Futuristic Banking

Stuff that's out there in the way out and beyond in banking.

Elton Cane Digital product delivery at News Corp Australia

Pirated Windows on an ATM?

Apparently sighted in Russia, with photo appearing on the EnglishRussia.com blog, this ATM has stopped working and displays a warning that the copy of Windows needs activation. Now this doesn't necessarily mean the bank in question (VTB) is running unlicensed operating systems on its ATMs, though that could be the case. Its more likely, though, tha...

01 August 2007 /retail

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

The 'No Glue' future

Kevin Anderson reports for the Guardian IT on an exercise organised by the Economic and Social Research Council to consider what sort of world the interplay and advances in nanotechnology, genomics, information technology and cognitive science might create. The policy wonks considered four possible visions of the future – two positive and two ne...

29 June 2007 /retail /wholesale

Yuvaraj Anandan Program Management at Private Bank

Is manufacturing the future of banking?

Recently I landed on this blog..Is manufacturing the future of banking? The Banking world is undergoing and major shift in the way banks have to function and compete in an evironment where the regulators keep coming up with new demands on making the system more transparent not just for the supervisors but also for the customers of the banks. This...

28 June 2007 /retail

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

The carbon currency card

"Imagine a country where carbon becomes a new currency. We carry bank cards that store both pounds and carbon points. When we buy electricity, gas and fuel, we use our carbon points, as well as pounds. To help reduce carbon emissions, the Government would set limits on the amount of carbon that could be used." The words of UK Environment...

21 June 2007 /payments /retail

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

Video killed the offshore call centre

The days of broadcast media training for bank call centre operatives may not be far off. The UK's first direct in November announced plans to offer video access to customer representatives over the mobile phone network in an experimental technology trial with wireless operator 3. And now AT&T has previewed a new mass-market service for tran...

30 March 2007 /retail

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

LloydsTSB appoints head of innovation

James Gardner, director for retail banking in the global financial services group at Getronics is to take up a new position as head of innovation and research in group IT at the UK's LloydsTSB. "Its an exciting role, and my team and I will be looking at ways we can productionise innovation, both from a business and technology perspective,&quo...

23 March 2007 /retail

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

Time trials tax Banksys m-pay programme

For merchants and consumers alike, speed of throughput at the check-out remains the primary incentive for uptake of a new payments format. This is why SMS-based mobile phone payment programmes such as that promoted by Belgium’s Banksys and wireless operators Base, Mobistar and Proximus, will never make the cut. It may be cool and funky to pay by ...

22 March 2007 /payments /retail

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

Virtual money worries

Chinese authorities have acted to curb the spread of virtual currencies into the real economy. The FT reports on a recent formal notice from the government and central bank effectively banning the use of virtual cash to pay for material goods and services in the real world. The edict was issued in response to the growing popularity of Q-coins, the...

08 March 2007 /payments /retail