Earlier this month, the vibrant city of Indianapolis played host to one of the most anticipated events in the financial technology sector – Jack Henry Connect 2023. This event is not just a conference; it’s a convergence of ideas, innovation, and inspiration, set against the backdrop of one of the U.S.’s “hottest tech cities.”
What is “Jack Henry Connect”?
Jack Henry Connect is the user conference for banks, credit unions, and vendors in the Jack Henry ecosystem. The event goes beyond the traditional boundaries of a conference, offering a unique blend of educational opportunities and a showcase of cutting-edge technology.
Inspiration and Innovation
The theme of this year’s conference, “Connecting Possibilities,” was all about linking attendees with the technology they need to excel in their roles. The event emphasized the importance of having the right technology to unlock endless possibilities and drive innovation in the financial sector.
A Commitment to Openness
This was my 20th time attending Jack Henry’s annual conference. From the early days in my career when I was the VP of Sales and one of seven shareholders at Gladiator Technology (until they were acquired in 2007), I have witnessed the evolution of the Jack Henry conference over the years. The event has grown in size, scope, and sophistication, reflecting Jack Henry’s commitment to openness and innovation. There were almost 200 vendors in the tradeshow, highlighting the desire for collaboration and partnership. If your company is helping Jack Henry customers, check out https://jackhenry.dev/. It was great to hear more about the roadmap for innovation from Jack Henry’s leadership in a specific session for the vendors attending.
Customer Feedback
This year, the conversations for the Finosec team who attended, Zach Duke, Betsy Godfrey, and Andy Mills, were particularly impactful. We decided to bring Betsy, one of our customer success managers, to facilitate direct interactions with our customers. Her presence allowed for meaningful face-to-face interactions, fostering relationships, and gathering valuable feedback on our platform.
Our booth at Finosec was buzzing with energy and excitement as we engaged in discussions with our customers about the latest version of our platform. The enthusiasm they shared about their positive experiences and the impact Governance 360 has had on simplifying information security and cybersecurity governance was powerful and exciting.
Our customers were particularly impressed with the new features and enhancements we have introduced, praising the intuitive design and the additional capabilities that have made their lives easier. They were eager to share their success stories, highlighting how our platform has streamlined their processes and bolstered their security measures. As well as helping us prioritize our roadmap and enhancements.
What was truly remarkable was how the customer enthusiasm bubbled over, attracting attention from other institutions not currently using Finosec. Our customers are our biggest advocates and it was great to see their passion and willingness to share their experiences and encourage peers to explore our platform. This organic, peer-to-peer interaction created a ripple effect, drawing in more attendees and sparking curiosity about how and where Finosec could help them address challenges, especially user access reviews for Jack Henry applications.
BankTech Ventures Networking
During the event we had the pleasure of attending a cocktail reception with BankTech Ventures, a unique ecosystem deeply rooted in community banking. The event was coordinated by Carey Ransom and Sam Malloy from BankTech Ventures, alongside representatives from innovative portfolio companies like PortX, Revio, and Micronotes.
This gathering provided a platform for engaging discussions, allowing us to connect with invested member banks and introduce other institutions in our ecosystem to the innovative world of BankTech Ventures. The atmosphere was charged with curiosity, as attendees were keen to learn more about the unique approach of BankTech Ventures in applying innovation for maximum impact in community banking.
Who is BankTech Ventures?
BankTech Ventures has created a robust ecosystem, bringing together over 100 community banks and numerous FinTech’s since its inception in November 2021. This event highlighted the power of collaboration and the shared vision of advancing community banking through impactful technological solutions. Learn more at www.banktechventures.com.
Giving Back
In the spirit of community and making an impact we gave away pink Finosec pins to our customers, contributing $25 to the local Riley Children’s Health Hospital for each pin worn. In addition to our clients proudly wearing the pink Finosec pins, we make additional donations based off the various discussions with potential clients at our booth. Showcasing our commitment to Finosec Forward and making a positive impact, these pins and discussions helped us to donate $3,300 to a local children’s hospital (Riley Children’s).
A Community of Interest
With approximately 5,000 attendees and almost 200 vendors, the event was buzzing with energy and interest. Customers were actively engaging with us, bringing along their new connections from the conference to discuss common challenges and solutions, particularly around user access reporting and managing to least privilege with Jack Henry and the third-party partners in the Tech Showcase.
In Conclusion
Jack Henry Connect 2023 was a testament to the power of community, innovation, and the endless possibilities when technology meets community banking. As we reflect on the success of this year’s conference we are reminded of the importance of staying connected (especially in person), staying inspired, and always looking forward to the endless possibilities that collaboration and partnership hold.
If you’re interested in learning more about Finosec’s capabilities and how we can help your financial institution, contact us.
