Emerging Solutions in Anti-Money Laundering Technology
Abstract
Continuously evolving regulations, coupled with recent instances of money laundering rule violations by some of the largest financial institutions, have highlighted the need for better technology in managing AML operations. The explosion of the digital universe has brought new challenges, requiring banks to scan through a host of sources beyond regulatory and official lists.
In the report Emerging Solutions in Anti-Money Laundering Technology, Celent discusses a number of innovative solutions in the AML / Know Your Customer (KYC) space. Faced with pressures from growing compliance requirements and the need to cut costs, financial institutions are seeking to use technology to increase efficiency and free up resources. The need to ensure enterprisewide compliance is giving rise to centralization and standardization of AML operations, and integration of AML and anti-fraud programs. To capitalize on these trends, solutions are emerging to address complete client lifecycle management functions across different lines of business. In particular, the KYC function is receiving a lot of attention from both banks and service providers.
Risk and compliance is an area that financial institutions have traditionally wanted to keep in-house. However, the delivery model for AML solutions is poised for evolution. As financial institutions show more openness to using outsourced and managed service solutions, this area is witnessing the emergence of new solutions.
“Solutions are being developed that will parse large volumes of unstructured data from different sources with analysis capabilities that are not usually supported by rule-based methods followed by traditional AML software,” says Arin Ray, an analyst with Celent’s Securities & Investments practice and author of the report. “One issue that is still at an idea generation stage is cybersecurity. With growing instances of cyber fraud, it is likely that a few solutions will eventually enable financial institutions to strengthen and better manage their cyber security.”
This report, the fourth in a series of Celent reports covering the current state of the AML technology market, looks at some of the advanced technology issues by focusing on new and unique solutions that go beyond traditional end-to-end AML/anti-fraud solutions, and provides profiles of a variety of such solution providers. The other reports in the series are:
- Trends in Anti-Money Laundering, which presents the results of an exclusive Celent survey of AML compliance departments at over 50 financial institutions and benchmarks AML operations and costs, examines key issues in anti-money laundering and anti-fraud, and analyzes trends in AML technology.
- Evaluating the Enterprisewide Compliance Vendors: Solutions for Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Fraud, which profiles and assesses more than 20 providers of end-to-end AML/fraud solutions.
- Evaluating the Vendors of Watchlist and Sanctions Solutions, which profiles and assesses providers of watchlist solutions.