©Alamy

In this issue

The financial services sector has been using technology to keep pace but it now needs to be used for innovation

Oct 16, 2012

Focus turns to IT as tool for growth

The financial services sector now needs innovation to keep pace

a female hand using a computer mouse ©AP Oct 16, 2012

Outsourcing: Banks juggle service providers as they strive to save money

Lenders are averse to getting one outsider to provide for all their IT needs, says Jessica Twentyman

Traders working in the S&P 500 pit at the CME Group's Chicago Board of Trade ©Bloomberg Oct 16, 2012

Computer errors: Mishaps prompt greater scrutiny of high speed traders

Exchanges are acting to make dealing safer, says Philip Stafford

Oct 16, 2012

Regulation: Watchdog gets Smarts to keep eye on deals

FSA steps up monitoring, reports Charles Batchelor

Christopher Dodd, left, and Barney Frank ©Getty Oct 16, 2012

Software: Compliance costs eat into plans

The price of keeping up with new laws is often hidden, reports Michael Dempsey

Woman driver holding car keys ©Dreamstime Oct 16, 2012

Information analysis: Business yet to respond to big data challenge

Financial industry faces huge barriers, reports Charles Batchelor

Oct 16, 2012

Public relations: Lenders fail to capitalise on social media

Sector needs to refine web presence, says Sarah Murray

A masked hacker, part of the Anonymous group, hacking the French presidential Elysee Palace website ©Getty Oct 16, 2012

Threats: Modern trends exacerbate security risks, warn experts

The more organisations follow the herd in terms of the technologies they use, the greater the dangers, discovers Jane Bird

ATM card being used ©Dreamstime Oct 16, 2012

Systems management: Institutions try to find cloud’s silver lining

Paul Taylor finds a growing demand for external hosting

African man using a mobile phone Oct 16, 2012

SMS: Phones help level playing field for the ‘unbanked’

Jane Bird reports that across the globe the number of people who access basic financial services on mobiles is set to double

Oct 16, 2012

Mobile devices: Investment houses jump on the apps bandwagon

Specialists follow retail banks’ lead, reports Paul Taylor

Oct 16, 2012

Law and business: Cull old records to avoid legal ‘smoking guns’ in the archives

Stephen Pritchard considers the perils of too much data

Oct 16, 2012

Systems management: Concerns over the cost of compliance

There is an intuitive belief within the financial services industry that the bills are already, and will continue to be, very large, writes Alan Cane

Oct 16, 2012

Virtual money: Developments herald a ‘world beyond cash’

The latest in a string of mobile payment and mobile wallet service announcements could change traditional banking for good, writes Paul Taylor