ExCITE 2022: Here’s What You Missed

For FTSI’s annual ExCITE event this year, we gathered in person for the first time in two years and blasted off into the metaverse. We explored the interconnectedness of virtual and 3D worlds as attendees immersed themselves in augmented and virtual reality experiences.  

The annual ExCITE event is FTSI’s way to gather people from near and far to show appreciation for our current partners and sponsors as well as make new connections through a day of networking, speaking sessions, food and drink, exciting raffle prizes, a 360º photo booth, and metaverse-themed fun at FTSI’s executive experience center in Monrovia, California.

Nearly 60 attendees made the journey for this year’s event. Whether you couldn’t make it this year, or attended and would like a refresher, here’s what we did!  

The event kicked off with some networking, introductions, and a presentation from Robert Malik, Vice President of Global Banking Channel Sales at NCR. The talk covered upcoming plans as well as new hardware and software updates such as: The Selfserv 80-series and Activate Enterprise. 

Blockchain technology can be implemented across a variety of use cases for financial institutions allowing faster, more affordable, and highly secure applications. 

Gerard Dache, Executive Director of the Government Blockchain Association (GBA) and Travis Hoban, Chief Technology Officer at FTSI, discussed the state of blockchain technology and its implications for financial institutions.  

The conversation focused on why blockchain technology will succeed and the market forces driving its adoption. They touched on what tools and resources are available to help financial institutions evaluate potential blockchain solutions and use cases, and how financial institutions can become more educated on the opportunities that exist with blockchain.  

The discussion also included unpacking the Blockchain Maturity Model (BMM), designed to help financial institutions get a grip on the specific risks associated with blockchain implementations.

The metaverse is a 3D integrated network of virtual worlds that is increasingly attracting the attention of major corporations looking to make a digital appearance in front of billions. Through augmented reality and virtual reality (AR and VR), users can create their own digital avatars to interact with each other in different worlds without leaving their homes. These worlds can immerse users in anything from gaming to social networking and beyond.  

Wooden’s presentation covered the basics of the metaverse, the “four big players,” the metaverse vision, and some tangible examples of this technology.  

The “four big players” include virtual worlds, software tools, hardware builders, and everyone else. 

• Virtual worlds can be 2D, 3D, VR, AR, or even AI-based. Virtual worlds are where people spend their time in the metaverse, with 6 billion player accounts total and 2.5 billion platers logged on at any given time.  

• Software tools include those that design and launch games in the metaverse and hold their own user-bases and significant market shares.  

• Hardware builders include mobile, PC, and game console builders. Without this hardware, the metaverse would be inaccessible.  

• Everyone else includes the players and those interacting with the metaverse. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 25% of people will spend at least one hour per day in the metaverse for work, shopping, education, social networking, and/or entertainment.  

The metaverse is making headlines in today’s tech news because people are considerably more conformable with immersive and virtual experiences after the 2020 pandemic. Financial institutions have an opportunity to take advantage of this ever-growing space where people are already spending their time and money. 

Donning a VR headset, Wooden entered the metaverse in real-time and took attendees on a tour of a game called “Walk the Plank.” Exploring a city, players can enter a skyscraper and balance on a plank hundreds of feet above the streets. 

Financial institutions have an opportunity to make their presence known during game play like this with their own virtual branch or digital advertisements on city billboards. 

Wooden urges financial institutions to participate in this innovation as much as possible by: 

• Participating in the regulatory process 
• Designating a thought-leader for blockchain, crypto, Web3, and the metaverse 
• Create a culture fostering adaptation and innovation 
• Become a fast follower: think futuristic instead of future shock 

For more on how financial institutions can take advantage of the metaverse, check out “How the Metaverse can Help with Financial Education” Part 1 and Part 2.  

ATM skimming attacks have grown over 700% just in the first half of 2022. Criminals are getting craftier while skimming devices get smaller and harder to detect.  

Chad Wilson, VP of Operations at FTSI, guided attendees through a workshop complete with hands-on exploration of skimming devices.  

Live Demos and Breakout Sessions 

Between speaking sessions, snacking, and trying out the 360º photo booth, attendees explored a plethora of services and solutions in our showroom through live demos of: 

id-go Digital Identity 

Glia Digital Customer Service 

L6 Appointment Management  

Smart Lockers 

Branding and Marketing Screens 

Teller Cash Recyclers (TCRs) 

Branch and ATM Security 

NCR Equipment 

And more...  

Wooden also conducted a demo of AI-generated art, where attendees created their own unique art piece by entering prompts into an AI software.  

Didn’t get a chance to make it to ExCITE 2022? We hope to see you next year for ExCITE 2023!