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Paladin Blog

Clint Eastwood Designs Most Banking Events

Posted by Aaron Silva on Jun 3, 2014 3:20:00 PM

I think it may be true. Clint Eastwood has been secretly behind the physical design and layout of most banking and credit union events for years. This theory dawned on me this spring as I attended and spoke at many national and regional events all over the country. Until starting Paladin fs in 2008, I spent most of my career as your typical vendor selling IT services to bankers. Today, I spend all of my time representing bankers in difficult Core IT negotiations with their vendors (Fiserv, FIS, JHA, S1, Q2, etc). Back in the day, attending and exhibiting at events became almost obligatory if you wanted to "get noticed" or hoped for someone to buy your wares.Being stuck behind a booth in the exhibit hall next to three of your competitors with flashier pens, higher-priced golf putters is a difficult and thankless pursuit. The days are long laced with many hours of boredom while your targets attend breakout sessions or play golf. Then, two to three times a day, a stampede of bankers rushes past you to acquire coffee, food or alcohol strategically located at the other end of the hall - that reminded me of the famous 1977 Clint Eastwood movie, The Gauntlet.


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Topics: Contract Negotiations, Paladin Research, community banks, Fiserv, Fidelity, Jack Henry, OSI, Vendor consolidation, Credit Unions, bank events, credit union events

The Real Impact of Core IT Vendor Consolidation on YOU

Posted by Aaron Silva on Nov 27, 2013 2:12:00 PM

In October we highlighted a clear and present danger resulting from the further consolidation of the Core IT vendors.  Fewer vendors exist than ever before and the impact to your service level, legal rights and business options are even slimmer if the institution does not make restructuring your relationship and contract a strategic board-level matter.  We teamed up with attorney Gary Findley to put on a national web seminar on this very topic that was widely attended by CEOs and CFOs of all sized institutions.  With tremendous feedback we have scheduled an encore presentation on December 10th and 11th if you are interested in joining and hearing some proprietary legal and business strategies on how to manage and mitigate this major risks area please attend.

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Topics: Contract Negotiations, Paladin Research, community banks, Fiserv, Fidelity, Jack Henry, OSI, Vendor consolidation

Vendor Mergers: Resistance is Futile, You Will be Assimilated

Posted by Aaron Silva on Oct 9, 2013 12:38:00 PM

Trekkie fans will understand the reference to the BORG and what it fees like when you don't have many choices.  The assimilated Captain Picard provides this famous line, "...from this time forward you will service us."  With the recent purchases of OSI by Fiserv and Harland by D+H many bankers believe the line could be rewritten, "...from this time forward ONLY we will service you...And you have nothing to say about it."

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Topics: community banks, Fiserv, Fidelity, Jack Henry, OSI, Vendor consolidation, vendor merger

"Rope-a-Dope" used by Vendors to Beat Bankers

Posted by Aaron Silva on Aug 12, 2013 1:10:00 PM

I was maybe only 5 or 6 years old when my father took me to the Cow Palace in San Mateo, California to watch Ali and George Foreman fight in what is known as The Rumble in The Jungle on closed circuit television broadcast on giant movie screens.  I don't remember much of the fight except that I recall how surly the crowd was and all the smoking.  My Dad was always, and still is, a big boxing fan and it was a favorite pastime listening to Howard Cosell describe Ali fights.  I watched that fight many times in years since and grew ever more appreciative of just how masterful Ali really was in using the "Rope-a-Dope" to fool his opponents and snatch victory.  In my book he is the greatest fighter of all time and like so many sports - there are lessons which can be carried into life and certainly into business.

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Topics: Contract Negotiations, Paladin Research, community banks, Fiserv, Fidelity, Jack Henry, OSI, Credit Unions