Problems banking innovations  and solutions

Isayeva P.G.

Russia, Dagestan State University

Banking is one of the areas of human activity where the use of information and computer technology, computer hardware and telecommunications is the most effective. A modern bank should issue new attractive products and under growing competition to do it quickly, with minimum risk and cost.

The range of financial services is expanding every year and there always appear new types of products and services on the market. This factor serves as the intensification of competitive activity between credit institutions for each client. Therefore, every bank builds its own relationship with the client based on the principles of partnership.

Thus, the credit institutions do not only care about saving, but also about the increase of capital of their clients, and continuously offering new products and services that contribute to the development of business activity of the population.

Nowadays one of the major factors of successful banking activity is a policy of continuous innovations. However, innovations in the banking business include not only technical or technological development, but also implementation of new forms of business, new methods of working in the market, new products and services, new financial instruments that can provide economic growth.

The concept of "innovation" first appeared in scientific research of culture experts in the 19th century. Innovation was called the process of adaptation of a new form of culture or adaptive norm of culture. Technical innovations were studied only in the beginning of the 20th century.

In his work Balabanov I.T. explains the concept of "banking innovation" and acts at the premise that the banking innovation is a part of financial innovation (innovation operating in the financial sector). Banking innovation is a resulting effect of innovative operations of the bank carried out in the form of a new banking product or transaction.

P. Semkova defines banking innovation as follows: "Banking innovation is a resulting effect of innovative operations of the bank carried out in the form of a new banking product or transaction."

Thus, under innovation in the field of banking activity should be understood the following:

• a product that was singly developed by bank to meet the requirements of clients and that had not had previously analogs in the market, is a new one;

• a product that is already available in the range of banking services and that is used in one of the markets, but developed to the other is also new for the market.

One example of banking innovation is the so-called internet banking which has replaced the e-banking and where the client connected with the bank by individual channel using a computer and a modem and that allowed to carry out banking transactions in real time. Internet banking is a system of receiving remote banking services via Internet. Virtual communication with the bank is carried out on-line and through the website of the bank. To operate with this system one must activate this service in the office of a bank and have connection to Internet through a compatible browser (a popular browser is Internet Explorer). Account management is possible from anywhere and from any computer connected to Internet. Activation and service activities as a rule are free in an online bank.

The main advantages of online bank:

• complete control of accounts and cards from anywhere where there is Internet access;

• the cost of services is lower than in a bank, or is absent at all;

• instant performing of most operations.

Obviously, the development of globalization in the markets of banking services leads to a greater competition in the banking markets; meanwhile the rate of implementation of innovations in the banking sector still more aggravates the economic and technological competition. An additional benefit for banks in the implementation of innovative technologies is an activation of competition, improvement of the quality of banking services, their diversification, and the possibility of a significant increase in the volume of transactions.

The main obstacles for the development of banking technologies and products are the lack of support and the regulatory role of the state, and weak legislative base. There are few laws in our country regulating the activities of banks on the implementation and use of banking technology and the existing laws need to be improved. For example, from the 1st of January 2010 there entered into force the Federal Law of 03.06.2009 ¹ 103- of Federal Law "On the activity of receiving payments from individuals carried out by paying agents." This law defined the legal form of activity on payment for various goods and services, but the conditions of this Law do not apply to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs. Besides, this law has not settled the relations of electronic payments that relates to such agents as Web Money and Yandex.Money. 

Development and implementation of new technologies is associated with high costs and not very often these costs can be justified. During the crisis many banks reduced costs in this direction and as a result they lost their niche in the market. In our opinion, in times of crisis you can’t save on innovative technologies on any account, because it is they that can help a bank to keep its market share and strengthen its competitive advantage.

Psychological problems are of great importance too. Many bank customers are interested in serving through bank branches as well as in the use of an electronic interface. This forces banks to carry additional costs both for keeping offices and the systems themselves.

In our view, the main directions for solution of these problems may serve:

- Improvement of domestic legislation;

- Improvement of financial literacy of the population;

- Improvement personnel qualification and creation of competitive environment;

- Improvement of financial stability of banks;

- Creation of special reserves by banks for the development and implementation of innovative technologies and products.

List of References

1. Zvarykina E.B. Implementation of innovative banking technologies / / Finance and credit. - 2010. - ¹ 38 (422), pages. 47 - 49

2. Revenkov I.V. Electronic banking: the risk of the bank's lack of direct contact with the client / / Finance and credit. 2010. - ¹ 37 (421), pages. 27-30