More Banking Executives View Fintechs as Partners in Economist Impact Report on Digital Competition in Global Finance Commissioned by WSO2

As nearly half of banking executives report serving customers via digital channels to a large or great extent, signs point to increasing recognition of fintechs as partners

In a global survey of 300 C-suite banking industry executives, 54% say their financial institutions have faced greater competition over the past three years from digital alternatives while 47% of UK respondents found this to be the case. However, these executives also indicate that they are better positioned to compete. Notably, 85% of respondents reported that they have, to some extent or more, the necessary technological tools to create new digital products and services. This rises to 90% for UK respondents. The survey was conducted for a new report¹ from Economist Impact¹, “Threat assessment 2022: digital competition in global finance,” which was commissioned by WSO2, a leader in digital transformation technology.

In addition to reviewing the competitive landscape, the report examines how banking institutions are addressing cultural change, embracing digital skills, and relying on technology to achieve a competitive advantage. The full report is available here.

Banks Rise to the Digital Competition Challenge

Many of the banking firms have responded to the competition by investing in their digital presence. Among survey respondents, 47% say they are serving customers via digital channels, including online or mobile applications, to a large or great extent (43% for UK respondents), and 77% of these executives predict their organisation will serve customers via digital channels to a large or great extent over the next two years (80% for UK respondents).

“All signs in the Economist Impact report point to established financial institutions successfully rising to the digital challenge,” said Eric Newcomer, WSO2 chief technology officer. ”A majority of survey respondents say they have the necessary tools, are culturally ready, and have the talent needed to create new digital products and services, which to me represents significant change in the industry dynamic. ”

At the same time, the growth of new digital entrants in the banking sector is shifting views on who is a competitor versus a potential partner. Among executives surveyed, 26% identified increasing competition from banking as a service (BaaS) or embedded finance, such as from non-financial firms including technology companies, and telecoms providers, among others. Whereas 43% of those UK respondents who had identified increasing competition stated that this was down to cybersecurity concerns or challenges including customer trust.

Meanwhile, only 12% of survey respondents listed increasing competition from financial technology (fintech) companies, dropping to 7% for UK respondents—in stark contrast to the widespread fear of competition from fintechs just a few years ago. Notably, the Economist Impact report cites a 2021 report² from banking consultancy Cornerstone Advisors, which found that 48% of banks surveyed had partnered with fintech startups over the past three years.

“The intense competition facing banks is leading to unprecedented digital collaboration,” said Seshika Fernando, WSO2 vice president of banking and financial services. “Banks once jealously guarded their data on proprietary systems to grow their customers and revenue share. Today, they are accelerating their growth by partnering with fintechs to add new services, embedding banking-as-a-service solutions in online retail offerings, and tapping the insights of agencies with big data expertise.”

About the Economist Impact Report

The Economist Impact report explores the challenges and obstacles that banks face due to recent technology innovation in the financial sector and rising competition from digitally native organisations in this area. It is based on a survey of 300 C-suite executives familiar with their organisation’s digital strategy, with survey takers evenly divided across corporate banking, investment banking, and retail banking. Respondents came from around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. 30 of the respondents surveyed were from the UK.

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About WSO2

Founded in 2005, WSO2 enables thousands of enterprises, including hundreds of the world’s largest corporations, top universities, and governments, to drive their digital transformation journeys—executing more than 18 trillion transactions and managing more than 500 million identities annually. Using WSO2 for API management, integration, and customer identity and access management (CIAM), these organisations are harnessing the full power of their APIs to securely deliver their digital services and applications. Our open-source, API-first approach to software that runs on-premises and in the cloud helps developers and architects to be more productive and rapidly compose digital products to meet demand while remaining free from vendor lock-in. WSO2 has over 900 employees worldwide with offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US. Visit  https://wso2.com to learn more. Follow WSO2 on LinkedIn and Twitter.

¹Economist Impact, “Threat assessment 2022: digital competition in global finance,” by Kim Andreasson with Michael Frank, May 2022

 ²Cornerstone Advisors, What’s Going on in Banking 2021: Rebounding from the Pandemic, January 26 2021

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