The speed at which technology advances is almost impossible for regulation-laden banks to keep up with. This makes judging which technological innovations created by more nimble, pure tech companies to adopt all the more important.

David Hennah, head of trade at technology provider Misys, was instrumental in the commercialisation of the bank payment obligation (BPO). Here, he discusses what the adoption of BPO means for the industry.

Cindy Murray, head of global treasury product platforms and e-channels at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, gives a unique insight into the people exchange that takes place every time a bank acquires a new business.

Largely thanks to its innovative new solution for on- and off-exchange reporting, pan-European exchange BATS Chi-X Europe has seen its market share balloon in recent months. But, aware of the dangers of complacency, chief operating officer David Howson says that the firm is just as focused on further innovation as on growth.

Computers have reached such a level of sophistication that they can now outperform their human counterparts at some tasks, a fact that has not gone unnoticed in the banking community. But, while smart machines are increasingly being utilised in customer service and data analysis capacities, advocates of these new technologies maintain that they are designed to complement rather than replace the traditional workforce.