In this conversation, Deepak Gupta from Volante Technologies explains a simple idea: banks shouldn’t be forced into a one-size-fits-all payments transformation. Instead, they should be able to “own their journey” and modernise at their own pace so if a small bank’s existing wire or SWIFT setup is working well, Gupta argues there’s no need to rip it out. The smarter move is to keep what works and selectively add new capabilities where they matter most.
Volante uses the example of launching a new payment type, such as SEPA Instant in Europe or instant payments in the US and with a PaaS model, a bank can plug in a new rail without rebuilding everything behind the scenes. Gupta says this approach can get a bank live on a new rail in as little as three months, which creates quick “proof points” that the provider can deliver, while reducing the risk that comes with big, all-at-once change.
Volante also discusses a second path: larger banks that want to replace major systems outright, like a wire platform and Gupta suggests even these large-scale moves can be accelerated, citing timelines of roughly three to four months to stand up modern infrastructure such as an RTGS capability. Across both approaches, the benefits are framed in practical terms: faster time to market, lower cost, built-in quality and security, and less dependency on scarce or expensive specialist resources. A pay-as-you-go model also helps shift fixed costs into variable costs that scale with growth.
Compliance and resilience come through as major drivers, especially in Europe as Gupta points to regulations like DORA, noting that meeting expectations around operational resilience across regions is difficult for many banks to do alone, but can be delivered “out of the box” by specialist vendors. The broader message is that banks used to build everything internally, but keeping complex payment platforms modern and compliant is increasingly a full-time job best handled by dedicated providers.
Gretchen Rodríguez, TD, Philippe Daoust, National Bank of Canada and Margaret Mayer, Zions Bancorporation add a forward-looking angle: payment hubs and orchestration can simplify how banks connect to multiple rails and fintech partners, speeding up delivery of new services.
They also highlight unified payments experiences, where customers state what they want to do, who to pay, how much, when, and how fast and the system recommends the best option, rather than pushing complicated routing choices onto the user. Finally, they touch on responsible AI, stressing that as generative AI expands, banks must update governance, model risk management and standards so humans remain accountable for outcomes.
