Fintech PR
New Study Reveals Banks Struggle to Achieve Priorities, Meet Customer Expectations Hampered by Technology Modernization Challenges and Lack of Industry Standards
- New global study reflects responses from over 1,000 senior banking leaders and more than 12,000 consumers regarding their priorities and identifies significant disconnects
- 70% of banking executives indicate that embedded finance is either core or complementary to their business strategy, yet only 20% currently offer embedded finance solutions
- Ecosystem privacy and security challenges cited as top two barriers to innovation
ARMONK, N.Y. and FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value (IBV), in collaboration with the Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN) and Red Hat, today released findings from a new global study that reveals significant gaps between the stated priorities of surveyed banking executives and the customers they serve. The research examines how customers engage with the digital world and how banks invest in embedded finance to become part of the financial journey consumers experience on their platforms of choice.
Embedded Finance: Creating the Everywhere, Everyday Bank details findings from the responses of over 1,000 banking industry leaders and more than 12,000 consumers across five continents.
Embedded finance is the integration of financial products and solutions within the customer journey of non-financial services organizations in ways that help eliminate friction, and consequently, enrich the customer experience. Over 70% of the industry executives surveyed indicate that embedded finance is either core or complementary to their business strategies. Yet only 20% said they currently offer embedded finance solutions.
“Banks are facing a double whammy of challenges with pressure coming from non-traditional competitors such as the big techfins that have set new standards for customer expectations and are eager to deepen those relationships and from regulators pushing for open banking standards to level the playing field and drive more competition,” said Shanker Ramamurthy, Global Managing Partner Banking & Financial Markets, IBM Consulting. “Establishing a modern hybrid cloud architecture that enables easy access to data across the enterprise, the ability to leverage the potential of emerging technologies such as generative AI, and participation in a robust ecosystem of partners is paramount to a successful banking strategy in today’s industry.”
While 80% of all consumers surveyed currently prefer to deposit their salary and keep their savings in traditional banks, 16% of respondents globally are already comfortable embracing the full digital experience with branchless institutions. Many consumers are seeking a higher level of engagement from their financial institutions with 79% of younger respondents being open to receiving insights on their better ways to save and 75% being open to guidance on investing.
Both banking leaders and consumers cited security as their most important priorities but banking leaders overestimated the importance of peer-to-peer payments and buy now pay later (BNPL) compared to priorities cited by consumers who designated good customer experience as their second highest preference, followed by mobile wallet functionality and rewards respectively.
Based on the study, gaps in technology infrastructure modernization, lack of application programming interface (API) standards and the portion of resources devoted to privacy and security are slowing progress toward realizing the business opportunities associated with embedded finance platforms and stand to impede the potential of exponential technologies, such as generative AI.
“It has never been more critical for banks to focus on how financial institutions can increase their competitive edge and improve the experience they provide their customers. The findings from the research show just how much work banks have to do before they can achieve this,” said Hans Tesselaar, Executive Director, BIAN. “We know from the work we’re doing with our members, however, that before they implement real changes to their service offerings, they must first overcome the obstacles caused by a lack of technical standards and adopt a coreless banking approach to transformation. This will help the industry benefit from each and every technological development to create the bank of the future.”
The full report is available to download here.
The IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM’s thought leadership think tank, combines global research and performance data with expertise from industry thinkers and leading academics to deliver insights that make business leaders smarter. For more world-class thought leadership, visit: www.ibm.com/ibv
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of enterprise AI, hybrid cloud architecture, security and ESG insights to the global financial services sector. Its deep industry expertise, extensive portfolio of services and solutions, and its robust ecosystem of fintech partners, empower collaboration, innovation, and creation with clients. As a trusted partner to banks, insurers, capital markets and payments providers, IBM guides financial institutions on all stages of their digital transformation journeys through IBM Consulting and delivers the proven infrastructure, software and services they need through IBM Technology. For more information, visit www.ibm.com/industries/financial-services.
About BIAN
Established in 2008, the Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN) is an independent, member-owned, not-for-profit association, designed to build and promote a common architectural framework for banking interoperability issues. BIAN™s goal is to define operability and “ready to use” definitions for IT services in the banking industry.
The community of over 80 members focuses on creating a standard banking services landscape while ensuring consistent service definitions, levels of detail and boundaries. This will help banks to achieve a reduction of integration costs and take advantage of a micro services architecture.
Financial institutions, software vendors, consultancies and system integrators, along with technology partners, are invited to join the association and play a collaborative role with other industry leaders in defining, building and implementing next-generation banking platforms.
Media Contacts
IBM
Mary Ellen Higgins
[email protected]
781.789.1911
BIAN
Olivia Rashid, Hotwire
[email protected]
020 8875 4450
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NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Phoenix Tower International, LLC (“PTI”), through its Spanish subsidiary (PTI Iberica V, S.A.) announced today that it has closed a new €1.2 billion senior credit facility in Europe to consolidate its existing loans and provide substantial additional capacity to support further growth both in existing and new markets in Europe.
The transaction comprised of the following senior secured facilities: (i) a €700 million term loan, (ii) a €400 million delayed draw term loan, (iii) a €50 million revolving credit facility, and (iv) a €50 million debt service reserve facility, all of which are due in September 2030 (7 years). Proceeds from the facilities will be used to: (i) repay existing indebtedness including related fees and expenses, (ii) fund capital expenditure requirements and acquisitions, including the recent acquisition of the French portfolio of wireless tower assets from Cellnex (1,226 sites hosting SFR), and (iii) fund working capital requirements.
“The multi-jurisdiction loan provides PTI with the flexibility to continue to grow our business across Europe with incremental liquidity available at our disposal. The financing will allow us to strengthen our commitment to the region, as we continue to construct and invest in digital infrastructure in markets that are experiencing a rising demand for connectivity and technological upgrades. We are excited to continue to expand our presence in Europe and deliver value-add infrastructure solutions to our customers”, said Dagan Kasavana, Chief Executive Officer of PTI.
“By providing a flexible financing covering multiple jurisdictions, PTI was able to simplify its capital structure, reduce pricing, and access incremental funds to support future growth. Raising €1.2 billion in the current market environment speaks to the strength of PTI’s business model and underscores the lender community’s appetite to support the expansion of digital connectivity. We are pleased to partner with such a strong lender group in this landmark transaction”, said Michael Bremer, Chief Financial Officer of PTI.
Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (“Natixis”) acted as Structuring Bank. Natixis and Deutsche Bank AG acted as Lead Bookrunners and Mandated Lead Arrangers, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., ING Bank N.V., and Scotiabank (Ireland) Designated Activity Company acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, BNP Paribas and MUFG Bank acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers, and Citibank Europe PLC Dublin, Mizuho Bank Europe, and Toronto Dominion Bank acted as Participants. Natixis also acted as Facility Agent, Security Agent and Financial Modelling Bank, while ING Bank N.V. has been appointed as Sustainability Coordinator.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer acted as external legal counsel of the company, and Allen & Overy acted as external legal counsel of the lenders.
About PTI
PTI, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates over 22,000 telecom towers throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Europe, PTI is present in several countries including France, Italy, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus.
PTI was founded in 2013 with a mission to be a premier site provider to wireless operators across the world in high-growth markets. PTI’s investors include funds managed by Blackstone, Wren House and various members of the management team and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information, please visit www.phoenixintnl.com
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pti-secures-1-2-billion-multi-jurisdiction-transaction-301942407.html
Fintech PR
BranchOut Food Inc. Expands Partnership with EnWave Corporation. Increasing Manufacturing Capacity by an Additional ~$15mm Annually & Secures Additional Product Exclusivities.
BEND, Ore, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — BranchOut Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: BOF), the global trailblazer in GentleDried natural snacks and superfood ingredients, is proud to announce a significant expansion of its partnership with EnWave Corporation (TSX-V: ENW | FSE: E4U). BranchOut has agreed to purchase a second large-scale, continuous throughput dehydration machine from Enwave. Under the terms of the new Equipment Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”), the 120kW REV™ machine is slated for delivery to BranchOut in late calendar 2024 and will add an additional $15mm in estimated topline capacity.
Eric Healy, CEO of BranchOut Food Inc., emphasized, “We are confident that this increased capacity will align perfectly with our growth trajectory, especially in light of our recent commitments from major retailers and the substantial sales pipeline we have established.”
Enwave’s Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV™) technology and associated patent portfolio was previously licensed to BranchOut along with exclusivity for its original core products. Under the new Agreement, the product exclusives have been significantly expanded to encompass the new and innovative products BranchOut has recently developed and will be launching in the very near future.
About BranchOut Food Inc.: BranchOut is an international food-tech company delivering truly great natural snacks and real superfood ingredients enabled by their licensed dehydration technology. BranchOut Food is a leading provider of high-quality dehydrated fruit and vegetable-based products and its commitment to quality and innovation sets it apart as a trusted brand and private label supplier. For more information about BranchOut Food Inc. and its products, please visit www.branchoutfood.com.
About EnWave: EnWave Corporation stands as a global leader in vacuum microwave dehydration innovation and application. Operating from its headquarters in Vancouver, BC, EnWave boasts an impressive intellectual property portfolio and has refined its Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV™) technology into a proven, consistent, and scalable drying solution. This revolutionary technology outperforms traditional drying methods in terms of efficiency, capacity, product quality, and cost.
Media Contact:
BranchOut Food Inc.
Email: [email protected]
Fintech PR
SIGMA Financial AI unveils Akili-AI: Cutting-Edge, AI-based, no-code suite of tools for traders
– Augments trader’s interactions and transforms decision-making capabilities
– Handles the full extent of structured to unstructured financial data
– Mitigates portfolio exposure risk and accelerates speed to market
LONDON, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — SIGMA Financial AI, an innovator in developing AI-driven trading solutions, launches Akili-AI*, a sophisticated suite of enterprise-ready trading strategy tools. Akili-AI is a cutting-edge, no-code solution enabling data-driven insights to support the specialist needs of the global financial services trading community.
Akili-AI incorporates machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to deliver agile tools which are more intelligent, faster and easier to use, enabling traders to create strategies at a scale and speed unachievable without AI support. Completely asset-class and instrument-agnostic, the Akili-AI system streams real-time trading data, allowing users to screen, test and design complex trading strategies promptly.
Their SaaS-based Pattern matching platform (Patterns as a Service) helps traders monitor thousands of instruments in real-time, scanning charts for momentum changes, technical signals, support, and resistance zones. The NLP research function supports fundamental and technical qualifications from thousands of news, social media and traders’ data. Akili-AI’s flexible modular architecture, built using modern protocols, is cloud-based and scales to support the largest trading enterprises.
Andy Simpson, Co-founder and CEO, commented, “Traders are having to cope with a constant squeeze on their book; this, combined with a huge increase in data volumes, has created the need for transformative solutions which can help them find an edge. They need the ability to find new liquidity fast, enhance their trade execution capabilities, and reduce portfolio risk; Akili-AI can deliver all this at a lower cost point and faster than ever.”
“Akili-AI transforms market interaction and improves productivity by liberating traders from the constraints imposed by long-established, outdated working practices and legacy technology infrastructures. Accelerated speed to market is crucial in an industry where every second counts. Our mission is to provide AI-based solutions which enhance the human experience – not replace them – helping to generate more revenue and increased profitability,” Andy continued.
Rob Maunder, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Our pioneering and creative team is an unusual blend of deep financial services experience, phenomenal engineering and world-class AI technologists who bring an unrivalled track record of developing new platforms at pace. We break the mould by delivering incredible engineering of low-latency, highly scalable systems drawing on more than a decade of generative AI experience in the social media and music industries.”
Andy concluded, “Akili-AI is the start of a refreshingly different journey of technological change; watch this space. There is much more to come.”
Akili-Ai will be showcased in the Innovators Pavilion at the FIA’s Futures and Options Expo on October 2-3, 2023 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.
*Akili is the Swahili word for intelligence.
About SIGMA Financial AI:
We provide traders with a set of tools that are faster, smarter and easier to use. Our AI machine learning product suite unlocks trading opportunities through real-time analytics underpinned by world-leading, scalable, ultra-low latency architecture.
Note to Editors: For more information about SIGMA Financial AI, please visit www.sigmafinancial.ai.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sigma-financial-ai-unveils-akili-ai-cutting-edge-ai-based-no-code-suite-of-tools-for-traders-301941890.html
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