PYMNTS
MAY 3, 2018
From mom-and-pop retail shops to the world’s largest companies, nearly every business is looking to offer the latest technology to its consumers. For many in the financial services world, though, implementing innovations is easier said than done. So, what’s standing in the way of FIs, the largest of which come to the table armed with big budgets and endless resources?
PYMNTS
MAY 1, 2018
In some sense, B2B eCommerce offerings have had a customer base for longer than they’ve actually had their own hub on Amazon, Martin Rohde, head of commercial customers for Amazon Business, told Karen Webster in a recent conversation. First founded about three years ago in 2015, Amazon Business – the firm’s B2B eCommerce marketplace – has grown up quickly.
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PYMNTS
MAY 1, 2018
It’s like the band is back together. Thirty-three years ago, Tom Thimot, the newly appointed CEO of Socure , collaborated with founder Sunil Madhu on a business specializing in physical identity verification and access solutions: Netegrity, which was ultimately sold in 2005 to CA Technologies for $430 million. From there, Madhu worked for Cisco and founded Hopskoch and Socure, while Thimot built a number of businesses that straddled data and security in some way.
PYMNTS
MAY 1, 2018
A new survey by ACI Worldwide and Ovum found evidence that financial institutions (FIs) are more willing to open up their data via API and are embracing real-time payments initiatives. The report, published on Monday (April 30), found nearly three-quarters of banks surveyed (73 percent) said they would be willing to open up data to third-party developers via API.
Speaker: Danny Gassaway and Wayne Richards
Finance leaders are prioritizing efficiency and digital transformation, yet many hesitate to automate due to uncertainty. Without a clear understanding of its impact, organizations risk falling behind competitors who are leveraging automation to drive productivity and cost savings. Join Wayne Richards and Danny Gassaway from AvidXchange for a practical guide on bringing accounts payable (AP) automation to your organization.
PYMNTS
MAY 25, 2018
As Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect, Facebook privacy critic Max Schrems has filed four complaints over consent required to use online services. The complaints were filed against Facebook — along with its Instagram and WhatsApp services — and against Google ’s Android, TechCrunch reported. “It’s simple: Anything strictly necessary for a service does not need consent boxes anymore,” Schrems wrote in a statement.
PYMNTS
MAY 3, 2018
Its name is Hermyz. Its mission, which just won the official admiration of Visa , is to move small businesses away from checks and paper receipts by migrating invoice management online. Hermyz took the grand prize and the $10,000 that came with it at last weekend’s Small Business Hackathon, an inaugural event that took place in Washington, D.C., with the backing of Visa and the U.S.
Accountant Advocate brings together the best content for small business accounting professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
PYMNTS
MAY 28, 2018
Apple is reportedly gearing up to allow third-party developers to get full access to the Near-Field Communications (NFC) chip in the iPhone with iOS 12. Citing The Information, 9to5Mac reported that Apple is aiming for the iPhone to be used for more digital payments and other interactions, such as opening hotel room doors or as a virtual transit card for easier access to transportation.
PYMNTS
MAY 29, 2018
U.S. software company Verint Systems, Inc. is looking to buy NSO Group, an Israeli company that sells military-grade technology, for around $1 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that Verint has offered to pay NSO’s controlling shareholder, San Francisco-based private-equity firm Francisco Partners , with its own stock and assumed debt. If the deal is completed, Francisco Partners would become the largest Verint shareholder.
PYMNTS
MAY 10, 2018
Synchrony Financial announced today (May 10) that it will acquire Loop Commerce , the digital gifting platform used by retailers to make every product giftable. Using Loop’s GiftNow feature, consumers shopping for someone else at a participating retailer can send any product to any recipient using only their email address and then schedule a time for that item to be delivered, including in real time.
PYMNTS
MAY 11, 2018
Robots aren’t going to take over the world, but humans could use them for some scary stuff. That’s Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s take on artificial intelligence (AI), according to CNBC. And in the wake of Google ’s latest tech revelation, many experts are agreeing with him. Google revealed its human-sounding AI assistant Google Duplex during this week’s I/O conference.
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It's the time of year to give our close process some TLC. Join us in this one hour webinar where we discuss how to adopt leading practices and infuse technology into the month-end close process to improve our experience and increase our productivity during month-end and quarter-end close. Learning Objectives: This course's objective is to understand how the month-end close can be improved with automation and adoption of leading practices.
PYMNTS
MAY 2, 2018
New technology and solutions powered by APIs are hitting the financial services market every day, brought on by new innovations or industry regulations. But introducing tech to stay compliant with new regulations and expecting easy adoption in a competitive space is a steep hill to climb – one made even tougher by outdated or legacy technology and IT infrastructure. .
PYMNTS
MAY 30, 2018
It’s not easy being a bank these days, and it’s often easy to overlook how many challenges traditional banking players face, on many fronts. “Banks are burdened with a lot of challenges that are not of their own making or design,” Gerhard Oosthuizen, CTO at Entersekt , said in a recent conversation. Banks, he noted, have to be compliant with a host of extremely stringent regulations, and often across multiple jurisdictions – all with different rules.
PYMNTS
MAY 22, 2018
Payments software company HPS is launching an API for other FinTech innovators to integrate into banking systems. The company announced news on Monday (May 21) that its PowerCARD Connect-Open API aims to help FinTech developers integrate mobile payment, tokenization, biometrics and other emerging banking technologies into their own solutions. The rollout follows a pilot version of the API launched last year, HPS noted, adding that the API can support “servicing” and “transacting,” enabling push
PYMNTS
MAY 23, 2018
Hy-Vee amps up its partnership with the Wahlberg brothers by opening its first Wahlburgers restaurant at the Mall of America in Minnesota. The opening comes as Hy-Vee plans to open another 25 restaurants over the next few years, The Star Tribune reported. Hy-Vee Chief Executive Randy Edeker was not initially interested in the partnership. “But I promised him I’d consider it,” Edeker told the newspaper.
Speaker: Jennifer Hill
Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.
PYMNTS
MAY 11, 2018
Americans could stand to get a few more hours of rest each night. According to the CDC , about one-third of all Americans between the ages of 18–70 are not getting the recommended 7–8 hours of sleep a night — or, in a lot of cases, even getting close to it. “As a nation, we are not getting enough sleep,” Wayne Giles, MD, director of CDC’s Division of Population Health, said in the study, before noting that Americans need to change their lifestyles (going to bed at the same time each night, risin
PYMNTS
MAY 29, 2018
In the early 1950s, an engineer named William Fair encountered a mathematician Earl Isaac who together decided to work out an automated credit scoring system for banks. In 1954, they came-up with the first version of the Fair Isaac credit score — or the FICO. It was a huge flop. Banks didn’t trust that an automated system could do nearly as good a job as personal bankers when it came to evaluating customers and their likelihood to repay.
PYMNTS
MAY 28, 2018
It was a long time coming, but it’s here. As the world knows by now, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect on May 25. The mechanics of what firms have to do when it comes to collecting, managing and processing data has been well-publicized. Equally well-publicized has been the readiness — or lack of readiness — of firms to bring data under the control of the consumer.
PYMNTS
MAY 26, 2018
It’s been called many things: Fry Sauce, Go Sauce, Russian Dressing, Dutch Sauce, Golf Sauce. On occasion, it’s called nothing in particular. It’s the time-honored tradition of mixing mayonnaise and ketchup into a single, delicious pink sauce that combines the creaminess of mayonnaise and the tart flavor universally located in each bottle of ketchup.
Speaker: Sierre Lindgren
Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.
PYMNTS
MAY 9, 2018
As restaurant operators seek to bolster sales in the face of weak traffic growth, Yum! Brands’ Pizza Hut is bringing beer delivery to approximately 100 of its restaurants in California and Arizona. The restaurant chain had begun testing the service in Phoenix back in December, Reuters reported. The new rollout will include cities such as Tucson, Prescott and Winslow in Arizona, and Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Sacramento and Santa Barbara in California.
PYMNTS
MAY 11, 2018
Coupa has rolled out enhancements to its business spend management (BSM) solution, the firm revealed this week. The enterprise spend management company announced at its annual Inspire conference the addition of voice activation using Amazon Alexa to manage inventory, locate items, and reorder stock. This feature, via Coupa Inventory, is available only in an Early Access Program (EAP).
PYMNTS
MAY 30, 2018
PayPal announced Tuesday (May 29) that it has acquired Jetlore , the artificial intelligence-powered prediction platform. In a blog post , PayPal said Jetlore’s platform is used by some of the leading retailers around the globe. “With Jetlore’s talent and AI-powered technology, we will enhance and accelerate PayPal Marketing Solutions, adding new capabilities that continue to expand PayPal’s value proposition for merchants beyond the online checkout experience,” wrote PayPal in its blog post.
PYMNTS
MAY 17, 2018
Revolut announced Thursday (May 17) the full release of its Open API for business customers, which it started testing roughly a month ago. In a blog post , Revolut said the response from the business community has been “nothing short of amazing,” and that the community is already using the API to make payments easier, saving time and removing frustration.
Speaker: Debra L. Robinson
CPAs know the drill: taxes, compliance, rinse, repeat. But what about the sneaky cash flow that’s quietly messing with your organization’s success? It’s time to step into the spotlight and expose the “dirty little secrets” of cash flow to fuel strategic growth. By upskilling your accounting practices and shifting focus from tax compliance to the strategic movement of money, you can transform your role from reactive accountant to proactive financial strategist.
PYMNTS
MAY 15, 2018
The Amazon Go store is getting ready to expand into San Francisco and Chicago. The first cashierless Amazon Go store opened in January in Seattle after being in development for five years. It’s located on the ground floor of the eCommerce giant’s new headquarters. Customers are able to choose from pre-made salads, sandwiches, snacks and meals, as wells as beer, wine and other beverages.
PYMNTS
MAY 17, 2018
It’s happened again. Wells Fargo on Thursday (May 17) was facing accusations that its employees altered customer data, this time in a business banking unit, according to The Wall Street Journal. The paper, citing unnamed sources, reported that bank employees “improperly altered information on documents related to corporate customers.”. There is no evidence that any data involved creating fictitious accounts for retail consumers, as was the case in the scandal from about two years ago.
PYMNTS
MAY 10, 2018
Wells Fargo announced news on Thursday (May 10) of the launch of Pay with Wells Fargo, a new service for its mobile app that brings payment options to the home screen of the app before a customer must log in. In a press release , the bank said customers can select their most commonly used payment method, including Zelle , mobile wallets, Card-Free ATM Access code and transfers, without having to sign into the app.
PYMNTS
MAY 1, 2018
“Machine learning is the answer to the financial inclusion problem.”. So said Douglas Merrill, founder of ZestFinance. It’s a bold statement, considering that the lending space is still trying to articulate what, exactly, the financial inclusion problem is — and everyone else is still trying to figure out what, exactly, “machine learning” means and why it matters to them.
Speaker: Aaron Berson
Managing spend is more than a cost cutting exercise – it's a pathway to smarter decisions that unlock efficiency and drive growth. By understanding and refining the spending process, financial leaders can empower their organizations to achieve more with less. Explore the art of balancing financial control with operational growth. From uncovering hidden inefficiencies to designing workflows that scale your business, we’ll share strategies to align your organization’s spending with its strategic g
PYMNTS
MAY 31, 2018
Internet of Things (IoT) technology isn’t just for a smart fridge or a smart speaker in the home: It also has applications for retailers. Swift Sensors , for example, developed a sensor network that monitors variables such as temperature and humidity for restaurant settings. Deployed in a restaurant setting, it has applications in walk-in coolers, freezers, prep lines and ovens.
PYMNTS
MAY 18, 2018
In today’s digitally connected global economy, employers don’t need to think local when hiring freelancers – but thinking local still applies when paying the freelancers they employ. Gig workers , whether working for an employer in the same country or across the globe, prefer payments in their local currencies and for funds to be quickly deposited into their bank accounts.
PYMNTS
MAY 24, 2018
Some of the biggest banks in Europe are urging regulators to increase oversight of large technology companies that are moving into the financial services market. The Financial Times , citing some of the banks, reported that the new open banking rules that require European Union lenders to provide account access of customers to third parties has resulted in concerns on the part of bankers that Chinese and U.S. technology companies will choose to go only after the best parts of the financial servi
PYMNTS
MAY 14, 2018
If one were to play a word association game and throw the term “cable home shopping” into the mix, more likely than not the two most frequent responses would be “QVC” or “HSN,” the two leading players in the space. Classifying them as two separate players is a bit outdated, though, since QVC’s parent firm, Liberty Interactive Corp , purchased the remainder of HSN’s parent, HSNi, in July of last year.
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Bleisure travel — where employees combine work and leisure — has been around since the advent of corporate travel and is here to stay. Successful bleisure policies strike a balance between employee preferences and company goals — workers report a 64% improvement in work-life balance, while companies benefit from reduced travel costs and increased workforce innovation.
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