i2c Credits ‘What If?’ Approach for New Payment Hub

PYMNTS eBook, i2c

Technology plays a vital role in enabling innovation in banking and payments, i2c Global Head of Product Seth Perlman writes in a new PYMNTS eBook, “The Innovation Mindset: How to Achieve It in 2025.”

 

The financial services industry has experienced a significant transformation over the past few years — digital payments have surged, AI has become commonplace and real-time payment systems are growing exponentially — all due to the rise of FinTech and pandemic-driven behavior shifts. Fostering a culture of innovation is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. At i2c, we are committed to moving from a “no, because …” to a “yes, and …” mindset, both internally and for our clients. This approach empowers us to embrace new ideas, experiment strategically and deliver industry-leading banking and payment solutions.

Empowering Our Clients

We partner with our clients to adopt agile development methodologies that prioritize rapid iteration and experimentation. This allows us to quickly test new concepts, gather feedback and refine our solutions.

Innovation is core to our organizational DNA. It has consistently been a priority to invest the maximum possible number of man hours each year to bring our clients’ visions to life. Nearly 30% of our associates are dedicated to R&D.

Technology as a Catalyst

While a positive mindset is crucial, technology plays a vital role in enabling an innovation mindset. Some key technologies that we see transforming the banking and payments industry:

  • Cloud Computing provides financial institutions with the scalability, agility and cost-effectiveness needed to experiment with new technologies and business models.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can be used to personalize experiences, identify fraud and automate back-office processes. 
  • Open Banking and APIs foster a more collaborative and innovative ecosystem.  

Fostering Innovation

At i2c, we are on a continuous journey to cultivate a culture of innovation, constantly asking “what if.” A recent example is the launch of our Payment Hub solution. We explored the idea of streamlining multiple payment network connections using APIs and our unified platform and asked ourselves: “What if our clients had a more efficient and scalable way to build out their payments program?” As a result, we now have the most advanced offering on the market, giving financial institutions and FinTechs the flexibility to launch new, innovative solutions that drive long-term profitability.

Embracing ‘What If?’

  • Head in the Cloud: i2c’s platform is a full SaaS solution, which enables rapid deployment of enhancements that benefit every client. Our semi-monthly releases allow clients to maximize new functionality throughout the year.
  • APIs at Every Turn: Our entire platform is API-based, allowing clients to code and test integrations rapidly, and also enabling us to combine building blocks into new functionality. We can prototype and test quickly.  
  • Built for Innovation: Being fully composable means we can create new products using existing components. Our core banking solution, built on the same stack as card processing, uses account management, fraud, and other functionality already in production. 

At i2c, we believe “yes, and …” is more than a mindset; it’s what drives innovation and our clients’ growth. We’re committed to this approach, and we believe it is key to our success and our clients’ success in the second half of the decade.

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