PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
Whether you believe the hype or not, blockchain technology is attracting massive investments, exploration and competition across the globe. In the last week alone, top players in the distributed ledger space have made progress in their own initiatives, from membership growth within blockchain consortia to the pursuit of distributed ledger-related patents by top banks.
Katz,Sapper&Miller
JANUARY 5, 2017
In 2017, KSM celebrates its 75th anniversary. So what better way to kick off the firm’s 75th year than with an introduction to our newest group of partners and principal?
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PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
As the old joke goes, for corporate professionals, the procurement department is where you go to retire. Indeed, said KPMG ‘s Procurement and Operations in the Americas Practice Leader Samir Khushalani, historically, procurement has been viewed within the organization as a cost center that deals with straightforward transactions. And while technology progressed, with solutions providers developing company-wide infrastructure for businesses to manage all aspects of procurement, Khushalani
PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
Heading into the new year, most everyone, retailers included, is looking within to enhance our lives and businesses from knowledge already ascertained and move that understanding forward. In the retail space, experts say the chatbot may be one of the best things a merchant can add in 2017. “Creating better real-time customer experiences based on conversational interfaces.
Advertiser: Paycor
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PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
Canadian financial technology companies backed by venture capitalists reached a level not seen in nearly two decades, despite a slowdown of investment dollars flowing into FinTechs in the U.S. According to a report by Reuters , while FinTechs may not be red hot in the U.S., in Canada , they are breathing new life into the startup market and have drawn in a new crop of venture capital funds in Canada that are looking for young FinTech companies.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 6, 2017
Hackers — in case anyone was still left wondering — are not going anywhere anytime soon. The environment is simply too rich with targets. And given the tens of billions of IoT devices expected to be logging on — and possibly logging into payments functions — the environment is only getting richer and more tempting. And in an age where cybercriminals seem to be ubiquitously lurking at all times, security becomes every merchant’s, issuer’s, card network’s and consumer’s problem.
Accountant Advocate brings together the best content for small business accounting professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
IT professionals say the reuse of passwords by company employees is a significant concern, reports said Monday (Jan. 2). A new survey by Gemalto found that 90 percent of IT professionals are concerned about employees reusing passwords they use for personal accounts in their professional lives, researchers said. Still, 68 percent of those surveyed said they would be fine with having an employee use the same passwords for personal social media accounts and company accounts.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
Consumers aren’t just using their mobile devices to browse; they are also making purchases at a higher rate, according to NetElixir. According to a report , citing data from search marketing firm NetElixir, the conversion rate from mobile devices during the holiday season increased to 1.45 percent from 1.15 percent in the year-earlier period. NetElixir, which based its analysis on 90 million visits to retailer websites, said consumers are still spending more when shopping on desktops compared t
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
Soon, online payments might get more frictionless. Amazon’s patent on its 1-Click payment system will expire this year, meaning online buyers could soon see many other online stores adopting similar methods throughout 2017. Anyone who has used Amazon more than once or bought using voice commands on the Amazon Echo will be familiar with 1-Click. It’s an integral part of the Amazon experience.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 6, 2017
Quite possibly the sleeper hit of the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2017? Three-time Super Bowl MVP, four-prime Super Bowl Champion, legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Or at least his new technology. Beyond his NFL talents and with his wife, Gisele Bundchen, he has become known for focusing on a stringent and healthy lifestyle. Earlier this year, the couple released the $200 TB12 Nutrition Manual that instructs staying away from sugar, white flour, olive oil, iodized salt, to
Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA
In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. But if you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner, and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top. 🗻 What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level. The higher you go, the more your effectiveness depends on how you connect, adapt, and communicate.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
Amid several investigations by France into how several African leaders acquired their wealth, the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodorin Obiang, is now on trial for money laundering and corruption, Forbes reports. The trial got under way after the United Nations denied a request by Equatorial Guinea at the end of last year to halt proceedings on the argument that Obiang is covered by diplomatic immunity.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 6, 2017
For millions of Americans, opening and running a restaurant is the ultimate achievement of the American Dream. But while creating your own business and being your own boss may sound like fun, keeping that dream alive requires business savvy, and whether restaurant owners want to admit it or not, it also usually requires a helping hand from technology.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
BBVA announced Tuesday (Jan. 3) it inked an agreement to buy Openpay, a startup in Mexico that offers online payments. In a press release , BBVA said the move is part of its efforts to speed up transformation of the company by increasing its portfolio of digital businesses. Openpay is a payment service provider (PSP) that enables digital payments, including on mobile devices, for large businesses and SMEs.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
A Netherlands-based consortium exploring logistics and supply chain technology will begin to look at blockchain in its efforts, reports said Friday (Dec. 30). The consortium, headed by TKI Dinalog, is made up of 16 companies that will consider blockchain in ways to improve supply chain logistics and reduce supply chain footprints, according to reports.
Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP
The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 5, 2017
Open-source eCommerce platform provider Magento Commerce recently snagged a whopping $250 million in new funding from one of China’s largest investment firms, Hillhouse. This latest fundraising puts Magento Commerce’s valuation at more than $700 million, according to a person familiar with the deal. In a statement, Magento Commerce said that the new money will fund a global expansion, particularly in Asia, of both its sales and marketing operations.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
Retail is a dog-eat-dog world, operating at times on the thinnest of margins. The fact remains that price is a competitive advantage or threat, depending on which side of the pricing war you’re on. Rewards can help lure customers to a brand and keep them there. In a recent survey by Vantiv and Socratic Technologies, across 500 consumers, findings indicated that these buyers held, on average, 2.1 credit cards, 1.3 debit cards and 1.3 store affinity cards.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
Xoom, a digital money transfer provider, announced Tuesday (Jan. 3) it is expanding its services in Asia as a way to make it easier for U.S. residents to quickly send money to Japan. In a press release , Xoom said, by expanding to Asia, people can send money via a mobile phone, tablet or a computer. The money is directly deposited into the recipient’s bank account and can be accessed 24/7 throughout the year.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 6, 2017
It never takes long for cybercriminals to find new avenues to perpetrate fraud. Like the old saying goes, when one door closes, a window opens. In India, call centers are becoming a prime launching point for fraudsters to target Americans, while the advertising industry is dealing with the continued threat of the elaborate Methbot scam. All the while, people who continue to reuse passwords are potentially making the job of fraudsters much easier than it has to be.
Speaker: Mark Gilham, FCCA, CPP
Finance used to be the function that counted, now it's the one that’s counted on. 📊 For accounting firms, controllers, and finance leaders, expectations are rising faster than headcount. Businesses want agile forecasts, granular analysis, seamless reporting, and smart automation—often without added resources while demanding uncompromised accuracy and compliance.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
FinTech firms operating in Indonesia and running peer-to-peer lending businesses may face new regulations from the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK). According to a report in the Jakarta Post , Finextra confirmed, the OJK has introduced new rules that require these FinTechs to have a minimum of Rp1bn ($74,239) when registering with the agency as well as capital of Rp2.5bn in order to apply for a business license.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 6, 2017
Barclays has hit a new milestone in U.K. banking. The financial institution is the first to offer nearly instantaneous small business loans via a mobile app, reports said Thursday (Jan. 5). Of course, the loans aren’t exactly instant, but they’re pretty close. Reports said Barclays can provide an SME with financing within 60 minutes, with loans ranging up to £25,000 (about $30,000).
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
For merchants, a resolution worth considering as the new year begins is to make smart financial decisions and strive to offer customers a seamless online shopping experience. Working to improve how online customers interact with digital buy buttons is a single step that could simultaneously address these two goals. It’s a New Year’s goal that merchants would be wise to consider and could carry significant financial benefits.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 2, 2017
The payments space is filled with so much innovation — and new entrants eager to use that innovation to deliver a revolution to the industry — that it can be hard to see exactly where existing players fit into that vision. While it may seem that traditional payments companies only have the option to hop on board with the change or get left behind, Joby Orlowsky, VP of business growth and development for Discover Global Network , shared a broader view of the role that existing payment organizatio
Advertiser: Paycor
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PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
Every business knows that there is more to eCommerce than just having a website. But how to make that website cull more revenue, increase online and in-store traffic and tailor the experience to the customer is where data can help retailers — especially in this ever-growing omnichannel world. “Our specialty is in helping brands in their digital transformation efforts to enable an omnichannel buying experience,” said Jason Maloney, VP of business development at Thinkwrap Commerce.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 2, 2017
As the payments ecosystem continues to evolve and grow with the help of new technologies and innovation, the way money moves around the world has also transformed. Peter Ohser, chief revenue officer of Americas and Europe at MoneyGram International , pointed out that, while there are many things driving the company’s business, the impact of digital is having lasting effects on the evolution of the global remittance landscape.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 3, 2017
Given the past few days, it seems like 2017 could be a banner year for bitcoin. Bitcoin broke past $1,000 in value on its first day of trading in 2017. This marks the first time in three years that the cryptocurrency has been so valuable. At the time of writing, the price of bitcoin sat at $1,027.05. These figures are the highest bitcoin has been since its $1,216.70 peak in 2013, just weeks before the Japanese bitcoin exchange Mt.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 5, 2017
For most of the year, Las Vegas is something of a specific taste. If one happens to love gambling, showgirls or extremely bright lights, it is a lot of fun. If one happens to dislike one or all of those things, Las Vegas is more or less a perfect approximation of hell on Earth. But for the last half-century, for one week a year — the first week — Las Vegas literally and actually has something for everyone because the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) comes to town.
Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry
Distributed finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs, and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats are more than just growing pains—they’re liabilities. The challenge isn’t just going remote. It’s building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
India’s sprawling customer service industry isn’t only there to help Americans with their legions of questions and complaints. Increasingly, it is designed to scam consumers. According to a report by The New York Times highlighting the scams , a call center worker in India recently contacted Betsy Broder, who tracks international fraud at the Federal Trade Commission, and alerted her to a scam in which everyone in the call center impersonated Internal Revenue Service officials and demanded im
PYMNTS
JANUARY 2, 2017
In 2016, the PYMNTS.com Tracker series kept tabs on practically everything within the payments and commerce ecosystem, from A to Z (that’s ACH transfers to Ziosk). During these 12 months, the Trackers followed the biggest developments, news and headlines from around all segments of the payments ecosystem. It was a busy year throughout the world of payments, with plenty of new technology making headlines along the way.
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
Is the Big Apple overrun with one of its ubiquitous signifiers — the yellow cab? CNNMoney reported recently on an MIT study, which, earlier this week, said that a staggeringly low number of four-person cabs/sedans — how about 3,000? — would be adequate to cover as much as 98 percent of the riding demand that exists city-wide. Contrast that 3,000-car fleet with the 13,600 taxis and 45,000 drivers tied to Lyft, Uber and other ride-hailing services that currently putter about the city, and it seem
PYMNTS
JANUARY 4, 2017
Hyundai is gearing up to demonstrate the compatibility of its Blue Link Agent with Google Assistant during Pepcom’s Digital Experience ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show, which is the annual tech confab in Las Vegas that kicks off today (Jan. 4.). In a press release , Hyundai said the demonstration will show how Blue Link Agent allows control of various functions of a Hyundai car with voice commands — commands such as “OK, Google, tell Blue Link to start my Santa Fe and set the temperature t
Speaker: Frank Taliano
Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.
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