By David Bannister

Mainstream adoption of bank-led mobile payments services and the results of investment in removing siloed channels will see retail banks start to redress the balance between the opposing pressures of cost reduction and the need to invest in innovation in the coming year.

Payments on the move will help High Street banks

According to a new report from Ovum – 2013 Trends to Watch: Retail Banking Technology – “efficiency and productivity will remain the banking sector’s mantra, however these will be driven more by innovation and service transformation than in previous years”.

Denise Montgomery, research director, financial services at Ovum, said: “While banks display continued uncertainty as to where to invest, 2013 will see many begin to cement their strategies. In most cases, these strategies will be finalised in the next 12-24 months.”

The consumer-driven digital economy and mobile revolution are the primary drivers of the “digital disruption” that fuels this need for innovation, with mobile payment solutions in particular set to continue to evolve and enter the market in earnest during 2013, the report says.

“Whether the bank in question sees itself as a technology company that does banking functions or as financial advisors, they will invest in innovation to meet the larger disruptions of the digital age or invest in more incremental innovation to improve process efficiency and customer experience,” says Ovum. “These customer experience enhancements will focus on creating a seamless cross-channel experience, incorporating digital communications driven by targeted analytics.

Key trends include:

www.ovum.com