The big spenders learn to budget

The days of promiscuous big spending on IT may be over for investment banks. However, because the splurge was often ill-directed and uncoordinated there’s still a lot to be done – and spent – to patch up old mistakes, deal with major developments such as T+1 clearance and upgrade neglected back-office systems. Worryingly, most banks still seem unwilling to cooperate with rivals on pooled systems and the development of common standards.

Over the past few years, the bulge-bracket investment banks have indulged in something of a tech-spending frenzy. There have been huge events to prepare for such as the euro, Y2K and Basle II compliance. In addition, post-merger integration has been a major headache and there have been compelling competitive pressures. The development of the internet as a new distribution channel, for example, was something that few banks believed they could ignore in the boom times without grave damage to their businesses.

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