Featuring: Gareth Lodge, Regional Research Leader, European Banking & Payments

Moderator: Ralph Silva, Research Director, European Banking & Payments

In the current economic climate, payments providers need to attain the maximum margins that a very competitive marketplace permits yet also be flexible to upcoming regulatory turmoil. Many payment providers use outsourcing as a solution. Gareth Lodge, a research director with TowerGroup’s payment practice in its London office, has been following the market closely and has just published his current research on the state of outsourcing in Europe. The report “The Market for Payments Outsourcing in Europe: An Introduction” outlines the inevitability of outsourcing to successful payments providers and highlights the areas that providers must consider to assure success. Gareth also discusses the opportunities for the vendor community and the characteristics of sourcing partners that will providers will find most appealing.

Featuring: Guillermo Kopp, Executive Director, Global Research Fellow

Moderator: Ralph Silva, Research Director, European Banking & Payments

In this special TowerGroup View podcast, we talk to Guillermo Kopp about President Obama’s proposed regulatory changes. The President would like to see additional powers given to the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Protection Agency and he would like to create the Financial Services Oversight Council to police the countless regulatory bodies currently operating in the US. Although these proposals are still in the development stage, the resulting legislation will undoubtedly change the way banks operate. This special Podcast will help listeners understand the nature of the proposals and provide some strategic guidance for both banks and vendors. Guillermo Kopp is a TowerGroup Executive Director and a Global Research Fellow that covers cross industry issues. Along with his research activities, Guillermo also drives TowerGroup’s strategy.

Featuring: Bob McDowall, Research Director, Europe

Moderator: Ralph Silva, Research Director, European Banking & Payments

Systemic risk problems have dominated the attention of both domestic and global regulators culminating in a meeting of the G-20 finance ministers tasked with finding a solution. Whatever solution they develop, it is highly likely that banks will have to change both their strategies as well as their operational infrastructures. This week Bob McDowall joins us to discuss his most recent publication entitled, “Regional Fragmentation of G-20 System Risk Initiatives: The Runes are Appearing” authored in cooperation with Guillermo Kopp and Rod Nelsestuen. The report touches upon the geographic challenges of global systemic risk, it outlines the areas of banks that will be most affected by upcoming regulations and highlights the opportunities for vendors in a vastly changed industry. Bob McDowall is a research director within TowerGroup’s securities and investment practice. He concentrates on the strategic direction of trading environments, asset managers and exchanges and has well over 30 years in the industry.

Featuring: Susan Feinberg, Senior Research Director, Wholesale Banking

Moderator: Ralph Silva, Research Director, European Banking & Payments

TowerGroup View focuses on Cash Management this week, a line of business that has seen extraordinary strength in a period where all other lines of business have faltered. Susan Feinberg, an analyst in the Wholesale Banking practice has been covering this space for over 24 years, she discusses the key trends. Susan discusses the reasons why the business has weathered the financial crisis, describes why IT budgets for cash management operations will increase by over 5%, highlight the opportunities for vendors and discusses how customers of cash management products have changed due to the financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn.

Featuring: George Tubin, Senior Research Director, Delivery Channels

Moderator: Ralph Silva, Research Director, European Banking & Payments

This week, TowerGroup View focuses on Security, specifically, personal information theft. With alarming regularity, the media reports disturbing stories of lost laptops with millions of social security numbers, medical records being found in dumpsters and countless people being subjected to identity theft disrupting their lives and putting the banks at considerable risk. George Tubin has been following this subject closely and joins us to take us through his report titled, “Protecting Personal Information: We Lost the Battle, Can we Win the War?” and discusses how the lax security in non financial services industries compromises the integrity of banks. George also discusses the opportunities for technology to lead in minimizing the risk to banks and customers alike.

Featuring: Gareth Lodge, Regional Research Leader, European Banking & Payments

Moderator: Ralph Silva, Research Director, European Banking & Payments

SEPA (Single Europe Payments Area) is not just for European banks, US banks need to consider what the implementation of a European wide payments area will mean to their global operations. Gareth Lodge, a TowerGroup analyst and author of the recently published report entitled “US Banks: Standing at the SEPA Crossroads” takes us through what the upcoming regulations mean to US banks. He discusses why SEPA will be more beneficial to smaller banks, tells us why it’s dangerous to ignore the regulation and outlines the opportunities for vendors selling into banks.