GLG News by Fidelity National Information Services Experts

The introduction of Check 21 in 2004, has dramatically changed the payments landscape. Check 21 eliminated the legal barrier that had required the paper check for clearing and settlement and brought the capability for a digital image copy of the check to be the legal equivalent of the original check....

In my view, 2007 was not a Boston-Sports-Teams year for the banktech business.  There were some losers in our arena, as well as lots of worries;  a large number of lower stock prices for banks and techs;  a ninth inning attitude among bankers who achieved a good-enough system to get the...

The recent announcement that AMEX has entered into an agreement with FDC to offer merchant acquiring services has as much to do with expanding their issuing market as it does with expanding their presence in the downstream merchant market.  In addition, as MasterCard and Visa...

Domestic core system vendors vs. International core system vendors.  Every week I read about a new sale made by either i-flex solutions, TEMENOS, Infosys, Misys, or Tata Consultancy, and they are mostly significant sales.  But their marketplace is not the U.S.  There’s a more active market...

While it is true that investors risk money on potential returns and soundness of the underlying assets, it is also true that both the packager and the investor have analytical staff whose job it is to understand the investment. The underlying collateral of mortgages does have the value of the stream...

Notwithstanding skittishness about the subprime mortgage implosion and a possible impending economic slowdown or even recession, US credit card credit performance remains strong by historic terms.   While most borrowers do indeed let their card debt go bad before their mortgages, a very relevant...

Open general-purpose card payment network models continue to gain ground over closed-loop models. More if not always fully open, is proving the more fit card payment network model in competitive markets.   Amex’s First Data relationship will improve its US merchant acceptance. Forging additional...

Intuit Inc. (INTU) and Electronic Clearing House Inc., (ECHO), have signed another definitive agreement for Intuit to acquire ECHO. Under the terms of this agreement, Intuit will pay $17 per share in cash in exchange for each share of ECHO common stock, including shares tied to options. The total purchase...

GE is considering divesting its US credit card business. Chase, Citi, HSBC, Barclays, RBS and BNP could each have a rationale to acquire it. Carrying the logic further there’s an argument for spinning off GE Money in toto.  

Banking, mortgage, capital markets and other industry participants are comparing the current “subprime” mortgage market meltdown to the U.S. Savings and Loan crises whose roots were caused by archaic deposit and loan regulations and nurtured under the Reagan administration’s hands off regulatory watch...