There is no better example of evolution than what we have seen in the world of finance. From traditional banking to mobile banking which moved from desktop to the comforts of people’s palms via mobile banking. The rapid strides that technology has taken have further changed the way people drive transactions and payments today.

Technology and finance are always intertwined. Meaning that the changes happening in the technical field make a direct impact on financial models. Truth is, advancements in hardware in terms of new improved gadgets, higher bandwidths of data, and the rise of data-driven technologies have completely revolutionized the banking and payment industries. 

While traditionally banking savored the benefits of monopoly once, they could not deny the impact of the tech-enabled processes. Next-gen financial data integration technologieshave allowed firms to harness the value of customer data and transform transaction processing, thus making things better for sides of the spectrum. The fintech industry born as a result of that is now able to carry out operations and financial tasks, improving ease of doing business and ultimately delivering faster value to customers. 

Until recently, the financial industry has been regarded as being the slowest to embrace innovation. But the wheels are turning. Fintechs are now changing the way people do business and streamline transactions and data exchange. 

What is Fintech?

In the wake of disruption, the changes induced in the financial sector have brought changes in payments, money transfers, loans, fundraising and even asset management. Fintechs have transformed the banking and payment landscape, making it more value-driven. 

And more and more users are adopting this approach. As per a recent report, the global investment skyrocketed from $930 million back in 2008 to over $ 12 billion in 2015. The report further added that Europe experienced the highest growth rate, almost 215% in 2014.

Fintechs serve the needs of banks across the board providing rapidly advanced technological innovations from financial data integration to artificial intelligence and machine learning. They have offered banks ways to transform their businesses without replacing core banking systems, and this has ensured good growth and fostered higher investments in the banks.

Why Does Fintech Matter to the Business Users and Customers?

Financial technology has changed the way firms do business. Transformative technologies such as self-service data integration, artificial intelligence/machine learning, Internet-of-Things, blockchains, and cloud computing have acted as catalysts for driving this change. These new technologies are driving consumer expectations and demands and decision-making; starting from the point when data is onboarded to the point when it is integrated into the existing system. 

Conventional banking and financial services players reckon fintech as a disruptive phenomenon. Many of them today are adopting the latest approaches and delivering value while making money management easier and more effective.

Financial technology has allowed companies to make good propositions at the speed of business. It has instilled greater confidence in people to participate in digital financial transaction processing options, and that has helped expand the reach of the sector further. And it has managed to empower even the non-technical business users to comprehend data from customers and make appropriate without overburdening IT. Thus, the accuracy and speed of the processes have increased by leaps and bounds. 

While the changes are colossal, the financial sector is still fraught with challenges, especially in the regulatory and data protection space. But with technological innovations speeding up, this will also not remain the same. 

The Transformation Has Only Begun 

The times are changing for the better. And Fintech companies have realized that soon enough. Innovations such as modern financial data integration technologies, artificial learning, machine learning algorithms, and more have helped them gain faster access to customer data and deliver value accordingly. They have changed the way transactions, payments, and data transfers have been happening until now. The complex bi-directional feeds that took months to analyze take minutes now. By leveraging these newer solutions, companies have been able to streamline operation and drive compelling customer experience journeys, all while accelerating revenue.

Clearly, the rise of fintech has opened up a world of possibilities. Users must stay up to date with the various fintech developments to deliver. Being aware of the latest opportunities and developments in the field will only improve outcomes and help you stay at the market’s forefront.