Studio Informatica

Studio Informatica. Compliance, between regulation and digitization

A platform for compliance obligations, consisting of more simplified and lower cost services and products. And with a simple user experience, suitable for any financial reality. Studio Informatica looks to innovation to help banks chase new market trends

Technology and relationship for compliance. Studio Informatica has experienced a 2022 of growth and is now looking forward to 2023 in a positive way, on the strength of an innovative product catalog and technology platforms that are born out of discussions with institutions and finance players. "The last few years have taught us that the financial services industry is exposed to the global crisis, and you only have to go to the media to understand that, and is penalized by the market environment, still strangled by the high cost of capital, low interest rates and reduced commission margins," says Gian Marco Muratori, Partner at Studio Informatica. But digital innovation offers a way out. You just have to choose between two paths: disruptive or sustained innovation."

Listening to the market
Studio Informatica's products and services are born from periodic meetings of extensive listening to the market. "Also because clients, of course, seek our services but also solid relationships: a relationship of trust is established and this allows us to distinguish ourselves from other competitors," says Gian Marco Muratori, Partner of Studio Informatica. In addition to weekly meetings, for example, we organize one webinar a month, open to everyone, to open a discussion and to discuss regulatory news with anyone who might be interested."

Necessary adjustments
It is primarily Studio Informatica's clientele that demands this attention to constant changes in laws and regulations. "That of compliance, on the other hand, is a niche business, especially in terms of reporting requirements related to regulatory reporting: the Internal Revenue Service, Guardia di Finanza, Bank of Italy and the Financial Intelligence Unit. Every month there is an intervention by the regulator, and it is important that products and services are always compliant. For example, on June 30, the new measure on electronic payment data reporting was published, which comes into effect on Sept. 1 and covers transactions from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, 2022."

Providing specialized counseling
Hence Finance's clear urgency to rely, yes, on a reliable and constantly updated IT apparatus, but also to receive expert advice, in order to navigate the regulatory maze. "On the other hand, at stake are possible sanctions and consequent reputational damage," comments Muratori. And also the continuity of services provided to clients. So, the intermediary must be guaranteed to carry out its activities following the regulations: and for this we also offer know-how and not just technology, facilitating the digital transformation of business models and organizational structure."

Toward simplification and a new user experience
For the future, Studio Informatica is therefore clear about the evolution. "The compliance platform for reporting requirements will be enriched with increasingly simplified and lower cost services and products," Muratori announces. We will also put a lot of attention on the customer experience, because we want to broaden our market and reach even the less structured financial realities."

The regulatory push
Innovation has been underway, "first and foremost with software solutions and training to understand in which direction the finance market and also regulation is proceeding: in particular, the focus is on digital payments and cryptocurrencies, where the need for control continues to rise," Muratori points out. In addition, the Regulators are intensifying controls in the area of evasion and money laundering, and finance is being called upon to play a proactive role, which requires us to constantly intervene in our solutions and to leverage all the technological components that reside on our platforms, such as business intelligence."

Trends of 2023
Not least because there are many trends that are changing the market: "embedded finance, born under the impetus of PSD2, which now allows finance to also offer extra-financial third-party services; Buy Now Pay Later, which is experiencing its ascent into e-commerce; vertical banking, that is, banks that are increasingly specializing on a type of clientele or niche services and which will see, alongside it, a renewal of digital banking: no longer an online version of the physical counter but a center for services and advice on the needs of specific categories of customers," Muratori explains. The use of AI against fraud is also growing in this period, as it allows for increased efficiency and internal security, thanks also to machine learning. Finally, blockchain, a rapidly developing market that will soon enter the mainstream and find a place in all markets. It is still a muted area, there is mistrust, but it should help provide more equitable access to financial services. Some forward-looking banks are already doing this: expanding and reaching out to new markets, following the example of the new NFT phenomenon that is revolutionizing the world of art and gaming."