continues to advance, the traditional banking system is expected to undergo significant changes in the coming decades, with neobanks rapidly gaining popularity among tech-savvy customers for their personalized services. These digital fintech companies, often referred to as 'challenger banks', operate without physical branches and offer a range of attractive services, blurring the line between traditional banking and financial systems. As a result, retail banks may adopt an omnichannel approach and leverage the robust infrastructure of fintech enterprises to enhance the customer experience.

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CORE BANKING

Why Payments-as-a-Service is the first choice for FIs

Article | April 15, 2021

The pace of change within the global payment’s technology space is still at full speed with no sign of slowing down. While traditional incumbents have until recently taken comfort in their size and decades of dominance, new digital-only challenger banks are ramping up and making a huge impact on the global financial landscape.

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BIG TECH IN FINANCE: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE FUTURE OF FINTECH

Article | February 10, 2020

The following article looks at Big Tech and its impact on the financial services sector. Whilst competition from small fintech startups will certainly take away some market share from traditional banks, the impact of “GAFA” could be huge. The fintech movement did more than unbundle banking and its core services — it spurred financial inclusion across Asia, increased overall economic growth, and made significant inroads into the finance value chain. The born-digital companies brought technology to the forefront, attacking the traditional risk-averse sector from various points — digital payments, insurance, P2P lending, and investment management, among other avenues.

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CORE BANKING, FINTECH

Transforming B2B Customer Experience with Multichannel Banking Solutions

Article | March 28, 2023

Contents 1. Introduction 2. Maximizing Revenue: Cross-Selling and Upselling Strategies 3. Optimizing B2B Operations: Multichannel Banking and Cash Management Solutions 3.1 Digitizing Cash Management in Multichannel Banking: Key Imperatives 4. Leveraging Data Analytics for Multichannel Banking Optimization 5. Striking Balance between Convenience and Security 6. Multichannel Banking Evolution: Trends and Insights 7. Future Scope 1. Introduction Integrating multichannel banking solutions for a seamless customer experience remains a challenge in today’s digital era as financial institutions and banks are expected to provide services through ATMs, online banking, mobile, and in-branch. To boost efficiency and profitability, adopting multichannel payment processing is crucial. Technology enables merchants to process payments from all channels using a single account, thus, eliminating the need for multiple merchant IDs. Consolidating online sales into one location streamlines business processes, reduces card network fees, and leads to significant cost savings. 2. Maximizing Revenue: Cross-selling and Upselling Strategies Banks and financial institutions can effectively promote their multiple products and services to customers based on their needs, behavior, or demographics. Cross-selling and upselling techniques can encourage customers to hold multiple products, which can lead to business growth, new client acquisition, and increased customer lifetime value. Cross-selling involves offering related products or services to existing customers, such as promoting credit cards and internet banking to savings or current account holders. On the other hand, upselling involves increasing the amount invested in an existing or additional product. Both techniques can significantly boost sales, and revenue, and help achieve business objectives. 3. Optimizing B2B Operations: Multichannel Banking and Cash Management Solutions The evolving demands of corporate clients, rising competition from fintech companies, and the emergence of cutting-edge technologies are providing banks with a distinct prospect to revamp their cash management services and capabilities. 3.1 Digitizing Cash Management in Multichannel Banking: Key Imperatives Unlocking the Benefits of Collaboration Fintechs are becoming highly sought-after collaborators due to their product innovation, which enables banks to offer new and compelling services, solutions, and products that aid in attracting and retaining cash management clients. Tech & Alliances for Dynamic Cash Ecosystem Using innovative technologies and services, a cash management approach focuses on delivering cash efficiency and effectiveness to clients. New alliances and data-driven insights create a thriving ecosystem. Omnichannel Architecture In an omnichannel world, architecture plays a crucial role in delivering a seamless customer experience. While the traditional multichannel approach offers diverse touchpoints, it can also lead to a sub-optimal customer experience. Harnessing Real-time and Predictive Analytics In the realm of cash management, banks are increasingly relying on predictive analytics to mitigate risks, underwrite loans, and detect fraud. However, the potential advantages of real-time analytics for both cash management customers and the banks that cater to them are even more extensive. Integrate Cloud Services Compared to conventional decentralized cash management systems, cloud-based systems offer a greater degree of process and control uniformity in all scenarios, bolstering their resilience against potential capacity limitations stemming from factors such as remote work setups, cyber threats, and sudden surges in transaction volume. 4. Leveraging Data Analytics for Multichannel Banking Optimization Data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers, 6 times more likely to retain those customers, and 19 times more likely to be profitable (Source: McKinsey Global) Using data analytics, banks can gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and patterns across channels. This helps identify customer needs, optimize channel usage, and personalize the banking experience. Predictive analytics can proactively offer relevant solutions to customers through their preferred channels, improving satisfaction. Banks can also optimize channel offerings by identifying the most effective channels for different customer segments, such as mobile banking for younger customers and branches for older customers. 5. Striking Balance between Convenience and Security Multichannel banking has revolutionized the way customers interact with their banks. With the advent of digital banking, customers can now carry out a wide range of transactions using multiple channels such as mobile apps, online banking, ATMs, and branches. While this has made banking more convenient, it has also created new security challenges for banks. Here are some key considerations that banks should keep in mind when implementing a multichannel banking strategy: Multi-factor Authentication: Multi-factor authentication is a crucial security measure that can help prevent unauthorized access to customer accounts. Banks can implement multi-factor authentication by requiring customers to provide two or more authentication factors such as a password, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Fraud Detection and Prevention: Banks should have robust fraud detection and prevention systems in place to identify and prevent fraudulent transactions. These systems should be designed to detect suspicious activities such as large withdrawals, multiple failed login attempts, and transactions from unusual locations. Encryption: Encryption is a critical security measure that can protect sensitive data such as customer account information and transaction details. Banks should ensure that all customer data transmitted through their multichannel banking platforms is encrypted to prevent interception by hackers. Training and Education: Banks should provide regular training and education to customers on how to use their multichannel banking platforms securely. This can include educating customers on how to create strong passwords, recognizing and reporting phishing scams, and using public Wi-Fi safely. Customer Support: Banks should have robust customer support systems in place to help customers with any issues related to their multichannel banking platforms. This can include providing support through multiple channels such as phone, email, and live chat. 6. Multichannel Banking Evolution: Trends and Insights As financial institutions continue to adjust to the ever-changing needs and preferences of their customers, it is imperative to remain informed about the latest trends and insights in multichannel banking. These critical trends and insights have played a pivotal role in shaping its evolution: Rise of Mobile Banking: The use of mobile banking apps has surged in recent years, with many customers preferring to use their smartphones for banking transactions. As a result, banks are investing in the development of robust mobile banking apps to cater to this demand. Integration of AI and Automation: Banks are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to streamline their operations and improve the customer experience. Chatbots and virtual assistants, for example, can provide customers with quick and personalized responses to their queries. Greater Emphasis on Data Analytics: Banks are using data analytics to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences. By analyzing customer data, banks can develop targeted marketing campaigns and offer personalized recommendations to customers. Expansion of Digital Payment Options: The growth of digital payment options such as mobile wallets and peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps is driving the evolution of multichannel banking. Banks are partnering with fintech companies to offer these services and stay competitive in the market. Adoption of Blockchain Technology: Banks are exploring the use of blockchain technology to improve security, transparency, and efficiency in their operations. For example, blockchain can be used to facilitate cross-border payments and reduce the need for intermediaries. 7. Future Scope With advancements in technology, financial institutions can continue to offer new and innovative channels to improve the customer experience. The use of artificial intelligence and chatbots is expected to increase, allowing customers to interact with their bank through voice and text commands. The integration of internet of things (IoT) devices with banking channels is another area of potential growth. For instance, customers could use their smartwatches to make payments or check account balances. Additionally, blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the way banks handle transactions, reducing the risk of fraud and improving the speed and efficiency of transactions. As financial institutions continue to adapt to the changing needs and preferences of their customers, multichannel banking will play a crucial role in delivering a seamless and personalized customer experience.

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CORE BANKING

4 Trends Powering the Digital Banking Revolution

Article | July 13, 2022

Contents 1. Evolution of Banking: From Brick-and-mortar to Digital 2. Multichannel Banking and Self-service Solutions 3. Demystifying Retail, Business and Corporate Banking 4. Mobile Banking: Payment Processing Overhaul 4.1 Overview of Fintech Companies in Banking Industry 5. Technology Trends in Digital Banking 6. Digital Transformation in Banking 6.1 Authentic User Experience 6.2 Blockchain Technology 6.3 Personalized Technology Services 7. Digital Banking Platforms Reaching out to SMBs 8. Future Aspects of Digital Banking Solutions 1. Evolution of Banking: From Brick-and-mortar to Digital Digital banking has transformed the traditional banking landscape and brought about a paradigm shift in the way individuals and businesses manage their finances. The cumbersome and time-consuming nature of financial transactions that involved physical visits to bank branches and long queues for basic tasks like account opening and money transfers is now a thing of the past. Between 2017 and 2021, 9% of all branch locations closed down, a loss of around 7,500 branches, according to the non-profit National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). (Source: Bankrate) With the digitization of banking, there has been a shift toward a cashless economy, with net and mobile banking gaining popularity over physical cash. With digital banking solutions like UPI, internet banking, and mobile banking, customers can access global transaction banking services directly from their own platforms, enabling seamless transactions anytime, anywhere. 2. Multichannel Banking and Self-Service Solutions The shift from traditional brick-and-mortar banking to digital banking has become ubiquitous, making self-service approaches in digital banking solutions vital for customers. These options allow customers to access banking solutions using software resources without human intervention, enabling them to conduct transactions such as checking account balances, making online transfers and withdrawals, paying bills, loan installments, exchanging currencies, and overall managing wealth with ease. Such solutions can be accessed through FAQs, chatbots, customer support portals, and other similar resources. The scope of self-service technology also encompasses internet banking and online shopping. Although the first and most successful self-service solution introduced by banks worldwide was the automated teller machine (ATM), the concept has now been extended to include a variety of digital banking platforms and applications. 3. Demystifying Retail, Business and Corporate Banking Digital banking services and products consist of three main sub-categories: Retail banking, Business banking, and Corporate banking. Retail banking, also referred to as consumer banking or personal banking, is a form of banking that offers financial services specifically to individual customers instead of businesses. It enables customers to effectively manage their finances, access credit facilities, and securely deposit their funds. Business banking refers to a company's financial transactions with a specialized institution that offers tailored financial services such as business loans, credit, savings accounts, and checking accounts, exclusively designed for corporate entities rather than individuals. This type of banking is conducted by a dedicated business banking division within a bank, which solely caters to the financial needs of commercial organizations. Corporate banking entails the provision of financial services to sizable corporations and multinational enterprises, which includes an array of offerings such as cash management, trade finance, corporate lending, and treasury services. With the advent of digital corporate banking, businesses can now effectively manage their financial transactions, process payments, and gain access to various financial tools and resources via digital platforms, ensuring improved efficiency and convenience. 4.Mobile Banking: Payment Processing Overhaul Mobile banking allows remote access to a wide range of banking services. Mobile app simplifies our lives by letting bank and other financial institution users check account balances, pay bills, transfer money, manage investments, and apply for loans with just a few clicks. Mobile banking alerts promote smart financial management, provide customization options, and enable easy monitoring for suspicious activity. A Chase Bank study revealed that 87% of consumers use their bank's mobile app monthly. Some features of a digital banking platform: Transfer money to friends and family within minutes via the ‘Manage Payee’ option on mobile banking apps. Clear utility bills via banks linked with UPI-enabled apps on your phone instead of standing in long queues outside gas stations with cash. Open Demat accounts online via the KYC process and manage all investments, deposits, and stocks in one place. Open bank accounts by uploading documents online; skip visiting banks and filling out forms. Get online assistance from banks 24/7 through chatbots and support systems. Mobile banking enables smooth functioning and boosts transparency in accessing financial data. Check account balances anytime without the need for passbook slips. Mobile banking apps provide customers with innumerable loan options, with banks deducting loan amounts from accounts on a fixed date via the ‘AutoPay’ option. 4.1 Overview of Fintech Companies in Banking Industry Here are some leading digital banking platforms catering to the needs of financial institutions: Alkami Technology: It is a major developer of cloud-based digital banking solutions for financial institutions in the United States. Its solutions enable users to clients their businesses with confidence, react to changing circumstances swiftly, and build vibrant digital communities. The company provides a range of services, including retail banking and business banking, digital account opening, loan origination, and multi-payment fraud protection solutions to assist clients in their transformation. It is dedicated to empowering its clients and supporting them in achieving their goals. Numerated: It is a fast-growing fintech that streamlines the origination process for business banking products. Over 400,000 businesses and 30,000 financial institution associates have processed $50 billion in lending using Numerated. The platform is used by financial institutions with a combined $1 trillion in assets, including Bremer Bank, Dollar Bank, Eastern Bank, MidFirst Bank, People's United Bank, Seacoast Bank, and others. The company has been recognized for its work as one of 2020's Top 250 FinTechs by CB Insights and 2021's Best Overall Business Lending Company by FinTech Breakthrough. Zoot Enterprises: It is a global leader in providing advanced origination, acquisition, and decision management solutions to financial institutions. Its cloud-based platforms offer flexibility for specific business needs, including loan origination, fraud detection, and data acquisition. Zoot enables clients to access hundreds of cutting-edge data sources in real time, delivering decisions in milliseconds. Its origination solution streamlines loan processing, providing powerful tools and robust integrations that reduce data entry, accelerate loan processing times, and avoid costly errors. Geezeo: The company delivers enriched digital banking experiences, processing, and augmenting transactions for over 500 financial institutions. Its insights enhance the overall customer experience, seamlessly integrating within online and mobile banking environments while allowing financial institutions to maintain ownership of their personal financial management (PFM) brand. It focuses on technology solutions that engage audiences with enriched data and offers expertise in digital banking, marketing, and technology. TurnKey Lender: It is a global leader in Unified Lending Management (ULM). Its intelligent software products automate the entire lending process, including traditional and alternative lending, SME financing, grant management, money lending, leasing, trade finance, in-house financing, and more. With customers in over 50 countries, TurnKey Lender is gaining traction as a pioneer in AI software development for lenders in regions like the United States, APAC, and the EU. The company’s solutions are used by all types of lenders, including large/mid-size banks, digital lenders, multi-finance companies, trade finance operators, traditional and non-traditional lenders, and telecoms. 5. Technology Trends in Digital Banking Banking technology is rapidly evolving. Advanced technologies like AI and ML will enable banks to analyze large data sets in real time and offer personalized solutions to customers. The market size of the global digital banking platform was valued at USD 20.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 20.5% from 2022 to 2030. (Source: Grand View Research) The increasing digital savviness of the global population is prompting the adoption of technological advancements. However, some individuals are still in an adaptive mode due to a lack of time and knowledge. AI and ML technologies enable banks to analyze large amounts of data, make informed decisions through predictive analysis, and improve lending patterns by analyzing consumer spending patterns. 6.Digital Transformation in Banking Financial institutions must leverage big data to automate business processes and reduce costs in light of falling interest rates and banking fees coupled with rising consumer demands. Adopting artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and automation in modernizing their applications could enable banks to develop omnichannel products, services, and capabilities, ultimately improving the user experience. Now, let's examine digital transformation in the banking industry: 6.1 Authentic User Experience (UX) Banks must share genuine customer experiences to retain loyalty. To achieve this, they must embrace the latest trends, technologies, and well-designed UX. 6.2Blockchain Technology To improve customer satisfaction, banks must reduce the intermediaries between them and their customers. This can be accomplished through increased transparency using blockchain technology, enabling untrusted parties to agree on a shared database and eliminating the need for transaction intermediaries. 6.3 Personalized Technical Services Key points about the benefits of personalized services such as automation, AI, and cloud computing in the banking industry: Automation minimizes human intervention and reduces errors, resulting in faster and more efficient service. AI helps banks predict outcomes based on past data, such as identifying fraud and making customer recommendations. Cloud computing enables banks to adopt new business models and create secure applications that meet regulatory requirements. About 27% of Americans use an online-only bank. Of those at online-only banks, 88% reported they are satisfied with the bank’s services. Meanwhile, only 66% of consumers using traditional banks report being satisfied with them. (Source: Bankrate) 7. Digital Banking Platforms Reaching Out to SMBs Digital banking platforms have revolutionized business operations by providing enhanced convenience and adaptability. Fintech firms have customized their platforms to meet the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), offering mobile apps that facilitate financial management, transaction processing, and access to a range of financial tools and services at all times and from any location. The following is a list of notable digital banking applications that have garnered significant popularity over time: Betterment: It is an online financial advisor that offers personalized, fiduciary advice for retirement planning, building wealth, and achieving financial goals. By utilizing advanced algorithms and technology, it offers automated investment services that are tailored to each client's unique investment objectives and risk tolerance. The platform offers a diverse range of investment options, low fees, tax-efficient investing, and access to financial advisors. Betterment's mission is to make investing accessible and affordable to everyone, with a user-friendly online platform that is easy to use and offers high-quality investment advice. Mercury: It is a startup-focused banking platform that provides a comprehensive range of financial services tailored to companies of any size or stage. The platform offers free checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, domestic and international wire transfers, treasury and venture debt, and other essential financial products, all with an intuitive user experience. In addition to its suite of banking services, Mercury also provides vibrant community programs that offer founders the resources, advice, and connections needed to build successful companies. Bluevine: It is a financial technology company that specializes in providing working capital financing solutions tailored to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States. With a suite of financing products, including invoice factoring, lines of credit, and term loans, Bluevine enables SMBs to secure the necessary funding to drive growth and expansion. The company's platform is designed to facilitate a seamless lending experience, with streamlined applications and fast approvals that can be completed in as little as 10 minutes. Novo: New York-based fintech firm, Novo offers digital banking services to small businesses in the United States. Its suite of products includes mobile check deposit, online bill pay, and debit card issuance for employees. The company has also integrated with popular small business software tools such as QuickBooks and Xero, providing businesses with greater financial management capabilities. Relay: Relay is an online banking and money management platform dedicated to giving America's small businesses the tools they need to grow and gain visibility into their finances. The company recognizes that traditional banking services often underserve small businesses. As a result, it has built a platform that gives entrepreneurs the power to control their cash flow by giving them a clear picture of their income and expenses. 8. Future Aspects of Digital Banking Solutions As technology continues to advance, the traditional banking system is expected to undergo significant changes in the coming decades, with neobanks rapidly gaining popularity among tech-savvy customers for their personalized services. These digital fintech companies, often referred to as 'challenger banks', operate without physical branches and offer a range of attractive services, blurring the line between traditional banking and financial systems. As a result, retail banks may adopt an omnichannel approach and leverage the robust infrastructure of fintech enterprises to enhance the customer experience.

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CORE BANKING

Open Banking and Trust a key issue

Article | April 15, 2021

The pace of change within the global payment’s technology space is still at full speed with no sign of slowing down. While traditional incumbents have until recently taken comfort in their size and decades of dominance, new digital-only challenger banks are ramping up and making a huge impact on the global financial landscape.

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BIG TECH IN FINANCE: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE FUTURE OF FINTECH

Article | February 10, 2020

The following article looks at Big Tech and its impact on the financial services sector. Whilst competition from small fintech startups will certainly take away some market share from traditional banks, the impact of “GAFA” could be huge. The fintech movement did more than unbundle banking and its core services — it spurred financial inclusion across Asia, increased overall economic growth, and made significant inroads into the finance value chain. The born-digital companies brought technology to the forefront, attacking the traditional risk-averse sector from various points — digital payments, insurance, P2P lending, and investment management, among other avenues.

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Spotlight

Aspire Home Finance Corporation Limited (AHFCL)

ASPIRE Home Finance Corporation Limited (AHFCL) is a professionally managed company focusing on affordable housing segment, to fulfill the aspirations of lower and middle income (LMI) families. AHFCL works on the business philosophy of financial inclusion of LMI families by providing them an access to long term housing finance. AHFCL focuses exclusively on retail housing loans. AHFCL has centralized set up with decision making at the Head office. Further, strong risk assessment practices at every stage of loan processing ensures build up of quality loan book. AHFCL is promoted by Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd (MOFSL) - a well-diversified, financial services company focused on wealth creation through knowledge. Mr. Motilal Oswal is the Chairman of AHFCL Board. AHFCL is managed by a team of professionals having strong experience in Indian housing finance market and headed by Mr. Anil Sachidanand, a veteran of over 25 years in Indian home finance industry

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CORE BANKING, FINTECH

Noda Chooses ThetaRay AI Solution to Monitor Open Banking Services

Businesswire | March 17, 2023

Noda, an open banking fintech, and ThetaRay, a leading provider of AI-powered transaction monitoring technology, today announced they will collaborate to enhance payment monitoring and compliance capabilities on Noda’s growing platform that is supporting the new digital economy in Europe. Headquartered in the UK, Noda is helping online merchants in Europe receive direct bank payments from eCustomers via a secure and instant one-stop open banking payment solution, as an alternative to cards, providing direct integration with banks in most European countries. Through the agreement, Noda will implement ThetaRay’s sophisticated AI-powered SaaS SONAR solution for AML that detects known and unknown financial crime threats and the earliest indications of schemes. The system will enable Noda to stay up to date with the complex and constantly evolving regulatory landscape, as well as manage the compliance challenges involved with monitoring transactions in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) across multiple channels and jurisdictions. "With ThetaRay's advanced transaction monitoring system and our expertise in payment services and compliance, we are poised to take our business to the next level and provide even more value to our customers,” said Lasma Gavarane, Chief Compliance Officer/MLRO at Noda. “Together, we will be able to detect and prevent financial crimes, comply with evolving regulatory requirements, and therefore enhance the overall security and reliability of our fast and convenient payment services to customers.” While SEPA simplifies bank transfers of euro to member countries, financial institutions handling transactions don’t have full visibility into the profiles and activities of customers. By providing deep, AI-generated insights, the ThetaRay system can identify anomalous behavior indicating financial crime. “Noda is an innovation leader in the European payments market as it transforms into a more competitive and more efficient network that is enabling the digital economy. The adoption of sophisticated AI technology to fight financial crime brings the trust to a payments ecosystem that serves as a fintech growth engine,” said Mark Gazit, CEO of ThetaRay. “We are looking forward to a successful partnership with Noda to develop and grow European fintech.” ThetaRay’s award-winning SONAR solution is based on a proprietary form of AI, artificial intelligence intuition, that replaces human bias, giving the system the power to recognize anomalies and find unknowns outside of normal behavior, including completely new typologies. It enables fintechs and banks to implement a risk-based approach to effectively identify truly suspicious activity and create a full picture of customer identities, including across complex, cross-border transaction paths. This allows the rapid discovery of both known and unknown money laundering threats, and up to 99 percent reduction in false positives compared to rules-based solutions. About Noda Headquartered in the UK, with offices in Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, and Cyprus, Noda has advanced its instant payment solution (the Noda Pay button) outpacing others in the Open Banking sphere. Noda enables merchants to receive direct bank payments from eCustomers via Open Banking as an alternative to cards. Merchants can implement Open Banking payments quickly via Noda API, making use of their intuitive UX and lower fees. Noda’s service ensures an easy, instant, and secure one-stop Open Banking payment solution, providing direct integration with banks in most European countries, including Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and the UK. Integration is currently available for over 300 banks. About ThetaRay ThetaRay's AI-powered SONAR transaction monitoring solution, based on “artificial intelligence intuition,” allows banks and fintechs to expand their business opportunities through safe and reliable cross-border payments. The groundbreaking solution also improves customer satisfaction, reduces compliance costs, and increases risk coverage. Financial organizations that rely on highly heterogeneous and complex ecosystems benefit greatly from ThetaRay's unmatchable low false positive and high detection rates.

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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Abrigo partners with Charm Solutions to launch AI-powered engine that accelerates SMB lending decisions

PRnewswire | March 24, 2023

Abrigo, the leading technology provider of compliance, credit risk, and lending solutions for financial institutions, today announced the launch of Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence. This lending decision and monitoring engine is powered by Charm Solutions, a provider of AI technology that helps financial institutions unlock the full potential of their data, identify growth opportunities, optimize operations, and improve financial decisions. According to FFIEC call report data, small business (SMB) loans made by banks in the U.S. grew to nearly 27 million in 2022. Many institutions have indicated that SMB is a continued, targeted area for growth in 2023, following the successful Paycheck Protection Program during COVID-19, which led many lenders to build or deepen relationships with SMBs in their communities. A barrier to growth for many institutions is efficiency. In a recent Abrigo survey, nearly 60% of financial institutions indicated that efficiency was the top challenge in small business lending. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is embedded into the Abrigo loan origination platform and provides real-time scorecards that include a loan risk rating score, probability of default, and details of how the score was calculated. Using Charm's dynamic models along with existing processes, institutions can improve their decision-making by incorporating an array of data sources and leveraging analytics to gain actionable insights. The engine leverages self-learning AI to continuously monitor a wide range of current and historical data, loan performance, accounting, and macroeconomic data from more than 1,200 institutions. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is transparent, providing institutions insight into the data and processes used for its scoring model. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence also provides an early warning system alerting banks to changes that may impact an institution's entire loan portfolio before they become an issue. "By leveraging the power of automation and AI, financial institutions can provide the small businesses in their communities with the funds they need faster while ensuring they have the right risk management controls in place for their lending processes," said Ravi Nemalikanti, CTO of Abrigo. "We are very pleased to partner with Charm to develop this innovative solution that advances our mission to help communities thrive." "We are proud to power the Abrigo Small Business Intelligence platform with our proprietary AI-technology and help thousands of financial institutions make faster and better decisions to grow their SMB loan portfolio profitably and move the economy forward," said Jacob Malmborg, CEO of Charm Solutions. About Charm Solutions Charm Solutions is an AI software platform used by leading lending institutions to quickly and transparently analyze, decision, and monitor SMB loans, and by SMBs to gain insights into their financial health and use Charm's proprietary SMB Score™ report to receive actionable recommendations and efficiently secure the best financing alternatives to grow their business. Learn more at www.charmsolutions.ai About Abrigo Abrigo is a leading provider of compliance, credit risk, lending, and asset/liability management solutions and services that help financial institutions thrive. Abrigo accelerates growth, increases client efficiency, and improves customer experience with an easy-to-use and expansive platform. We ensure customer success with our award-winning client service team, advisory expertise, and innovative technology. With a network of 2,400+ FIs, Abrigo offers unique opportunities for insightful peer benchmarks and best practices. Visit abrigo.com to learn more. Follow Abrigo on social media using @WeAreAbrigo.

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CORE BANKING, FINTECH

DCI Onboards GoDeposits for BaaS Bank

PRnewswire | March 28, 2023

For 60 years, DCI, the privately-owned developer of core processing, digital banking, and Fintech processing solutions, has dedicated itself to the aggressive pursuit of the future. Through new technology releases, innovations, updates, and vendor integration, DCI continues to deliver the products and services which prove financially advantageous to BaaS banks and traditional processing institutions alike. The market onboarding of GoDeposits, a shining star for DCI banks, is further proof of this commitment. By successfully eliminating the need for middleware, GoDeposits eradicates the need for Fintechs and financial institutions to work around the core processor. Today, DCI's partners are empowered to track transactions through DCI, ruling out the once-essential demand for third-party involvement. No friction in the 90-second application, 100% compliance, all KYC, options for funding, and multi-branding—all through one instance of core and no middleware. This level of cost savings for Fintechs and income opportunities for banks is simply unprecedented. While most have only theorized about such a triumph, DCI got to work in the market, actualizing this vision. Through tried-and-true products and services, experienced staff, and a financially sound company, DCI has once again moved the needle for community banks seeking a forward-looking, customer-driven partner. DCI's President and CEO Sarah Fankhauser shares her excitement for this breakthrough, saying, "I couldn't be prouder of DCI and of our employees' ability to work together, continuously striving for excellence in the marketplace. DCI has been around for 60 years, but we have never stood still. As a community bank processor, we're fighting every day to save community banks and offer them the products and services necessary to compete with the big banks." Unlike its competitors, DCI shares no interest in reinventing old products, infusing VC money, or taking a product off the block to regroup, all while advertising something absent from the market itself. Instead, DCI's focus remains directed toward action, innovation, and ahead-of-the-curve achievement intended to best serve its customers. "There is no group of developers moving at warp speed like the DCI development team," says Tanna Faulkner, Senior Vice President of Digital Channels and Sales. "We are not getting to the future in banking, DCI is there. Now, watch us grow." About DCI DCI is the developer of the award-winning iCore360® core banking software, plus iCoreGO® digital banking and fintech processing solutions for community financial institutions nationwide, including those using other core platforms. DCI is privately owned by a group of bank clients, with several serving as board members and user group leaders. DCI also provides private ATM network/card management, FrontLine® teller software, custom analysis, risk/vendor management, and more. For additional information about DCI, visit www.datacenterinc.com or contact info@datacenterinc.com.

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CORE BANKING, FINTECH

Noda Chooses ThetaRay AI Solution to Monitor Open Banking Services

Businesswire | March 17, 2023

Noda, an open banking fintech, and ThetaRay, a leading provider of AI-powered transaction monitoring technology, today announced they will collaborate to enhance payment monitoring and compliance capabilities on Noda’s growing platform that is supporting the new digital economy in Europe. Headquartered in the UK, Noda is helping online merchants in Europe receive direct bank payments from eCustomers via a secure and instant one-stop open banking payment solution, as an alternative to cards, providing direct integration with banks in most European countries. Through the agreement, Noda will implement ThetaRay’s sophisticated AI-powered SaaS SONAR solution for AML that detects known and unknown financial crime threats and the earliest indications of schemes. The system will enable Noda to stay up to date with the complex and constantly evolving regulatory landscape, as well as manage the compliance challenges involved with monitoring transactions in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) across multiple channels and jurisdictions. "With ThetaRay's advanced transaction monitoring system and our expertise in payment services and compliance, we are poised to take our business to the next level and provide even more value to our customers,” said Lasma Gavarane, Chief Compliance Officer/MLRO at Noda. “Together, we will be able to detect and prevent financial crimes, comply with evolving regulatory requirements, and therefore enhance the overall security and reliability of our fast and convenient payment services to customers.” While SEPA simplifies bank transfers of euro to member countries, financial institutions handling transactions don’t have full visibility into the profiles and activities of customers. By providing deep, AI-generated insights, the ThetaRay system can identify anomalous behavior indicating financial crime. “Noda is an innovation leader in the European payments market as it transforms into a more competitive and more efficient network that is enabling the digital economy. The adoption of sophisticated AI technology to fight financial crime brings the trust to a payments ecosystem that serves as a fintech growth engine,” said Mark Gazit, CEO of ThetaRay. “We are looking forward to a successful partnership with Noda to develop and grow European fintech.” ThetaRay’s award-winning SONAR solution is based on a proprietary form of AI, artificial intelligence intuition, that replaces human bias, giving the system the power to recognize anomalies and find unknowns outside of normal behavior, including completely new typologies. It enables fintechs and banks to implement a risk-based approach to effectively identify truly suspicious activity and create a full picture of customer identities, including across complex, cross-border transaction paths. This allows the rapid discovery of both known and unknown money laundering threats, and up to 99 percent reduction in false positives compared to rules-based solutions. About Noda Headquartered in the UK, with offices in Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, and Cyprus, Noda has advanced its instant payment solution (the Noda Pay button) outpacing others in the Open Banking sphere. Noda enables merchants to receive direct bank payments from eCustomers via Open Banking as an alternative to cards. Merchants can implement Open Banking payments quickly via Noda API, making use of their intuitive UX and lower fees. Noda’s service ensures an easy, instant, and secure one-stop Open Banking payment solution, providing direct integration with banks in most European countries, including Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and the UK. Integration is currently available for over 300 banks. About ThetaRay ThetaRay's AI-powered SONAR transaction monitoring solution, based on “artificial intelligence intuition,” allows banks and fintechs to expand their business opportunities through safe and reliable cross-border payments. The groundbreaking solution also improves customer satisfaction, reduces compliance costs, and increases risk coverage. Financial organizations that rely on highly heterogeneous and complex ecosystems benefit greatly from ThetaRay's unmatchable low false positive and high detection rates.

Read More

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Abrigo partners with Charm Solutions to launch AI-powered engine that accelerates SMB lending decisions

PRnewswire | March 24, 2023

Abrigo, the leading technology provider of compliance, credit risk, and lending solutions for financial institutions, today announced the launch of Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence. This lending decision and monitoring engine is powered by Charm Solutions, a provider of AI technology that helps financial institutions unlock the full potential of their data, identify growth opportunities, optimize operations, and improve financial decisions. According to FFIEC call report data, small business (SMB) loans made by banks in the U.S. grew to nearly 27 million in 2022. Many institutions have indicated that SMB is a continued, targeted area for growth in 2023, following the successful Paycheck Protection Program during COVID-19, which led many lenders to build or deepen relationships with SMBs in their communities. A barrier to growth for many institutions is efficiency. In a recent Abrigo survey, nearly 60% of financial institutions indicated that efficiency was the top challenge in small business lending. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is embedded into the Abrigo loan origination platform and provides real-time scorecards that include a loan risk rating score, probability of default, and details of how the score was calculated. Using Charm's dynamic models along with existing processes, institutions can improve their decision-making by incorporating an array of data sources and leveraging analytics to gain actionable insights. The engine leverages self-learning AI to continuously monitor a wide range of current and historical data, loan performance, accounting, and macroeconomic data from more than 1,200 institutions. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence is transparent, providing institutions insight into the data and processes used for its scoring model. Abrigo Small Business Lending Intelligence also provides an early warning system alerting banks to changes that may impact an institution's entire loan portfolio before they become an issue. "By leveraging the power of automation and AI, financial institutions can provide the small businesses in their communities with the funds they need faster while ensuring they have the right risk management controls in place for their lending processes," said Ravi Nemalikanti, CTO of Abrigo. "We are very pleased to partner with Charm to develop this innovative solution that advances our mission to help communities thrive." "We are proud to power the Abrigo Small Business Intelligence platform with our proprietary AI-technology and help thousands of financial institutions make faster and better decisions to grow their SMB loan portfolio profitably and move the economy forward," said Jacob Malmborg, CEO of Charm Solutions. About Charm Solutions Charm Solutions is an AI software platform used by leading lending institutions to quickly and transparently analyze, decision, and monitor SMB loans, and by SMBs to gain insights into their financial health and use Charm's proprietary SMB Score™ report to receive actionable recommendations and efficiently secure the best financing alternatives to grow their business. Learn more at www.charmsolutions.ai About Abrigo Abrigo is a leading provider of compliance, credit risk, lending, and asset/liability management solutions and services that help financial institutions thrive. Abrigo accelerates growth, increases client efficiency, and improves customer experience with an easy-to-use and expansive platform. We ensure customer success with our award-winning client service team, advisory expertise, and innovative technology. With a network of 2,400+ FIs, Abrigo offers unique opportunities for insightful peer benchmarks and best practices. Visit abrigo.com to learn more. Follow Abrigo on social media using @WeAreAbrigo.

Read More

CORE BANKING, FINTECH

DCI Onboards GoDeposits for BaaS Bank

PRnewswire | March 28, 2023

For 60 years, DCI, the privately-owned developer of core processing, digital banking, and Fintech processing solutions, has dedicated itself to the aggressive pursuit of the future. Through new technology releases, innovations, updates, and vendor integration, DCI continues to deliver the products and services which prove financially advantageous to BaaS banks and traditional processing institutions alike. The market onboarding of GoDeposits, a shining star for DCI banks, is further proof of this commitment. By successfully eliminating the need for middleware, GoDeposits eradicates the need for Fintechs and financial institutions to work around the core processor. Today, DCI's partners are empowered to track transactions through DCI, ruling out the once-essential demand for third-party involvement. No friction in the 90-second application, 100% compliance, all KYC, options for funding, and multi-branding—all through one instance of core and no middleware. This level of cost savings for Fintechs and income opportunities for banks is simply unprecedented. While most have only theorized about such a triumph, DCI got to work in the market, actualizing this vision. Through tried-and-true products and services, experienced staff, and a financially sound company, DCI has once again moved the needle for community banks seeking a forward-looking, customer-driven partner. DCI's President and CEO Sarah Fankhauser shares her excitement for this breakthrough, saying, "I couldn't be prouder of DCI and of our employees' ability to work together, continuously striving for excellence in the marketplace. DCI has been around for 60 years, but we have never stood still. As a community bank processor, we're fighting every day to save community banks and offer them the products and services necessary to compete with the big banks." Unlike its competitors, DCI shares no interest in reinventing old products, infusing VC money, or taking a product off the block to regroup, all while advertising something absent from the market itself. Instead, DCI's focus remains directed toward action, innovation, and ahead-of-the-curve achievement intended to best serve its customers. "There is no group of developers moving at warp speed like the DCI development team," says Tanna Faulkner, Senior Vice President of Digital Channels and Sales. "We are not getting to the future in banking, DCI is there. Now, watch us grow." About DCI DCI is the developer of the award-winning iCore360® core banking software, plus iCoreGO® digital banking and fintech processing solutions for community financial institutions nationwide, including those using other core platforms. DCI is privately owned by a group of bank clients, with several serving as board members and user group leaders. DCI also provides private ATM network/card management, FrontLine® teller software, custom analysis, risk/vendor management, and more. For additional information about DCI, visit www.datacenterinc.com or contact info@datacenterinc.com.

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