Platform as a Service: Not just another industry buzzword (Penny Townsend)

Since the explosion of fintech over the last several years, the industry has been a breeding ground for buzzwords and acronyms. Terms like “BNPL”, “neobanks” and “open banking” showcase how the industry has evolved at a breakneck pace with new innovations
emerging on a near daily basis. With so much transformation, it can be challenging to forecast those of which are here to stay from those that may just be another forgotten industry buzzword. 

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is emerging. What may appear as just another industry buzzword at first stroke, is a differentiating service. PaaS is a product offering from third-party vendors that allows businesses to leverage cloud-based infrastructure within
their own business offering. PaaS enables outsourcing the expertise of payment leaders, combined with cutting-edge technology, while providing customization and modification based on a business’ specific needs.

ISVs, ISOs, Financial Platforms, and payment companies often have unique challenges that require tailored solutions to fit their individual organization, and PaaS offers an opportunity to not only fill in the gaps in existing infrastructure but also to innovate.
Supporting payments is not a one-size-fits-all approach, making it even more important to find a PaaS partner with the capabilities that can adapt their platform offering to meet demands. 

The customer experience differentiator

PaaS is a product offering from third-party vendors that allow businesses to leverage cloud-based infrastructure within their own business offering. API and white-labeled technology enables easy, accessible integration technology that can be adjusted and
modified to align with an organization’s specific business needs.

For businesses looking to remain competitive in today’s crowded financial ecosystem, standing out from the pack is key. And with more options to choose from than ever before, the customer experience has become an important differentiator. First and foremost,
meeting customers where they’re at is one of the driving factors separating the customer service leaders from the laggards. PaaS empowers a level of customer experience that was previously unattainable with flexible features and resources that can be modified
to meet business needs. 

To keep pace and remain competitive, businesses can look to PaaS offerings to support their customer’s bespoke payments needs while bridging the gap in experience, knowledge, and infrastructure and supporting their long-term payment goals.

Choosing the right PaaS partner

For ISVs, ISOs and financial product companies looking to partner with a PaaS for expertise and technology, there are several important factors to consider: 

1. Integration offerings – what are the platform’s offerings for onboarding, underwriting, transaction management, dispute management and workflow management?

2. Modern payment options – does the platform process the latest payment options, including Google Pay and ACH?

3. Technology and operations – does the platform remove barriers and elevate your own product offering and business operations?

As PaaS continues to gain traction across the industry, comparing providers and their offerings is key to weeding out the false promises of an industry buzzword from the ones adding real value. 

The future of PaaS across fintech

Alongside the industry transformation that has emerged over the last few years, the once traditional financial ecosystem has undergone mass fragmentation – with more ways than ever to pay and move money. For ISVs, ISOs, and financial product companies, managing
the payments process can often be challenging and cumbersome, and it is difficult to navigate the increasing challenges of today’s financial ecosystem. This is why ISVs often turn to payment providers for their PaaS offering, in the form of a managed Payment
Facilitation – outsourcing payments expertise, innovative technology and easily integrated solutions to meet the unique customer demands of their business.

In the fast-paced environment of the fintech ecosystem, it can be difficult to stay on top of the latest trends and industry insights – to separate business potential from marketing fluff. As we look ahead, PaaS will continue to be an important area of growth
opportunity across financial services, and particularly one for payment providers looking to differentiate among the noise.