Banks have not got the hang of seeing things from the customer’s point of view despite various attempts to institute customer-oriented service policies. Can they afford to continue this way? By Chris Skinner.

Fraud has been keeping people awake at night over the last month – and for once it is not just the victims.
Microsoft is in court having filed lawsuits against 117 unnamed defendants accusing them of using e-mails or web pages to try to secure information from unsuspecting members of the public in order to get financial details.

Business intelligence is key to understanding how to maximise profits – but research shows that lack of information at small banks and information overload at big banks are preventing them from making the most of such data. Anthony Gandy reports.

HSBC has transformed its technology provision into a shared services company that sells IT to the group’s departments.The intention is to increase cost transparency and increase control over IT, Fergie Williams, head of technology services Europe,tells Dan Barnes.

Banco Popular’s competitors may be gaining ground but the bank is still an attractive acquisition target. Chairman Angel Ron talks to Karina Robinson about strategies for SME and consumer finance business and why he is betting on staying independent.

Regulators are beginning to take an interest in the number of cases in which stock lending is being inappropriately used to influence voting. But no-one wants regulatory involvement and education could be the key, Dan Barnes reports.

In the EU, issues relating to the single currency, cross-border transparency and the accession countries bring additional complexity to an already fragmented cross-border payments environment.

Banks have been pretty successful at facing down regulation. But do they actually need to? And how long before the regulators hold their nerve and force the financial institutions off the road instead? By Chris Skinner.

Strategic sourcing and procurement systems are paying off in terms of cost reduction and also in terms of good governance, which is essential for IT departments to avoid a repeat of the technology failures of the past, says Dan Barnes.

After a slow start, banks are more optimistic about mobile phone financial services finally taking off, with contactless payment methods such as text messaging now on offer. Wendy Atkins reports from the 3GSM show in Cannes on some recent developments.