FStech brings you the lowdown on its 2013 Awards, which took place on Wednesday, 17 April at the Lancaster London Hotel
Scott Thompson goes beyond the hype and asks: are the UK’s banks anywhere close to delivering a seamless customer experience across multiple channels
Liz Morrell looks at the state of play following changes to FSA regulations around mobile call recording, which came into effect in 2011
Scott Thompson has been busying himself asking leading industry players for their take on key 2013 FS tech trends. Here, then, are 13 stand out predictions for the year ahead, taking in the likes of Big Data, the cloud, DDoS, BYOD, social media and m-payments
What, asks Glynn Davis, will the retail bank of the future look like and what chance new entrants seizing the day?
The FS sector was plagued by IT troubles throughout 2012 and a number of banks consequently found themselves under fire from the media, politicians and increasingly beleaguered customers. But, as Scott Thompson reports, there were also some bright spots this year
When it comes to mobile banking, the UK remains stuck in first gear. Marek Handzel reports on the long road ahead
This is a critical time for the m-payments sector. Progress has been made, but, as Scott Thompson reports, the mobile dream could yet be derailed
What does it mean to the highly regulated, security obsessed banking sector when its customers are increasingly using social media to communicate, share and network? Hannah Prevett investigates
Liz Morrell casts an eye over an intensifying cat and mouse game between financial services companies and cyber criminals
The traditional world of stock markets and trading is colliding with social networks. Will this be a marriage made in heaven or a quick fling? Hannah Prevett investigates
As the London Olympics looms large, Scott Thompson asks: will 2012 be the year of the contactless card?
More and more financial services firms are fully committing to open source software, but as Glynn Davis finds, issues remain
How is 2012 shaping up for the FS technology sector? FStech brings you some predictions for the year ahead, not all of them comforting
With more and more customers banking online and showing an interest in mobile banking and social media, what does the immediate future hold for FS technology vendors? Liz Morrell reports
Maeña Twomey, programme manager, Lloyds Banking Group, looks at the issue of enhancing assurance on large cross divisional change programmes
Online and mobile banking are of increasing importance. But the bank’s High Street branch still has a significant role to play, notes David Adams
So, how was it for you? Scott Thompson looks back at 2011 and asks those in the know: how did the financial services sector fare and what were the key technology developments?
Mobile has the potential to revolutionise the customer experience in retail banking and banks across Europe are gearing up to respond to this growing opportunity. But, as Liz Morrell highlights, problems and issues remain
Scott Thompson reviews the first ever FStech/Retail Systems Payments Technology Conference
Two-thirds of financial firms believe they have analytics programmes and infrastructures that are insufficient in handling increasing analytical complexity and data volume, recent research showed. Christopher Andrews reports
With the Solvency II deadline approaching, financial services organisations will be able to reap the benefits of a well-designed cross-functional technology platform. But challenges remain. Dave Howell reports
The European Payments Council (EPC) recently said that inconsistencies between the European Commission’s objectives threaten to hamper SEPA progress. David Adams reports
Liz Morrell asks: what does it mean to the highly regulated banking world when millions of people are using Facebook etc to communicate, share, network and entertain? And who are the pioneers in this field?
Smartphone uptake is continuing at a blistering rate and these devices are now shaping the way we behave. Yet mobile banking adoption has stalled. As Scott Thompson finds, fraud and security concerns underpin the stalemate
Glynn Davis looks at the latest mobile payments developments and the challenges facing banks as the m-payments/NFC bandwagon picks up pace
Wil Cunningham is an independent consultant who was contracted with LBG as the IT Lead for HBOS LIVE IT Planning, Command and Control and Execution for LBG/HBOS Integration, now the Delivery Lead new LBG Disaster Recovery Strategy. Here he discusses the best ways to plan and execute implementations
Elaine Graham looks at the rapidly changing world of trading systems and highlights how technology can help win competitive advantage
Data quality has moved up financial institutions’ agendas ahead of new regulatory regimes. But good data management also offers several advantages, reports Graham Buck
A recent report from the Treasury Select Committee criticised UK banks for not doing enough to protect against online fraud. The claim has been met by the industry with mixed views, with some in agreement and others blaming the Government for not taking data security seriously enough and calling for a regulatory body to set regulations to protect bank customers. Liz Morrell reports
The financial sector is at the head of the pack when it comes to combating security threats, but, with global cyber attacks on the rise, companies remain vulnerable. David Adams reports
As cybercrime mutates and hackers change gear in their quest to get hold of sensitive data, the challenge facing financial organisations is greater than ever, says Christopher Andrews
On Thursday 31 March 2011, IT professionals from across the financial sector gathered at the Lancaster London Hotel, Bayswater to attend presentations from prominent members of the IT industry speak on IT Security and Storage, Data and Cloud. Sophie Baker, Elaine Graham and Justin Quillinan review the day
How suitable is the Cloud for small and medium businesses? Is it as accessible and relevant for them as it is for larger institutions? Do they face different challenges? Duncan Jefferies finds out
The UK’s banks appear to have been rather slow on the uptake of cloud, but what about their European counterparts? Christopher Andrews looks at the benefits European finanical institutions have seen; the risks they have had to get to grips with, and asks what the future is for the cloud in European banks
Against a backdrop of ongoing unease and uncertainty across the Middle East and North Africa, how are UK and European financial institutions coping under the pressure of identifying and dealing with this renewed focus on their efforts to combat money laundering? Graham Buck reports
On the evening of 31 March 2011, at the Lancaster London Hotel in Bayswater, representatives from banks, regulators and suppliers gathered to celebrate the 11th Financial Sector Technology Awards. Sophie Baker looks back on a night of euphoria, dancing and celebrating...
Wil Cunningham, an independent consultant currently on a contract with LBG as IT Lead for HBOS LIVE Command and Control and Planning and Execution in London, part of the LBG/HBOS Integration, discusses the best ways to optimise your infrastructure provisioning
Brett Farrell, an associate at Barlow Robbins LLP, looks at the issue of datacentres and N+1 redundancy, a form of resilience that ensures system availability in the event of component failure
2011’s Infosecurity Europe conference will feature speakers and topics to address all financial institutions’ concerns, finds Alison Ebbage
Philip Gregory, business intelligence manager at Chaucer Syndicates, talks to Sophie Baker about the importance of data quality for an insurance company, how technology and customer service are linked, and how IT and upcoming regulation will affect insurance services
In December 2010, the FSA put rules into place that would see all pertinent customer information held in one place, creating a single customer view (SCV). How has the industry dealt with the deadline, and what are the benefits for both the customer and the financial sector? Liz Morrell asks the industry
The FSA has studied the way financial services companies communicate to the public and has found that some communication through new media channels, such as Twitter and Facebook, lacks compliance with its safeguards. Duncan Jefferies looks at the FSA’s rules, and asks whether banks are embracing communication through these more informal mediums
Following the Basel Committee’s publication of rules and regulations for banks to comply with, with the aim of creating more resilient banks and banking systems, what must now be considered by the industry? Alison Ebbage finds out
Banks are sometimes viewed as slow when it comes to adopting the latest technology; but in a world of secrecy, confidentiality and heavy steel vaults, the idea of using open source codes – freely available over the Internet – is rapidly gaining traction to cut administrative costs, reports Justin Quillinan
In September 2010, the FSA proposed changes to its complaints handling rules as part of a package of measures to up the standards of complaints handling in the industry. But what is the FSA proposing? And how have the proposals been received by the financial services sector? David Adams asks the industry
What does 2011 hold for the financial sector? Sophie Baker asks the industry about technology, regulation and security for the coming year
The UK’s Cheque Guarantee Card Scheme is being withdrawn on 30 June 2011, and from 2018 cheques will also be pulled out of circulation. Jacqui Tribe, manager of the UK Domestic Cheque Guarantee Card Scheme, looks at alternatives to the guaranteed cheque
FST invited a group of retail bankers to tackle the issues hitting the Retail Banking sector the hardest
Over a series of roundtables, FST got together with EMC Consulting and a panel of financial sector commentators to discuss the industry’s current hot topic – Cloud Computing. Are the benefits clear as day?
Intellectual Property is a hot topic right now, particularly with David Cameron’s recent pledge to conduct a review into the UK’s current regime. Philip Bartlett, Partner, Simmons & Simmons, looks at the issue, and sets out some top tips for employers
The Independent Commission on Banking is to conduct a series of hearings in an effort to address the problems in the banking industry. The British Bankers’ Association’s chief executive, Angela Knight, looks at the importance these conclusions will carry
With new banks popping up on the High Street, more traditional banks’ core systems are under increased pressure to stand up and be counted in the midst of the hype. Duncan Jefferies asks if their technology systems are hindering their services
There’s pretty much an ‘app’ for everything, but is it appropriate – and safe – to move money around using mobile or contactless technology, asks Justin Quillinan
A loss of consumer confidence in the banking sector, thanks to the financial crisis, paved the way for new banks to launch on the High Street, with new offerings to tempt customers away from more ‘traditional’ banks. Liz Morrell looks at what they have to offer
Failure to accurately monitor and manage credit risks was a significant factor in the crisis – but what has the sector done to lessen the risk of recurrence? David Adams asks the industry
With the UK’s financial services market climbing out of the recession, it’s no surprise that businesses are now more than ever concentrating on keeping their systems running. Alison Ebbage finds out what’s next for business continuity
Our panellists got together in June to look at the issues surrounding datacentres, from virtualisation challenges to the very real pressures of operating in an increasingly regulated world
The Financial Services Authority’s Mortgage Market Review outlines best practice for responsible lending. Amir Ghani, policy adviser, Mortgage Policy Team, at the Building Societies Association, looks at the potential consequences of the consultations
In two cases in the Commercial Court and Court of Appeal parties to swaps have challenged the agreed jurisdiction clause under an ISDA Master Agreement in favour of their home courts, on the basis that the proceedings concerned the validity of internal company decisions. Jonathan Brogden, partner, and Laura Davis, solicitor, at Davies Arnold Cooper LLP, look at the ISDA Master Agreement
With regulators demanding global financial transparency to combat organised crime and terrorism, banks took a step in the right direction on November 21 last year by implementing SWIFT’s new message standard for cover payments, MT202 COV. Vivienne Rosch asks how opening single cross-border customer credit transfers to intermediary banks’ scrutiny has been received
The collapse of Lehman Brothers and AIG’s struggles left the industry’s lack of centralised clearing mechanisms and trade repositories plain for all to see. With the panic button well and truly hit, the industry responded. Duncan Jefferies looks at the initiatives the financial sector has come up with in an effort to address the problems
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is preparing to bare its teeth yet again with a Consultation Paper looking at making the recording of mobile phone transactions mandatory for firms. Sophie Baker looks at the proposals and the implications for banks and suppliers alike
With a plethora of technology available to the financial markets, and competition hotting up as banks fight to win back consumer confidence, one would be forgiven for assuming institutions might have tossed out the paper by now. So why, in today’s electronic world, do ‘paper junkies’ remain in the finance sector, asks Justin Quillinan
The SEPA initiative does what it says on the tin – creates a zone for the euro in which all electronic payments are considered domestic; but what’s holding up full adoption? David Adams investigates
The UK’s Faster Payment Scheme has been on the industry’s radar for two years now, but how well has it been received? Liz Morrell investigates
Sandy Hamilton, vice president of the European, Middle East & African (EMEA) region, at EMC Consulting, explains the drivers for the adoption of private clouds, how they can be implemented and why she believes now is the perfect time to start
Many people were pointing the finger of blame at Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) for the financial meltdown, blaming them for giving triple-A ratings to collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) and other toxic instruments that were stuffed with junk sub-prime elements. Jonathan Brogden, a partner at law firm, Davies Arnold Cooper, looks at the latest EC moves to reform the sector
The 360 degree IT show to be held at London’s Earls Court on 22-23 September used to be known as StorageExpo, but it has been rebranded to better address the growing importance of other infrastructure developments, outside of traditional data storage, such as hosted services, cloud computing, SaaS, and so forth. Neil Ainger previews the new beginning
Green IT, in the form of more efficient PCs, printers, building designs, remote working practices, chips, and so forth, can save you money by increasing efficiency and improve the image of your firm, so what’s not to like? Vivienne Rosch looks at whether the reality is living up to the dream
