February, 2017

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Belk Works On Building Its New Legacy

PYMNTS

In some ways, Belk department store is the last of a dying breed — and not just because it is a department store in the United States in the year 2017. Small and regional — outside of the Southeastern United States, most people haven’t heard of it. But Belk may have something to teach its more nationalized equivalents, because it is doing something that its counterparts nationwide, by and large, are not.

Retail 83
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Why The Enterprise Was Wrong About Public Cloud

PYMNTS

Enterprise cloud adoption is reaching new heights thanks to maturity of the technology and newfound trust among corporates of cloud infrastructure. A new report by Intel Security , released today (Feb. 13), uncovers some promising trends for cloud technology in the enterprise: Greater trust in the tech overall, especially in public cloud infrastructure, are both apparent in the survey’s results.

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Bitcoin Tracker: Up, Up And Away?

PYMNTS

Is there an alternative, profound French phrase or two that can describe what investors have seen this week with bitcoin? Because “déjà vu” no longer seems to cut it. Bitcoin is quickly headed toward fresh three-year highs after jumping up over $100 in value since last week’s tracker. After breaking through the $1,000 mark (again) at the beginning of February, bitcoin decided to stick around.

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Standard Chartered Launches Banking API Portal

PYMNTS

Standard Chartered is hoping to fuel innovation by giving developers access to banking technology. The bank announced late last week that it is rolling out the Open Banking API Developer Portal that will enable developers to play around with banking technologies, first with a focus on transaction banking and cash management. Standard Chartered said it will look to wield the solutions created by developers on the platform for the bank’s own businesses.

Banking 76
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Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook For Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Document-heavy workflows slow down productivity, bury institutional knowledge, and drain resources. But with the right AI implementation, these inefficiencies become opportunities for transformation. So how do you identify where to start and how to succeed? Learn how to develop a clear, practical roadmap for leveraging AI to streamline processes, automate knowledge work, and unlock real operational gains.

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Capgemini Launches PSD2-Compliant Bank Platform

PYMNTS

Consulting firm Capgemini has launched a new platform for banks to provide services compliant with the new Payment Services Directive of the European Union. An announcement Wednesday (Feb. 8) said the company is rolling out its PSD2 Open Banking Solution, aimed at reducing the cost of compliance to PSD2 regulations. Payment service providers and financial institutions, which have until Jan. 2018 to comply with the new rules, are at the same time pressured to promote innovation and enable faster

Banking 76

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Linking Cross-Border B2B Payments Across Cloud Platforms

PYMNTS

Considering the mind-bending level of competition in the FinTech space today, the rise of the API may raise some eyebrows. After all, if a company has worked so hard to develop some type of financial technology, why would they want to lend that technology out to just about anyone? But the rollout of APIs from financial services and technology giants like Standard Chartered and Citigroup is a chance for the FinTech space to achieve greater levels of collaboration and innovation.

B2B 75
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Plugging Banks’ $500 Billion Hole

PYMNTS

The predictions have been dire. Banks will be wiped out by nimble FinTech firms, intent on luring away consumers and corporate customers and the payments that come with them. But it need not be so. In an interview with PYMNTS’ Karen Webster, FI.SPAN’s founder and CEO, Lisa Shields, said that FinTech may be revolutionizing banking and the way payments are done — but it can help banks hang onto and even grow their commercial B2B business footprints.

Banking 75
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Blockchain Tracker: Hybrid, Private And Public Blockchain’s Impact On The Finance Industry

PYMNTS

Any industry dealing with sensitive information is subject to potential breaches. With practically every industry in the world having finance intertwined in it for survival, financial records may be one of the most vulnerable areas for virtual break-ins. As such, there will likely always be some form of a well-manicured security system in place. Blockchain technology keeps a high level of detail in its records of all financial transactions made.

Finance 73
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Singapore Eases Regulations Over Venture Capitalists

PYMNTS

Singapore is changing its rules on venture capital in an effort to support economic growth, reports said this week. According to Bloomberg , the Monetary Authority of Singapore published a new consultation paper that revealed new and existing venture capitalists will no longer be subject to the same rules that apply to fund managers overall, including capital requirements and business conduct regulations.

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Data Talks, CFOs Listen: Why Analytics Is The Key To Better Spend Management

Speaker: Claire Grosjean

Finance teams are drowning in data—but is it actually helping them spend smarter? Without the right approach, excess spending, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities continue to drain profitability. While analytics offers powerful insights, financial intelligence requires more than just numbers—it takes the right blend of automation, strategy, and human expertise.

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Amex Launches B2B Payments Platform In India

PYMNTS

American Express is readying the launch of a corporate payments platform in India, reports said Thursday (Feb. 23). Amex will launch the Buyer Initiated Payment platform in India this week, a move that aims to help businesses pay their suppliers on time while still extending their capital float, according to reports. The platform is also a response to India’s recent demonetization and subsequent increase in demand for electronic payment solutions. “This will not only ensure complete

B2B 73
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Hacker Tracker: Rising Cyberattack Costs, Malware Drones And International Law’s Impact

PYMNTS

As hackers continue to advance their malicious tactics, it’s no surprise that increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks and fraud are costing business big time. In this week’s Hacker Tracker , Simon Ragona III, director of data forensics at T&M Protection Resources , joined PYMNTS to discuss if tapping international law can actually help to keep cybercriminals at bay.

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Does Commerce Have A Role To Play In Virtual Reality?

PYMNTS

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two of the latest buzz phrases making headlines and gaining interest in a variety of industries. Though the technologies still haven’t reached a level of mainstream usage or acceptance, that hasn’t slowed down the number of companies and sectors looking to utilize VR/AR to transform customer experiences.

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How Self-Service Retail Is Becoming Mainstream Retail

PYMNTS

Vending machines aren’t about soda and salty snacks anymore — even if, at the consumer level, that’s what most people think of when they think about the technology. And vending machine operators are behind that mental reset as they contemplate their own futures since vending machines no longer have to be about junk food bought with cash. “The wave of vending operators that are embracing cashless and mobile continues to roll through the sector because there is a lot of evidence that consumers lik

Retail 68
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What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

Speaker: David Worrell, CFO, Author & Speaker

Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.

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Innovation Project 2017 Conversation Starters: Betting Big …. On Banking Redux

PYMNTS

The bank is an institution that has survived centuries. But nothing survives that long in immutable form. Consider the musty vaults housing gold and notes, parceled out by appointment, transforming (rather quickly in the here and now) into digital dollars in digital wallets. The branch and teller and service stellar are not enough to keep a steady patter of traffic in to keep the real estate paying for itself.

Banking 68
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Valeria Strappa New Chase Merchant Services CAO

PYMNTS

Chase Merchant Services, the global payment acceptance and merchant acquiring business division of JPMorgan Chase & Co., just recently announced that veteran financial services executive Valeria Strappa has been named the new chief administrative officer. Matt Kane, CEO of Chase Merchant Services, said in a press release: “Val will be exceptional in helping lead our global and growing business, with her professional experiences, international background, and competitive spirit.”.

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Will China Fast-Track Its Initial Public Offerings?

PYMNTS

Reuters reports that the nation’s securities watchdog is in the midst of mulling a “shortcut” that would offer some of the biggest tech firms in China a way to bring their shares public in a fast-tracked manner. In other words, they’d get to list sooner rather than later. And if they get sped to market, so to speak, they’d leap ahead of what the newswire termed “a long list of applicants” already in the offing for listing via exchanges, a heady number that tops 700.

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Bitcoin Tracker: The Beat Goes On

PYMNTS

Bitcoin’s value just broke $1,000. Again. And then went below. Again. Then up and down again. (Anyone else feeling seasick?). Following relatively flat growth through the end of January (by cryptocurrency standards, anyway), bitcoin’s value spiked, breaking $1,000 to reach a high of $1,003.92 in Thursday afternoon trading. At the time of this writing, bitcoin sat tenuously at $1,000.73, up 1.36 percent for the day.

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Forecasting Failures Are Costly: Heres How To Fix Them

Speaker: Dave Sackett

Traditional budgeting and forecasting methods can no longer keep pace with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Static budgets, rigid annual forecasts, and outdated financial models limit an organization’s ability to adapt to market shifts and economic uncertainty. To stay ahead, finance leaders must leverage a future-forward approach—one that leverages real-time data, predictive analytics, and continuous planning to drive smarter financial decisions.

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Innovation Project 2017 Conversation Starters: Can Payments Save Retail?

PYMNTS

Is retail just the land where shelves are stocked with goods, where salespeople appear at your elbow to inquire about your quest to buy? Is retail the purview of the buy button, the screen, and should it be defined as tied to the big screen (laptop) or small screen (smartphone)? Consider how retail has evolved over the past 20 years, with bricks and mortar facing an existential crisis in terms of small firms versus big-box stores such as Walmart.

Retail 66
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Payments Fraud, Cybercrime Overwhelm Corporate Security Efforts

PYMNTS

Combating cyberfraud is a “balancing act,” says Sift Science, a fraud detection software company. And the number of things corporations have to juggle to safeguard their data — from the numerous types of fraud to the copious technologies that combat it all — mean cybersecurity is no easy task. Sift Science has just released its latest research on how businesses combat security threats, and its report, published last week, offers insight into how the issue of cybersecurity takes many shapes withi

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Wells Fargo Reaches Data Exchange Deal With Intuit

PYMNTS

Taking a page from JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo has inked a data exchange deal with Intuit in which Intuit customers can import their account data without having to provide their username and password. According to a report , Wells Fargo is using a secure API that communicates between the servers of the two so that Intuit customers don’t have to share their Wells Fargo information to get their data uploaded into Intuit programs, including QuickBooks, Mint and TurboTax.

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SWIFT Pressures Member Banks To Enhance Cybersecurity

PYMNTS

SWIFT is putting the pressure on its members to enhance their cybersecurity capabilities, according to reports by SC Magazine. According to the publication, SWIFT is encouraging and, in some cases, threatening its member banks to deploy more sophisticated cybersecurity measures. The efforts follow last year’s high-profile cyberattack in which thieves stole $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank by infiltrating the SWIFT network.

Banking 64
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Are Robots Replacing You? Keeping Humans in the Loop in Automated Environments

Speaker: Erroll Amacker

As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R

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EBA To Keep Strict PSD2 Authentication Rules For B2B Payments

PYMNTS

As the European Banking Authority (EBA) prepares for the Revised Payments Systems Directive ( PSD2 ) to come into effect next year, it has reportedly changed its tune on one aspect of the rules that led to widespread criticism among online merchants. Reports Tuesday (Feb. 21) said the EBA has agreed to relax proposed rules that would require more stringent customer authentication measures for online sellers after industry players raised concerns that the rules would lead to abandoned checkouts a

B2B 64
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Walmart Draws Digital Bead On Amazon

PYMNTS

The biggest retailer in the world showed some things a bit surprising Tuesday (Feb. 21). Speed. And agility. As in, the company is gaining traction in its bid to be a bit nimbler, a bit more digital and a bit more alluring to shoppers even in its brick-and-mortar locations. One quarter’s results do not a trend make, but earnings were better than expected at $1.30, a penny ahead of The Street, and revenues were just shy of expectations, at $130.9 million versus the $131 million that had been proj

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Blockchain Tracker: Blockchain Technology’s Impact On Global Transactions

PYMNTS

From PayPal to Venmo, Google Wallet, Amazon Payments and more, there are a myriad of ways money is processed during transactions around the world. One of the most trusted and reliable ways may be through bank account transfers. As such, there’s a need to simplify all of these complex finance routes, and blockchain technology seems to be the anchor for this.

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Visa, IBM Make Every IoT Device a POS Device

PYMNTS

Payment with a connected device requires hardware, of course, at the point of payment. And till now, most often the point of payment required a specialized bit of hardware. Usually on a merchant countertop. . But in an initiative dubbed “The Genius of Things” Visa and IBM IoT platform – which includes Watson – announced today that they will bring smarter POS functionality – and Visa card acceptance – to any device that’s connected to the Internet. .

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Book of Secrets on the Month-End Close

Based off SkyStem's popular e-Book, the book of secrets to the month-end close will be revealed in this one-hour webinar. Learn leading practices when it comes to building a strong and sustainable month-end close that has room to grow and evolve. Learn about the power of precise estimates, why reconciliations are critical to closing the books, how and when to automate, and how the chart of accounts play into your close process.