What will financial services of the future look like with the cloud?

7 min read
Apr 30, 2022 4:00:00 PM

The banking of 2030 will resemble nothing as it does now. Faced with shifting customer expectations, rising technology, and alternative business models, banks must begin planning today to ensure they are ready for the future. Is this a vital sign of the changing landscape? The chief information officer, C-suite executives, and board members are increasingly focusing on cloud computing to become one of the Best Finance Industry Solution Providers.

Banks and other financial services businesses quickly realize that the cloud is more than a technology; it is a place where they can store data and applications and access advanced software applications over the internet.

The best Finance Industry Solution Providers like TransformHub, offer an array of innovative products-as-a-service that can be accessed on their platforms and help banks implement business and operating models to improve revenue generation, increase customer insights, contain costs, deliver market-relevant products quickly and efficiently, and help monetize enterprise data assets. 

The cloud also provides a significant potential to synchronize the organization, breaking down operational and data silos in risk, financial, regulatory, customer support, and other areas. After combining enormous data sources in one location, the company may use advanced analytics to gain integrated insights.

After focusing on the cloud's value as a less expensive, faster, and more "elastic" alternative to on-premise data storage for years, bank executives are now considering how they can use it in three areas "above the line" to open up new business frontiers and three areas "below the line" to streamline operations. As a result, banks may be able to increase their company performance and shareholder returns by implementing cloud technology in these six areas.

Financial institutions must use contemporary technology to provide better client experiences in real-time and at a reduced cost now more than ever. However, this critical need is challenging for many institutions because it necessitates both the gathering and processing of diverse data sources and the upgrading of obsolete operational models and legacy technologies. 

One thing is sure: financial institutions will be unable to keep up with increasingly responsive and inventive competition unless they upgrade their infrastructures. Therefore, you need the best Finance Industry Solution Providers like TransformHub to guide you to cloud services. 

However, some institutions are responding to this demand. According to a new Gartner analysis, application modernization is the most widely recognized objective for end-user cloud adoption in banking and investing services. In fact, 70% of banking respondents expect their cloud spending to rise in 2022.

What Keeps Financial Services Companies Away From Cloud Solutions? 

Financial services firms are increasingly competing with one another. Deep-pocketed businesses, for example, can swiftly introduce new products to the market and communicate with customers. In addition, most companies will respond to the drive to compete by automating and digitizing their operations. But, on the other hand, financial services firms have a bit more to be concerned about.

Maintaining manual records, particularly physical documents, can significantly slow down customer service. However, financial services firms are aware of the issue, and "the way we've always done it" has served them well until lately.

Data is the lifeblood of insurance firms. Security is one of the most common concerns when switching to the cloud:

  • The loss of vital information
  • Worry about personal information being disclosed or sold
  • Firms' concerns about integrating cloud solutions with current infrastructure
  • Concerns about keeping IT personnel to work on newer, cloud-native procedures

On the other hand, cloud computing isn't about replacing current data center equipment or completely altering every operation. Instead, it's all about improving what's currently working for a firm while also bringing new applications. For example, natural language processing (NLP) can digitize paper forms, and algorithms can recognize and safeguard personally identifiable information.

An enterprise-level solution

Business unit and IT executives who are used to working with on-premise data centers may find updating or replacing outdated systems with an enterprise-level cloud solution intimidating. 

Fortunately, banks may take this shift step by step. Depending on their organizational goals, maturity, and preparedness, they can mix and match hybrid and multi-cloud solutions; most businesses opt for a multi-cloud strategy. Data stored in the cloud can be as (or more) secure as data stored on-premises, regardless of the deployment type.

  • Cloud deployment models

Companies may go all-in on the cloud without being entirely cloud-based; they can mix and match services based on their needs. As a result, data can be as (or more) safe in each choice than in on-premise solutions.

Planning and implementing cloud solutions

  • Business case development

The cloud is assisting in the innovation of IT strategy, but it is also becoming an engine for rapidly developing new capabilities and services to meet business needs. Many transformational solutions are already cloud-based, although they aren't often advertised as such.

A cloud business case should highlight how the bank can use cloud-delivered solutions to generate customer insights, experiences, and offerings, grow revenue, reduce expenses, locate and onboard better personnel, and provide more uniform corporate operating platforms. 

It should also incorporate a baseline cloud value-assessment model to help scenario planning by mapping the economics of shifting market dynamics, pricing, and business assumptions. Finally, the business case should address concerns related to change management: What efforts could be required to assist in adjusting the organization's culture and mindset as a result of cloud technology?

  • Solution design and execution

For financial organizations considering cloud strategies, the cost and labor of migrating workloads to the cloud may be a big concern. When it comes to using business-building technology like sophisticated data analytics and machine learning, cost and speed to market are critical considerations. These and other capabilities are available from external cloud providers, saving development time compared to establishing in-house capabilities.

  • Vendor management

The banking sector will be migrating to hybrid and multi-cloud settings for years to come. Vendors are anticipated to offer new cloud-based services and capabilities frequently over this extended time. As a result, financial services firms should avoid vendor lock-in so that they may adjust to changing market conditions without having to re-platform when switching vendors.

Furthermore, as vendors mature, they may be able to offer better pricing flexibility by leveraging different cloud platforms that allow an organization to move workloads from one cloud to another to meet business needs and apply best practices developed on one cloud platform to departments using different cloud vendors. 

Adopting a multi-vendor/multi-cloud approach may be difficult and time-consuming; nevertheless, creating a shared knowledge of architectural components and a governance structure allows for the most efficient usage of multi-cloud environments.

  • Security

Bank executives are concerned about data security. Considering how an enterprise's present infrastructure and capabilities may be restricting its capacity to recognize and manage emerging risks and vulnerabilities—and how cloud technology might help—is a critical component of understanding the cloud.

Because of the tools inherent to each cloud provider's environment and the fact that cloud providers often take responsibility for the security of the lower-level infrastructure layers, security in the cloud is different. The fact that cloud providers and the customers they host share security responsibilities affects how businesses should anticipate and prepare for security threats.

  • Regulatory compliance

Cloud computing may assist banks and financial services organizations to meet ever-changing regulatory reporting requirements across different operating countries, which is vital in an industry where cross-border transactions are the norm.

Banks may also use cloud solutions to do intraday liquidity and risk calculations and mine trade surveillance data for anti-money laundering and other fraud concerns. In addition, data-brokering placement capabilities are enabled by a cloud platform based on data criticality and Certified Safety Professional certificates.

Looking Towards the Future

Businesses must gradually shift their whole offering and data to the cloud to get the most out of cloud services. The first step is to examine your current situation. Examine the protocols and servers you're presently using, why they're needed, and what would happen if a pipe burst. What impact would that have on your business? This viewpoint can assist you in identifying your most pressing issues and places where you can improve your procedures.

The next stage is to migrate smaller operations to the cloud gradually. For example, you may start by backing up your most essential data to the cloud, employing a few cloud-based lifecycle management tools, or utilizing cloud encryption services. Cloud computing allows businesses to be more flexible and quickly recover from IT problems. You'll need the Best Finance Industry Solution Providers, such as TransformHub, to carry this out effectively.

Migrating to the cloud also allows you to use existing features and capabilities, eliminating the need to recreate the wheel every time. Instead, begin by making use of the cloud's most critical services.

Moving to the cloud will be a gradual process for most financial services firms. However, you can be confident that the cloud will enable you to respond quickly to regulatory changes and compete dynamically for the next generation of business.

Discover the Future of Cloud Banking with TransformHub

Cloud banking will begin to dominate the industry in the next ten years. As a result, banks will enhance their customer service, develop new business models, and transform how they operate. They'll also become more secure and agile, scaling their computing expenditures to suit business requirements and using data.

If you want to be a part of the future of cloud banking, check out TransformHub, one of the best Finance Industry Solution Providers with pioneering experience and a team of specialists that brands widely trust.

From increased functionality to considerable cost savings, the financial services sector increasingly realizes that the benefits of public and private cloud computing must exceed the dangers. While cloud computing in finance may have started with non-core business activities, it is apparent that the future of finance is cloud-first.

TransformHub exists to help the financial services sector by putting the consumer first in all we do. We collaborate with you to co-create a specifically tailored solution for your organization by assessing your pain areas and business objectives. Are you ready to digitally transform your financial institution and bring it into the future?

Is it time to shift your financial services company to the cloud? Give our sales team a call at +65 31384660 or contact sales@transformhub.com if you'd like to talk about the best cloud-based solution for your company.