How integration powers cloud banking software | Blend

Under the hood: How integration strategies power cloud banking software

Cloud banking software allows banks, credit unions, and IMBs to tap into a wide-ranging ecosystem of integrations.

According to Forrester, ‘future-fit’ firms will outperform their peers by 2.8 times. That’s because they choose technology that helps them adopt a customer-centric approach and provides them with the agility they need to quickly adapt to new consumer and employee needs.

Financial services firms are no exception, but many are still grappling with how to achieve the digital agility they need to test and roll out new products quickly and easily. While building solutions in-house and on-premise often seems like a logical approach, the number of integrations needed can be a daunting proposition. It’s a “one-to-many” approach, requiring partnerships with multiple different providers spanning core banking systems, customer relationship management software, product pricing engines, data verification providers, loan origination systems, and more.

Custom-built proprietary solutions like this also often require a whole team of engineers as well as extensive internal resources, to design, build, and maintain. There’s due diligence to undertake, partners to vet, contracts and negotiations to be made — and that’s without considering quality assurances and the push to production. As a result, they can take months — and even years — to develop.

So what’s the alternative? Many banks are taking a new approach: they are choosing cloud banking software delivered by a trusted partner.

Blend is built for integration

Blend’s broad portfolio of cloud banking software is built on a foundation of integrations. Our strategic approach to partnerships has allowed us to construct a one-stop destination for many of the key features that financial institutions are seeking, all under the same roof.

We’ve done the hard work for you. We integrate with core banking systems, CRMs, product pricing engines, data verification providers, loan origination systems, and more. We also offer a self-serve option, allowing you to rapidly build unique integrations with Blend’s open/public API.

By uniting tools into one cohesive experience, your loan teams can operate more efficiently and provide better service to borrowers. Connect consumers and lenders in the same system for more seamless digital collaboration from application to close.

And we’re not resting on our laurels. We have an in-house team of integration experts dedicated to continuously elevating our products, connecting with key partners to deliver the capabilities that can establish your organization as a financial provider of the future.

Why choose cloud banking software?

Unlike on-premise solutions, cloud-based digital banking solutions are delivered via the internet, meaning that users can tap in from anywhere, and at any time, accessing information that is securely stored in a remote database.

Historically, financial service firms have had to purchase, construct, and maintain costly information management technology and infrastructure. Cloud solutions replace server centers and value-light IT tasks with intuitive access through existing technology (everyday computers, phones, tablets, and so on). Not only can this reduce the physical footprint required of a lender, but it can also reduce overall costs.

As a result, your organization can benefit from greater digital agility, improved time to value, faster time to market, and less overhead.