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A New Architecture for a New Age: Digital Transformation of IT Infrastructure in Investment Banking

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5 August 2016
David Easthope

Digital Transformation of IT Infrastructure

I recently wrote an article for CIOReview. A full copy of the article can be found here. In the article, I state that investment banks are transitioning their IT infrastructure to a new architecture based on a new vision: digital. The goal of digital transformation is clearly to simplify IT and operations, reduce cost, and thus improve ROE. Digital is driving demand for cloud-based infrastructure, BPO, and IT outsourcing with banks moving many applications to cloud.

But to create A New Architecture for a New Age, the new architecture is about more than movement from analogue to digital. Emerging technologies like machine intelligence can not only drive efficiency, but also offer advanced analytics and insights leading to investing and trade ideas, superior compliance practices, improved customer engagement, additional revenue opportunities, and more.

Moving from Known to Unknown: Blockchange

To create this aggressive form of digital transformation, a new financial technology stack is coalescing around Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, powered by cloud. The blockchain design pattern allows for cryptographically secured environments upon which to conduct wholesale and investment banking functions.

We believe financial institutions will deploy blockchain networks with distributed ledgers in increasing numbers. Smart contracts, which are agreements whose execution is both automatable and enforceable (according to Barclay’s CTO Lee Braine) will be powered by the networks and backed by digital assets, legal templates, and standards. IT and open source organizations will provide the fabric for blockchain networks, including cloud, while a number of technology firms will deploy and manage these networks to support applications atop this fabric.

Smart contracts will be enabled by confidentiality, security, and digital identity. The underlying technology will incorporate cryptography, programmable digital assets, distributed ledger technology (DLT), and interledger protocols. Yes, getting to smart contracts requires a lot of organizational change. Fortunately, blockchain creates some first mover advantages. So it’s not just cost reduction, but actual revenue opportunities that will encourage change.

Moving Ahead

Slow to move incumbents will be uncomfortably exposed to an unforgiving environment. Some will seek partnerships with fintech firms, a kind of hedging against the future (not a bad strategy, but an incomplete one), only to become hamstrung by the next quarter's results.

A better strategy is to decide what the future industry architecture will look like and then work toward becoming a leader by offering a new model for the future. Getting to the new architecture will take a minimum of three years, but most likely closer to 4 or 5. ‘Run the bank’ still overshadows ‘change the bank’ massively. To get from a known architecture to an unknown one requires courage.

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