SIFMA Tech Dispatches: Day OneOkay, I’ve been here at the SIFMA Tech conference for a little over an hour and my immediate thoughts are that the show is not like the ones in year past. It is down to two days and takes up much less space than previous years. That said, its organization and management is better this year. They’ve arranged the booths thematically so that the business platforms, data management, infrastructure & security and risk management/compliance/services have their own areas. I managed to come in at the tail end of Ray Kurzweil’s presentation on...

Innotribe Names Startup Challenge FinalistsIn a time of layoffs, belt tightening and the chanting of “do more with less” ringing through departments, there is nothing better than watching startups pitch for capital. They are dye-in-the-wool optimists who think they have the better mouse trap. That’s why I’m happy that I managed to attend the last 2013 regional startup challenge sponsored by Innotribe, SWIFT’s innovation initiative last Thursday. This was the third and final regional challenges hosted by Innotribe this year. It held one in Singapore in April and...

It’s SIFMA Time AgainYep, the unofficial start of summer is almost here. Forget about Memorial Day or the first summer bank holiday being the start of summer – that is mere tripe for civilians. For financial technologists, vendor community and trade press, summer starts the Thursday after SIFMA Tech conference. Before that is a 48-hour marathon of industry panels, schmoozing, vendor demonstrations, schmoozing, networking, schmoozing, post-event vendor gatherings and schmoozing. And yes, schmoozing is a synonym for drinking. I’ve attended the conference since 2000 and seen it...