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Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

Shake out in BPO marketplace

Richard Holway adds some pertinent comments to this story on the possibilities for further shake outs and/or consolidation in the BPO marketplace in his post here - many of the players involved in this arena have a big financial services sector focus. His final comment poses an interesting question: "Whatever happens to the Metavante stake, w...

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

The financial services industry flavoured TechCrunch50

TechCrunch published its TechCrunch 50 finalists in sync with its conference opening today. At first glance, of interest to anyone looking for Web 2.0 in financial services are: Shryk (CB) — Web-based financial software for children aimed at promoting financial literacy and good saving habits. Quant the News (CB) — Creator of StockMood.com, a ser...

Finance 2.0

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

BBC highlights economic impact of mobile banking in Maldives

The BBC has a great story on the economic impact of a new mobile banking system being installed in the Maldives using World Bank funds. If you have an interest in mobile banking, or the use of IT to fuel economic development, take a look. The piece features The Economist's Tom Standage who makes a nice pitch for the impact of mobile banking in the...

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

BBVA deploys online recommendation technology

As I have a vested interest in tracking the links between personalization, customer service and advocacy, I have been following the evolution of recommender type technologies and services, of which, unfortunately there seem to be far too many to understand to any level of detail. Strands is one of a host of organizations crowding into this arena. ...

Finance 2.0

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

E-Gold founders face five to twenty years

Mashable has the story in some depth here, picking up on a piece in PC World. The precis is: when PayPal took a dominant market share of internet payments it could then afford to adopt the moral high ground and turn away the seamy side of the marketplace. By default E-Gold (based in Nevis) was forced to scratch about for customers and as a result...

/payments Finance 2.0

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

Monitor110 posts its own obituary

PaidContent seems to have the scoop on this story, Monitor110 has announced it is to close its doors. The reason stated is inability to close a second round of VC funding, after raising an initial $11m in late 2006. There are lots of companies entering the sector that Monitor110 formerly inhabited, it'll be interesting to see whether they prosper...

Finance 2.0

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

Insight into Wells Fargo's experiences with social media

Everyone likes a good case study - Tim Collins, SVP Experiential Marketing at Wells Fargo is interviewed in this podcast (with supporting PPT site images) by Pepper & Rogers. I'd like to hear more examples like this - but who should Finextra interview?

/retail Finance 2.0

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

What's the story with Zuzzid?

Jeremiah has a post reviewing the efforts of insurance companies which are exploring social media. He is uninspired. He rates one of the most promising as a UK insurance service and price comparison site - zuzzid.co.uk - which is nicely constructed, but curiously is an initiative by Norwich Union, although you have to look very, very closely to sp...

Finance 2.0

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

Slow moving banks are losing customer mindshare

I understand the constraints that banks face when trying to embrace different aspects of social media - the regulatory concerns - all the organisational and cultural issues they have to overcome... but even then, even after accepting all those issues, I am amazed more banks haven't stepped up to this challenge. Social media offers huge opportuniti...

Finance 2.0

Steve Ellis

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

Fynanz: peer-to-peer lending for an illiterate generation

I take it back, I take it back. No, not all modern students are illiterate. I blame the worldwide shortage of decent urls and a lack of respect for vowels. Still, from Monday this week students (in just a couple of US States, for now) have had the opportunity to finance their days of loafing and Teletubby watching through a new peer-to-peer lending...

/retail Finance 2.0

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