Over the last year, the financial market has witnessed unprecedented growth and advancement with new technologies emerging. To maintain a competitive edge in the market, businesses need specialised skills to keep up with the latest innovations and stay ahead.

This year, Caspian One is in the running for two prestigious accolades for the Solent 100 SME growth awards – "Leadership Team of the Year" and "Owner Managed Business of the Year." These nominations are not just tokens of recognition; they symbolise a profound journey of growth and positive change within our organisation. Over the past two years, Caspian One has implemented strategic changes that helped the business develop and thrive. 

When 2023 came to a close, we at Caspian One posed a crucial question to over 700 Financial Services professionals in our community, "What resonates most with your 2024 skills vision?" Answers ranged from concentrating on wellbeing and diversity to expanding teams in cost-effective, time efficient ways, but the predominant response was clear; ensuring teams are equipped with the right specialist technical skillsets to compete and innovate, voted for by over 60% of respondents. This response aligns perfectly with what we’re witnessing in the rapidly evolving financial ecosystem presented in 2024 - where the acquisition of key skills is vital, if you intend on staying ahead. The outlook for 2024 underscores a necessity to strategically attain resources that not only understands the current technological landscape... but are also prepared to adapt to these emerging technologies. The ability to access and integrate these skills will be a defining factor in a firm’s capacity to innovate and compete in 2024 and beyond.

Alright, brace yourselves. After the annual predictions avalanche, I thought I’d let the dust settle before telling you all what I think - unfashionably late and, hopefully, a somewhat fresh perspective on this year’s trends.

In this article, I’m covering five topics I ‘think’ are big enough to impact our wonderful industry in 2024. Whether they’re old news to you or I’ve managed to surprise the veterans among us, chime in with your thoughts!

Trends we’ll be exploring:

The Playout Resurgence, Cloud Technologies Coming of Age, Cybersecurity: The Invisible War, The AI Revenue Riddle, Bridging the Skills Gaps. Keep reading.

As we approach the end of 2023, I take a moment to connect with you all, reflecting on a year that's been both challenging and rewarding. It’s been a journey shaped by the collective efforts and insights of our incredible team, valued clients, and strategic partners. Your support and guidance have been the cornerstones of our ability to navigate this dynamic landscape. We are thankful for the strategic partnerships that have enabled us to redefine our roadmap and customise our managed services for different projects and regions. For all this, I am profoundly grateful.

By Simon Keates. Last week marked a significant milestone for me and the team at Caspian One as we ventured to Poland, a country that's rapidly becoming a hub for technological innovation and talent. This visit was more than just a trip; it was a strategic step to reinforce our commitment to delivering exceptional technology solutions globally.

Following a rigorous RFP process spearheaded by the LCUC CIO group, Caspian One was selected as the preferred partner to deliver an Open Banking solution tailored to the credit union system in Canada. As a result, a collective of 10 large credit unions, comprised of both LCUC and non-LCUC participants, have committed to partnering with Caspian One to develop a customized version of their Open Banking platform that meets the unique needs of the credit union system.

In today’s article, we explore three key issues that most impact our FinTech communities and partners. This includes the importance of balancing growth whilst preserving culture, the difficulties in accessing required skills and expertise - and the complexities of meeting and delivering on expectations. We also share how Caspian One has supported these businesses in achieving their growth plans - with our outcome-based project delivery services.