Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2016

CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) has released the findings from its 2016 consumer survey on digital financial services and how well financial service providers are meeting consumer needs. The 2016 survey, The 2016 survey, “FinTech Disruption in Financial Services,” examines how much value consumers place on a wide range of digital banking service concepts, market awareness, impediments to purchase, and their provider preferences for digital services.

Today’s banks face an unprecedented array of challenges, including financial technology (FinTech) competitors that are striving to take a share of bank customers, products and revenues—and bank executives are paying attention. In CGI’s 2016 Global 1000 outlook report, which entails in-person conversations with business and technology leaders around the world, banking executives cited the accelerated transformation of banking as a top trend in order to address pressure from competitors, customers and regulators. To complement the discussions about the role of FinTechs in reshaping the banking industry, CGI’s latest survey now brings the voice of the consumer into the FinTech disruption equation. 

CGI surveyed 1,670 consumers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden, Singapore and Australia and examined 12 leading FinTech-driven service concepts, including digital identity and fraud protection, aggregated personal financial management, mobile payments, personalized digital experience, and more. Key findings include:

  • More than 75 per cent of consumers expressed a preference to acquire new digital services from their current financial institution or another traditional provider over a non-traditional provider.
  • Seventy-eight per cent of consumers identified digital protection as a highly valued service, 83 per cent said they are aware of this service and 52 per cent said they intend to use it.
  • Sixty-one per cent identified personal financial management—including the ability to see all personal financial information in one place—as a highly valued service. Sixty-three per cent are aware of it and 37 per cent said they intend to use it.
  • Fifty-oneper cent cited mobile payments as a valuable service, and 94 per cent are aware of it with 53 per cent intending to use this service.
  • Lack of trust proved to be the biggest obstacle to purchasing across all financial digital services, followed by perceived complexity and risk aversion.

“Incumbent banks are well positioned to offer new digital financial services based on their trusted customer relationships with high-levels of up-take. Partnerships with FinTech firms can allow banks to move more quickly – one of the approaches banks are taking to meet rising customer expectations for fast, personalized digital services as we heard in our Global 1000 conversations,” said Kevin Poe, Vice-President and Global Lead for Retail Banking at CGI. “Work is needed to reduce the complexity of these digital services and aid purchase. On the other hand, new market entrants must find ways to overcome the hurdles of customer access and trust, and partnerships with banks provide a potential solution to these challenges,” Poe added.

Steve Lennon, CGI’s Digital Transformation & Data insights leader in Australia said, “This survey offers banks and FinTech companies a glimpse of how consumers around the world see their digital future, now. This shows real opportunities for financial services providers in Australia.”

When asked to rate “How valuable do you think each will be to you in the year 2020?” Australian consumers specifically highlighted digital protection (87 per cent in Australia vs 78 per cent globally), personal financial management (66 per cent in Australia vs 61 per cent globally) and mobile payments (54 per cent Australia vs 51 per cent globally).

“Australian consumers also indicated a strong preference to explore this digital financial future with their existing financial services providers, rather than the more unfamiliar FinTech start-ups. This creates partnership opportunities for our major banks to deliver the next-generation digital products and services consumers are waiting for,” added Lennon.

To learn more or read the “FinTech Disruption in Financial Services” study, visit cgi.com.

About the CGI Global 1000

The CGI Global 1000 outlook is conducted annually as a series of forward-looking conversations between CGI consultants and senior business and technology executives in commercial and government organizations. Through these discussions, executives share their perspectives on the trends impacting their organizations and how they plan to address the challenges and opportunities through their business and technology priorities and plans. In 2016, CGI professionals interviewed more than 1,000 executives in 10 industries and 20 countries, including in-depth discussions about digital transformation and cybersecurity. For more information about the CGI Global 1000, or to request a meeting to discuss its global, industry or regional insights, visit www.cgi.com/global1000

 

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI Group Inc. is the fifth largest independent information technology and business process services firm in the world. Approximately 65,000 professionals serve thousands of global clients from offices and delivery centers across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, leveraging a comprehensive portfolio of services, including high-end business and IT consulting, systems integration, application development and maintenance and infrastructure management, as well as 150 IP-based services and solutions. With annual revenue in excess of C$10 billion and an order backlog exceeding C$20 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Website: www.cgi.com.

For more information:

Investors
Lorne Gorber
Executive Vice-President, Global Communications and Investor Relations
lorne.gorber@cgi.com
+1 514-841-3355

Local Media
Jaime Zulkifli
Director, Asia Pacific Communications
jaime.zulkifli@cgi.com
+61 408 782 629