Building secure, connected and digital‑first financial services

Just a few years ago, financial institutions were largely defined by their physical footprints - branches, offices and trading floors that shaped how customers and employees interacted. Today, websites, apps, messaging services and chatbots are often the first point of contact.

Customers value the convenience, speed, and control of digital channels. However, when faced with urgent or complex issues, they can still seek the reassurance of a phone call or face-to-face interaction. Striking the right balance between efficiency and exceptional service remains a key challenge for businesses.

Initiatives like branch rationalisation and optimising office space don’t mean closing the door on great customer service. In fact, with the rise of multiple touchpoints and diverse customer preferences, the opportunity to deliver more personalised experiences has never been greater. In today’s digital age, connectivity is critical. Intelligent networks and robust digital infrastructure keep institutions open and responsive - ready to serve customers whenever and wherever they need support.

The digital-first model offers many clear benefits: lower overheads, faster transactions and the freedom to serve customers around the clock. At the same time, expectations rise. When in-person interaction is less common, digital experiences must be consistently reliable and easy to use.

Every click, tap and notification must do what it’s supposed to - and that relies on robust connectivity working perfectly behind the scenes.

Financial institutions operate some of the most complex digital environments, spanning apps, websites, trading platforms, contact centres and cloud services. These systems generate vast volumes of data every second and must work together without interruption.

Banking provides a clear example. According to our new Future Unlocked research, by 2030, only 9% of customers expect to use a branch regularly, while mobile app usage will soar to 54% and online banking will hold steady at around one third. The shift is already happening: most people are happy to pay bills, transfer money and apply for loans without setting foot inside a branch or even speaking to a person. 

Digital services are setting new standards for customer expectations, from instant approvals and personalised insights to secure payments and automated claims. Every feature depends on a chain of systems working flawlessly. Every one of these experiences depends on multiple systems working together reliably and securely at scale.

Financial institutions have always safeguarded customer assets; now that responsibility extends to their data too. Networks therefore play a central role in maintaining trust: defending against cyber threats, handling millions of transactions, supporting innovation and, in general, serving customers while remaining profitable.

Connectivity also supports financial inclusion. Reliable broadband, mobile, and satellite connections bring digital services to communities that might otherwise be under-served. When branches close, and access to offices is reduced, online platforms must be intuitive, fast and available always.

For these reasons, modern financial services lives and breathes connectivity. Where once an outage might have brought down a branch or temporarily taken a local IT system offline, today, in a hyper-connected environment, the scope for damage is greater, and the risk is proportionally higher.

Outages, even brief ones, have serious financial and reputational consequences, while a delayed payment or security lapse can erode customer confidence overnight. That’s why the best institutions now treat their networks as strategic assets rather than basic utilities. The sector faces no shortage of challenges and fragile connectivity should not be one of them.

At BT, we help financial organisations strengthen digital capabilities with networks designed to be available across branchless and hybrid operations. Your data flows securely and efficiently, with visibility over real-time performance. Network intelligence combined with advanced cyber protection detects anomalies and responds before they become problems.

Digital transformation is not the end of the office era but the start of something bigger. With intelligent, secure networks, financial institutions can use data responsibly to offer more personalised support, operate sustainably by reducing their physical footprint and build resilience against an ever-changing threat landscape.

As the sector continues to move beyond the branch, office and trading floor, connectivity will play an increasingly central role. By working with BT, financial organisations can continue to serve customers wherever they are, while building systems that are secure, resilient and ready for the future.