Financial organizations are using financial cloud computing technologies to remain competitive as new research reveals banking and finance are becoming more dependent on emerging technology.
In the old days, the cloud technology was adopted by small start-ups who didn’t have legacy architecture in place or the resources necessary to develop their own onsite IT. Now, larger institutions are moving to the cloud as well. Financial cloud computing stems from the growth of modern cloud providers. They have better security, compliance controls and privacy features. Furthermore, a modern cloud provider can automate many of the manual tasks that could put companies at risk if done improperly. Companies use the cloud to meet compliance and cybersecurity standards.
Although transition to the cloud requires upfront investment, for many financial firms the change means more than cutting costs.
Changing Demographic & Tech
56 million Millennials (ages 23-37) were working or looking for work in 2017, according to the PEW research center, making them the largest portion of the U.S. labor force. This means millennials are becoming the largest drivers of the economy. Millennials are on average more technologically savvy than the previous generations and have driven growth towards a more digital economy.
Banks and other financial institutions must adapt to account for this new trend. Digital banking users have increased from 26% to 51% between the years 2012 and 2017, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. Consumers are banking digitally, meaning through desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
82% of consumers ages 18-24 were using mobile banking platforms in 2017, indicating a shift towards a more personalized banking experience. They also want to sign up for banking services without needing to visit a physical branch.
The Rise of Mobile Banking
Based on a 2018 survey, PwC, a professional services firm, found that mobile users grew from 10% in 2017 to 15% in 2018. This means mobile banking is becoming more popular as time passes. Taking all of these statistics into account, banks should adjust their priorities towards increasing and personalizing digital banking services. There is growing competitive pressure coming from companies like Alibaba and financial startups to go digital in terms of how companies should function and engage with customers.The goal is to make banking services available to people in remote locations where they may others be unable to access local branches.
Digitalization
Digitalization is also far less expensive than banking in a traditional brick-and-mortar branch. PwC ‘s report titled Bank of the future: Finding the right path to digital transformation, mentions how some banks create full on digital native banks that use completely digital customer interface and back end.
The report also says, that branch transactions cost about $4 each, while online and mobile transactions cost $0.09 and mobile transactions cost $0.19. Automation is the biggest channel in terms of growth for many businesses across the board.
Going digital makes banks more agile as well. It allows them to quickly adapt to changing customer trends and tastes. Going digital will provide for a testing ground for new services and products where a bank would otherwise have to commit to a strategy and hope it’s successful.
Financial Cloud Computing
It’s possible to use modern IT infrastructure to set up a digital bank using third party architecture, also known as cloud services or cloud computing. In other words, one can set up an entirely digital bank without the need for internal IT, which would be a huge financial barrier. Instead, one may outsource hardware, software and maintenance to a cloud provider, further decreasing costs and risks.
The true benefits of the cloud appear as teams use these features to operate in more dynamic, agile and efficient ways. The cloud uses virtual machines, digital computers to share and distribute new projects across platforms and devices.
The main reasons companies are adopting the cloud are to improve mobile access and collaboration. Collaboration services improve workplace efficiency, communication and overall improves their bottom line. Companies that migrated to the cloud experienced a 19.3 percent faster growth than those who hadn’t.
Furthermore, the average financial services firm uses 1,004 different cloud services, according to a study by Skyhigh. The survey was performed for 3.7 million finance employees across more than 14,000 cloud services. The report was anonymous and tracked the usage data of bank employees, insurance companies, investment firms etc. Also, the fastest growing cloud service category in the industry is collaboration. This included programs like Microsoft office, Gmail and Evernote.
Security & Compliance: IT Solutions for Finance
While this might sound exciting it means nothing in such a heavily regulated industry as finance. Less than 0.1 percent of financial firms using the cloud meet compliance requirements and security standards. IT solutions for financial institutions are subject to human error as it is. But many cloud providers lack the experience and expertise to help manage highly sensitive data financial institutions must keep secure for their clients. Choosing the wrong provider could mean failure to comply with PCI DSS, SOX, and GBLA standards. This means looking for a provider that specializes in high-end security that complies with these governmental regulations with extreme care. A cloud provider that you can trust, means a firm your clients can trust as well.
A secure cloud means not only compliance, but proactive preventative IT solutions for financial firms specifically. Even secure cloud services pose a risk. A hacker can gain access to data stored in the cloud using login credentials obtained through targeted social engineering or malware. It’s a common practice for users to rely on same passwords with multiple online accounts. 31 percent of people reuse the same passwords, according to a University of Cambridge study.
Multi-factor Authentication
A hacker could gain access to an employees Instagram or twitter account and those to login to other cloud accounts. Look for a cloud service with multi-factor authentication, this decreases the likelihood of this happening. For example, with a multi-factor authentication process, even if your passwords were obtained, the employee would receive a notification on their mobile device requesting authorization. If authorization isn’t given through the device, the user cannot gain access.
Some cloud services providers, like Nerds Support, use programs that require users to change their passwords every month, further decreasing the chances of a breach. The same Cambridge study also revealed users rely on the same 20 unsecured passwords as login credentials. Changing passwords periodically will force the user to create new and distinct login credentials. Highly trained systems engineers could provide further insight into crafting intricate passwords that are inaccessible to anyone except the user.
Nerds Support has 17+ years of experience helping financial institutions digitalize while meeting important IT compliance through Managed IT Services.
Do What’s Best for Your Firm
It’s important to understand that digitizing everything is not necessarily the best option. Each bank is different and has different strengths and core capabilities. You might not be in a place to fully digital overhaul.
In order to succeed in digitizing where others fail is to define and evaluate your long term strategy. PwC suggests you consider the questions:
- What do we want to be known for?
- What consumer segments are we targeting?
- What are our core capabilities and how can a digital strategy strengthen them?
Many industries are also on the way towards digitization in order to appeal to the Millennial and Gen -Z that’s following behind. This also means that adopting a digital infrastructure is going to be pivotal in business-to-business (B2B) interactions.
Having outdated or incompatible business models may become a deterrent to industries you want to service and conversely, an updated, innovative structure may appeal to start-ups or bigger companies that are looking to change and want to work with work with institutions that they feel will help them achieve their goals.
Contact Nerds Support today for a complimentary IT assessment where we identify gaps and areas of opportunities in your IT infrastructure.
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