Solutions
Key Challenges in Core Banking Replacement
In an increasingly competitive environment banks are taking a reality check on their technology environment to ensure that their IT strategy is aligned to their business objectives.Download
The Next Wave Of Internet Banking
To meet the challenge of creating an effective online banking service offering that meets the requirements of a sophisticated customer and is also secure.Download
Banking on Faith: Islamic Banking in the Middle East
Islamic banks are on the threshold of a historic opportunity. The emergence of clear standards and a common framework is the need of the hour.Download
Gold Rush: The Shift Towards Wealth Management in Banking
The emergence of the “private banking” & “wealth management” segments in banking, which took seed in the late 90s, has since attained huge proportions.Download
The FX Marketplace: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges
The foreign exchange marketplace is in a state of flux. The rules of the game are being re-written by the advent of new players and different ways of transacting FX thanks to technology advances.Download
Industry trends, viewpoints and thought leadership articles. Read what the experts in banking and technology have to say.
Core Banking
Get More from the Core: Drivers of Back-office Transformation
Not so long ago, banks were esoteric institutions that acted as custodians of cash and handed out loans – making money out of the difference in the ... deposit and lending rates. Today, banks have been transformed into dynamic, multichannel organizations bringing innovative products to the marketplace in an effort to improve profitability in the face of relentless competition.
Payments Business 3S Approach
Payment is the life-blood of any economy. The primary objective of any payment system is to enable the circulation of funds ... Without a robust infrastructure enabling smooth flow of funds, financial institutions can rarely assume the role of a financial intermediary in the economy.
The Core Banking Juggernaut Rolls On
The verdict is finally out- new age core banking solutions are leaving an indelible mark as Tier 1 banks lead in embarking on a total overhaul of their legacy platforms.
Key Challenges in Core Banking Replacement
In an increasingly competitive environment banks are taking a reality check on their technology environment to ensure that their IT strategy is aligned to their business objectives. ... Core banking replacement is often the only solution .
Managing Risks In Core Banking Replacements
Banks need to take a holistic view while considering a replacement of their core banking platform. A packaged new generation core banking solution has its obvious benefits,... but the considerable risks associated with the replacement need to be mitigated and managed successfully.
e-Banking
Banking the Unbanked: Going Mobile in Africa
The mobile phone is having a dramatic effect on the lives of Africans and is proving to be a lifetransforming device. ... Limited by weak physical infrastructure and supported by their ingenuity, the people of the continent are turning to the mobile phone to improve their living standards.
Partner Portals – What's in it for Banks
Portals, as referred herein, are websites that aim to be entry points to the World Wide Web, typically offering search engines and/ or links to useful ... pages, and possibly news or other services. These services are usually provided for free in the hope that users will make the site their default home page or at least visit it often. Popular examples are Yahoo and MSN.
The Next Wave in Internet Banking
Internet, in the form we know it today, is about 20 years old. It has, in fact, seen a rebirth in what experts call Web 2.0. Banking on the Internet, ... has thrived for more than half of those years. Among the business models that rode the crest of dot coms, Internet banking was undoubtedly one of the few models that satisfied a genuine need that kept growing despite the slump of 2001.
The Next Wave Of Internet Banking
To meet the challenge of creating an effective online banking service offering that meets the requirements of a sophisticated customer and is also secure, robust ... and future-proof, banks need to re-evaluate their existing platforms and harness new-age technology
Enticing SMEs- The Online Banking Way
With corporate banking spreads down and competition cut-throat, better potential for profits have forced the financial institutions to give a serious look at the Small ... & Medium enterprises segment. Online banking emerges as the most efficient methods of delivering banking services and products to this segment.
Maximizing Value To Corporate Customers- A WBCM Approach
A white paper exploring a high level understanding of what would constitute a “value” cash management offering to a bank’s corporate customers. Banks can also ... use it for evaluating vendor offerings in the web based cash management space.
Managing Security in Mobile and Wireless Services
With the increased benefits and convenience of mobile and wireless applications in the banking industry come increasing risks in security and the need for security solutions.... Measures such as stricter security policies, the use of encryption technology such as virtual private networks, and end-to-end security solutions are highly recommended.Real-Time Alerts - A Big Step Forward in Collaborative Banking
Real-time alerting technology offers banks an opportunity to take a giant, but cost-effective step in refining their customer relationship management strategy.
Trends in Banking
The ASEAN Retail Banking Agenda
The world of banking, in general, and retail banking in particular is going through an era of unprecedented growth and overwhelming change. ... In 2006, across the world, retail banking brought in $1220 billion in revenues which accounted for 57 percent of global banking revenues. Even for the top 10 banks worldwide, retail banking represents, on an average, 37% of the total revenue pie. The Boston Consulting Group expects retail banking to remain the dominant revenue (1) stream for banks through 2015.
A Framework for Business Transformation for Mid-sized Retail Banks
Delivering banking services profitably is a significant challenge in a bank's quest to flourish in an intensely competitive banking landscape, ... especially for mid-sized retail banks. The flat world dynamics increasingly enable large global competitors that are nimbler, innovative and more cost effective to play in any market regardless of size or location. To top it all, customer expectations are wide ranging and changing rapidly – from innovative products to service levels and the demand for speedy error-free transaction processing is unrelenting.
Banking the Unbanked: Going Mobile
Engaging the next billion, actively seeking financial services yet remaining largely unbanked, is on the agenda of most progressive banks. ... Even as banks are cognizant of the need to service this segment, the challenge to do so profitably in the existing environment, poses significant hurdles.
Championing the Customer Cause at the Bank
There is no doubt that in most banks today there is indeed a strong realization that customer management is of prime importance and it is this ... realization that has placed customer management at the core of other strategies being devised by banks.
Olympic Growth Retail Banking in China
Over the years, China has leveraged its liberalization policies and trade reforms to grow into one of the largest economies in the world. ... An average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of around 9%, dynamic trade, high foreign direct investment inflows, and skilled manpower, have all played a crucial role in making China’s economy prosperous.
Can Usability Improve Productivity in Banking?
Technology is the crux using which businesses garner forward momentum. It changes business processes and operations. ... Information Technology (IT) has overhauled the banking business completely. Today, every major bank has invested largely in IT or have lined up plans for major investments. Banks look towards IT to improve productivity, operate in a global scenario and offer services in a wider market, round-the-clock.
Transforming to Win
As a result of globalization, demographics, technology and regulation, the world is a flatter place. Banks are rethinking strategies for both ... business and technology. They are maximizing globalization, innovation, agility and diversity while minimizing costs and risks to compete and win in the new, flat world. To do so, banks are effectively leveraging technology to achieve a shift in their strategic and operational priorities in a level playing field.
Can Emerging Economies Bank on TV?
As banks reap the benefits of non-branch service delivery channels that came of age in the recent past, their quest to expand reach via innovative offerings never ceases. ... Banking services made available via television media have been one such innovation that attracted significant attention from banks a few years back, though it was a case of early delivery for most countries.
Financial Planning Services – A Boon for Banks
The demand for advisory services from retail banking customers is steadily on the rise, owing to increasing market transparency. In this scenario, ... it is imperative for a progressive bank to transition from transaction oriented banking to relationship oriented banking, to differentiate itself from competition.
Strategic Agility Planning for Banks
Today, the banking industry needs greater agility to address challenges such as vulnerability to economic cycle vagaries, transient customer loyalties, increasing ... regulatory pressures and heightened expectations from other stakeholders.SOA Plug-and-Play Services
Untangling the morass of legacy systems powering large banks need not hold up progress and innovation, thanks to the increased adoption of Web services ... and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA).
Gold Rush: The Shift Towards Wealth Management in Banking
The emergence of the “private banking” & “wealth management” segments in banking, which took seed in the late 90s, has since attained huge ... proportions and holds a lot of promise for banks and IT solution providers alike.
BPM, Not Just Another Technology Fad
Business Process Management is essentially an approach to effectively automate and manage cross-functional processes by orchestrating ... people and applications using supporting software tools. Applied correctly, BPM has the ability to transform banks through greater efficiency, agility and customer focus.
The Changing Face of Treasury Technology
An analytical look at five critical market trends that are forcing banks to reexamine their Treasury business and technology strategies to meet and exceed customer expectations.
Understanding the Role of Technology in Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
A strategic model for financial institutions aiming to adhere to strict AML guidelines. Failure to do so may result in damage to the FI’s reputation ... , market capitalization and its customer base and loyalty.The Adoption of Web Based Cash Management Systems
Web-based cash management systems allow banks to offer a wider range of products and more integrated solutions to their customers. It stands to reason ... that banks will not be left behind in ensuring that they work closely with their corporate and business banking customers in this area.
Treasury Organization - Picking the Right Model
Organizations have extended debates on the kind of treasury they should have. The common themes include services that the treasury should offer, the right size or structure ... ,and the right spread of management control. Is there one size that fits all? Is there a way to decide what model to adopt? What should be the parameters for deciding the kind of treasury to have?How will web services impact cash management?
The IT imperative for today’s chief information officer (CIO) is to reduce technical complexity so as to increase business flexibility. Businesses increasingly ... value agility in their processes and systems, and past models of monolithic application design are no longer effective. One way of increasing agility is to leverage the twin advantages of a web services-based architecture – openness and modularity.Australian Banking - Retail Assets - Part 3
The objective of this paper is to introduce the reader to the philosophy and operations of retail assets within retail banking industry in Australia, the processes and environment ... in particular under which the banks operate.Australian Banking - Retail Assets - Part 2
Australian banking industry has been experiencing enormous change driven by the deregulation process and competition. At the same time, non-banking financial institutions ... are offering products and services that are traditionally a domain of banks. The industry is characterized by intense competition and information transparency.Australian Banking - Retail Assets - Part 1
This whitepaper introduces the philosophy and operations of retail assets within retail banking industry in Australia, the processes and environment in particular under which the banks ... operate while giving a general overview of the products with regard to the operational aspects. This paper is part 1 of a 3-part series. The subsequent parts will be updated soon at this same location.CRM
CRM in banking
After a hiatus of nearly half a decade, CRM projects are back in favour again. In our FinacleConnect Virtual Industry Roundtable, we bring together a panel of industry ... experts to discuss trends in CRM, and how banks are using CRM to deepen their relationship with customers.
The 2nd Generation of CRM
Customers and customer relationships lie at the very core of the business of banking. It is therefore not surprising that CRM (customer relationship management) solutions ... promising banks the ability to manage customer relationships were instantly popular when they were launched over a decade back.
Treasury
Basel II Compliance in Finacle Treasury
Basel II is the second of the Basel Accords, which provides recommendations on banking rules and regulations issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
The FX Marketplace: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges
The foreign exchange marketplace is in a state of flux. The rules of the game are being re-written by the advent of new players and different ways of transacting ... FX thanks to technology advances. What are the trends in the FX marketplace and what opportunities and challenges do they present to the old and new market players?
Treasury: Back to Basics
Bank treasuries are seeking to surmount the hurdles posed by the turmoil in the world’s financial markets, triggered by the sub-prime meltdown. The need of the hour ... is for banks to rewind and reapply the first lessons of the business: simplicity, risk-sensitivity and cost-consciousness.
Islamic Banking
Banking on Faith: Islamic Banking in the Middle East
Investments history was recently re-written with the release of the first index series premised on faith-based investing. ... The companies included in the Index are screened according to principles found in religions, though the belief is that its range of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) screens will appeal to a spectrum of investors, inside and outside of these religious practices.
Wealth Management
China: The Wealth Management Agenda
The potential for the wealth management business within China is on the rise. However the geographic spread of the country has created ... some doubts for service providers, as to whether the ‘one model fits all policy’ will work in China. Private banking was a restricted market till about 2005-2006 and thus in a relatively less sophisticated market, private banks and wealth management service providers are retaining focus on the urban markets.
Wealth Management and the Retail Strategy – an APAC Perspective
Wealth management can be broadly defined as financial services provided to wealthy clients, mainly individuals and their families. Private ... banking forms an important, more exclusive, subset of wealth management. Unlike private banking which has its origins in the seventeenth century, wealth management has come into its own only in the last 20 years or so.
Thought Papers
Core Banking
