Identity cards have been largely welcomed by the banking sector for their ability to efficiently prove customers' ID when they open accounts or enrol for new products and services - and it is only a matter of time before their use increases, with economies around the world introducing variations of the fast-growing technology. Writer Wendy Atkins
As customer dissatisfaction with the UK's existing high street banks intensifies, new entrants are sprouting - many of which are extensions of established retail brands, striving to create the winning formula using their innate consumer insight. Will these new operations pose a sustained threat to the existing ones? Writer Michelle Price
Banks' back offices were exposed by the recent crisis as inefficient, lacking in scalability and ripe for increased regulatory scrutiny. Policy-makers and regulators, meanwhile, began to call for the creation of centralised industry utilities, in a bid to reduce the systemic risk associated with the trading, processing and clearing of a variety of complex products.
Mark Butterfield, CIO of Nomura for Europe, the Middle East and AfricaWhen Nomura acquired a chunk of Lehman Brothers' crumbling empire last year, the brunt of the integeration process fell into the hands of the IT team, which completed the challenging task in a matter of weeks. Writer Michelle Price
The IMF's information technology team has had a busy past two years as the fund has taken on an increased workload as a result of the global recession, leading the team's head, Jean Salvati, to implement a new software system to cope with the extra demand. Writer Michelle Price
The financial crisis has dramatically undermined consumer trust in the retail banking industry. It is now more vital than ever that banks are able to efficiently and effectively communicate with their customers. In this Masterclass, Howard Boville, head of global banking at BT, and Gary Bennett, director of service provider development at Avaya, discuss how banks can model their communications and technology infrastructure in order to improve the quality of their customer service. Writer Michelle Price
John Killey, head of Citi realty services for Europe, the Middle East and AfricaThe growing threat of energy insecurity poses many risks to corporate institutions worldwide. Some banks are now looking to take greater control of their energy infrastructures - but there are several challenges to overcome. Writer Michelle Price
Financial services providers are looking for better ways to manage their customer operations, with outsourcing on the list of options. This was the topic for discussion at a recent round table organised by The Banker and sponsored by Transcom Worldwide, a provider of outsourced business processes
Bank product auctions are gradually gaining traction as they reach beyond consumer loans into other products and businesses. But regulatory concerns and hard times will keep the retail banking bazaar from rapid growth in the short term. Writer Karen Epper Hoffman