Unbanked and underbanked populations of the world are in the sights of companies developing mobile-based banking services. Wendy Atkins reports on the latest services to be launched.

Early results are promising, but whether the peer-to-peer lending models of online operators Zopa and Prosper can entice the risk-averse masses away from banks remains to be seen. Karina Robinson reports.

With the retail market key, Malaysian banks are placing great emphasis on cross-selling while rolling out simple technologies that improve service. Dan Barnes reports.

Banesto is 89% owned by Santander and is run as a quasi-autonomous entity. Banesto’s small size relative to its parent ensures that it can be used as “a trial bank or a laboratory” for new technology and as a business model, which (if successful) can then be implemented across the group, chairman Ana Patricia Botín, told The Banker in a past interview.

Can greater efficiency gains be made by Spain’s cost-effective banks – and will their forays into Anglo-Saxon markets succeed? Karina Robinson reports from Madrid.

A survey concludes that maximising sales capacity and adviser effectiveness through the adoption of efficiency techniques can boost productivity in Europe’s bank branches. Stephen Timewell reports.

The delay of the Payments Services Directive means that the Single Euro Payments Area will go live in a phased approach. Frances Maguire looks at the impact this will have.

The CIO and executive vice-president of newly formed Yapi Kredi tells Dan Barnes of the challenges involved in successfully merging the IT systems of two banks with divergent platforms and cultures.

The drive for achieving ever-faster trade execution speeds in capital markets means that any glitch, gremlin or gulp will lead to serious consequences in terms of lost business and margin erosion. This makes the technologist’s role ever more vital. By Chris Skinner.

Due to lack of investment, over-the-counter derivatives trading practices remain hopelessly unautomated. But, as Natasha de Terán reports, an industry-wide solution using web-based technology is in the pipeline.