Global security products and services make up an industry worth more than $300 billion. The United States is the largest market overall, but the fastest gains will be found in less developed markets such as India, China, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, and Brazil, according to Jennifer Christ, a Research Manager at the Freedonia Group.

“Growth in the security market stems from economic development, rising urbanization, increasing personal incomes, and concerns about crime and insufficient public safety measures,” Jennifer explained in a recent webinar on the topic.

Consumer spending on professional services is projected to total almost $481 billion by 2020, representing yearly growth of 3.8% from 2015 levels. Positive economic trends will drive growth as consumers gain more disposable personal income and seek professional services for their financial and personal needs.

Many innovative technologies are changing how we access professional services. If you’d like to seek legal advice, chances are you can do it on your computer or mobile device. Many online services are also cheaper than traditional ones, leading established companies to change their marketing strategies and to offer services on a variety of platforms.

Educational institutions face a unique set of security issues in order to ensure student safety. They must protect vulnerable student populations while balancing budget limitations, the desire to maintain inviting spaces for the students and community, and maintain government safety standards.

Media coverage of a number of school related tragedies has spurred upgrades to security equipment and procedures focused on student protection as public outcry boosted funds available for security spending. As a result, there has been a shift at a large share of schools — particularly primary and secondary — to devote a portion of their budget each year to evaluating and improving their existing security systems. 

Read more to see how security challenges vary by the type of education facility.

Within the credit card sector, innovative technologies are changing the way people make purchases.

Mobile and alternative payments are experiencing significant growth, with a range of payment providers in the mix including PayPal, MasterPass by MasterCard, Apple Pay, Amazon Payments, and Google Wallet.

In addition, co-branded credit cards continue to lure affluent households and millennial shoppers — which are prime demographics in the payments industry.

Is Bali really the best-kept secret of the global FinTech community?

Bali is known for its pristine beauty and its outstanding hospitality. In Part-1 of this two-part series, we showed that behind the scenes there is a vibrant and colorful international FinTech and Startup community evolving on the island. We also explored why Bali is so attractive for FinTech activities and listed "The 10 Magnetic Powers of Bali." Now, let's take a look at the leaders in Bali's FinTech community.

Is Bali really the best-kept secret of the global FinTech community?

Among FinTech enthusiasts there is a rumor that Bali is a thriving hub for innovative thinking, startups, BitCoin and financial technology in particular. The problem is that we rarely hear specifics about it, and there is no good source compiling and overviewing FinTech activity in Bali. Writing this blog post, we at Banking Reports, a leading source of FinTech market intelligence, can verify that, yes, Bali is really a hotspot for FinTech and BitCoin. In our research we have found something even broader: Bali is a paradise for startups in general from all industries, sizes and shapes.

It is often echoed in the media how dangerous deflation is. But, when it comes to ‘why’, journalists, bankers and even economists have a hard time putting together a clear and concise argument. Banking Reports, Ltd. has created this list of ‘A Dozen Dangers of Deflation’.

Rivaling consumer electronics, clothing has become one of the most purchased physical products online in recent years. Clothing was also the leading category in global cross-border B2C E-Commerce in 2014, accounting for over a third of all cross-border online purchases. In China and Japan, online mass merchants and marketplaces have become the most popular platforms for consumers to purchase clothing. In Europe, clothing has been the leading category by share of online shoppers in countries such as the UK, Germany, Russia, Italy and Turkey. Clothing merchants stand to benefit from adoption of current market trends, including but not limited to: M-Commerce, Omnichannel and Cross-Border B2C E-Commerce. Those merchants currently operating purely online or predominantly store-based could seek to adopt these strategies in an effort to gain a share in the booming online clothing market.

A Series Identifying Trends, Challenges and Opportunities Banks and Bankers Will Face in 2015

In Part-1 and Part-2 of this three-part series, Banking Reports, Ltd. Research, a leading research firm covering the banking industry, identified six significant trends that are projected to impact the banking sector during 2015. These trends have included: Apple Pay, FED rate-hike, African banking, the Chinese banking system, crypto-currencies and commodity-sensitive economies. In  this final installment, Banking Reports will explore four final trends and how they will impact the industry this year, including: PayPal, FinTech vs. FinServ, Europe's struggles, and the biggest challenges and successes for the upcoming year.

A Series Identifying Trends, Challenges and Opportunities Banks and Bankers Will Face in 2015

In Part-1 of this three-part series, Banking Reports, Ltd. Research, a leading banking industry research firm, identified the first three, out of a total of 10, trends that will impact the banking industry throughout 2015, including: Apple Pay, FED rate-hike and African banking. In this second installment, we will take a look at trends in the Chinese banking system, crypto-currencies and commodity-sensitive economies.