ACI Worldwide, a leading global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions and Dedagroup, an Italian software and IT services company, today announced a strategic alliance to support Italian financial institutions and payment service providers (PSPs) with the implementation and adoption of real-time banking services.

With its Universal Payments (UP) solutions portfolio, including  UP Immediate Payments and UP Real-Time Payments, ACI enables PSPs to connect to any domestic or pan-European EPC-based instant payments scheme. Dedagroup is one of the largest Italian IT companies, supporting companies, public authorities and financial institutions in designing and implementing IT strategies.

New research reveals the extent to which the disruption in the global banking sector is affecting Italy. According to a global online survey by ACI Worldwide and YouGov of more than 9,000 consumers, almost half of Italian respondents (47%) are planning to switch bank account providers in the next 12 months, more so than in any another European country. Of those who want to switch 21 percent said they were considering opening accounts with a mobile-only bank provider, 20 percent with another high-street bank and 5 percent said they wanted to join a retailer bank.

Barry Kislingbury, Director Solution Consulting Immediate Payments, ACI Worldwide comments:

"Our research shows that Italian consumers are amongst the keenest adopters of financial services in Europe. This is great news for the banking industry as many financial service providers have been leveraging these new technologies for some time.

"The partnership between ACI and Dedagroup comes at a crucial time when financial institutions in Europe are preparing for the launch of several domestic and pan-European schemes. These new schemes will empower consumers and businesses to send and receive real-time payments from their existing accounts. They will also provide a platform for banks to launch new and innovative services for today's digital economy."

Gianni Spada, CEO Dedagroup Business Solutions comments:

"The introduction of real-time payments offers financial institutions in Italy a great opportunity to develop new and innovative banking services for their customers. The benefits will be for everyone: Consumers will be able to pay pills or send money to friends and family immediately. Faster cash flows will optimize cash and supply chain management for businesses. The immediacy of transactions will also lead to better trade agreements. The partnership with ACI will enable us to provide banks with the necessary support in the implementation of real-time payments solutions."

Other key findings of the ACI Global Consumer Survey:

-The appetite for new and innovative banking services in Italy is on the increase: Almost half of respondents (49%) welcome loyalty discounts and offers from their bank, 37 percent want better security and fraud prevention, 43 percent want their account provider to offer real-time banking services, 30 percent want more ATMs offering access to better services and 30 percent want more user-friendly and intuitive mobile banking services

-Italian banking customers have more complaints than consumers in other European countries when it comes to banking services: 52 percent said they are annoyed about fees, 26 percent complained about issues with ATMs and 12 percent were unhappy about delays in payments

-The majority of Italian consumers are amenable to the idea of sharing data with new financial service providers that are expected to come onto the market in January in 2018 when the new European PSD2 regulation takes effect. 65 percent of respondents want to better understand what happens to their personal data and how it is protected before they use such services