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.

The brave new world of Web 2.0 will require a brave new approach from banks if they are to keep their customers, writes Joshua Weinberger.

In the first of our quarterly 2015 series, The Banker takes a look at what retail banking will look like in eight years’ time. Stephen Timewell explains who the winners and losers will be.

Corporates that create supply chains with highly flexible supply routes will find they are part of larger global chains and reap
the economic advantages, says Dan Barnes.

Dan Barnes canvasses the views of senior technologists within the banking industry on the innovation challenges they are preparing for during the remainder of this year.