Digital transformation in banking is becoming increasingly important as the FS sector looks to evolve the propositions they offer to customers, whilst becoming more agile and responsive to change. One of the key ingredients to success is improving how organisations manage and use the vast array of data they collect from partners and customers.

Glasswall Solutions today announced that Danny Lopez has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer, based in London. With a strong track record of delivering disruptive solutions to the market, Lopez is also joining the Board of Directors with a goal to greatly expand the company’s market presence and growth. To help Glasswall execute on business objectives in the U.S., Greg Sim is taking on the role of Executive President to focus on emerging market opportunities within the federal and commercial market.

OpenGamma, an analytics firm providing software dedicated to reducing the cost of trading derivatives, has announced its successful completion of the Service Organisation Controls (SOC) 2 Type 1 certification. Following a period of extensive auditing OpenGamma has been certified by Ernst & Young (EY) for its controls relating to security, highlighting its commitment to protecting customer data.

UK consumers are taking a ‘pick n mix’ approach to how they make payments, with mobile banking, mobile payments and contactless all becoming increasingly popular, research by UK Finance has revealed. Just as digital technology has allowed people to customise the way they listen to music or read the news, it is now transforming the world of payments, as consumers take advantage of the ever-widening range of payment choices available to suit their needs and lifestyle.

Liquidnet, the global institutional investment network, continues its expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) investment analytics platform with the acquisition of Prattle, a leading provider of automated investment research solutions for portfolio managers, research analysts, and other financial professionals.

Solactive is pleased to announce the release of its latest innovation in complex Index development. The Solactive CIMalgo Wedge R100 Index uses sophisticated algorithms that reduce the portfolio’s beta and volatility while keeping exposure to the global equity market.

Market Abuse is nothing new, but the updated Market Abuse Regulations (MAR) in 2016 significantly raised the bar in terms of the requirements needed to address it and the punishments for compliance failure. Having conducted a survey on MAR in 2016, PwC UK has recently released its new Market Abuse Surveillance Survey for 2019 and it makes for fascinating reading.

Slow progress

Contactless cards will account for 57% of payment cards worldwide by 2023 as issuers increasingly offer them as standard, and acceptance grows to reflect customer demand.

Issuers offer contactless functionality to persuade customers to use cards instead of cash

Trust Klarna to transform the retail experience. The Pay later payments pioneer, launched its first UK pop-up in London’s Covent Garden on 4 June, with a celebrity-packed launch event attended by the likes of Laura Anderson, Chloe Lewis, Frankie Gaff, Sophie Habboo and Ryan Libbey.

Klarna, who’s known for delivering ‘smoooth’ payments, will use its highly-instagramable pop-up to deliver unique daily-themed fashion and lifestyle events with retailers including ASOS, Schuh, BEAUTY BAY and Swoon.

For thousands of years, humanity has used fingers to express itself. Crossing one’s index and middle fingers in the West means good luck, India’s intricate hand mudras indicate everything from no fear to reverence, and a thumb down signalled bad news for Rome’s gladiators.

Today, however, we’re doing even more with our fingers. From accessing mobile devices to authorizing payments, the use of fingers - in particular, our fingerprints - has grown rapidly.