Finland Times

Photo source http://ont.oulu.com/

Banking services, especially mobile banking, have seen a revolution in the last few years.

 

One crucial part in ensuring smart and secured mobile banking involves the intricate process of developing mobile apps and different types of software.

 

“The mobile revolution started just three, four years ago, and the change has been really fast. Today, the gap between website services and mobile app services is practically nonexistent, and the trend is toward further mobility,” points out Jukka Parkkinen, head of Application Development at OP Financing Group.

 

Based in Oulu, the application development department started as a small unit with a workforce of approximately 30 people. Despite initial challenges, the department grew into now employing about 150 people.

 

Although there are healthy business platforms, a strong university and a talent pool on offer in the region, one of the main reasons for the department being based in Oulu is its flexible location. “By being placed further away from Helsinki, we sought the agility and flexibility that we saw as an important aspect. We’re actually pretty independent as a business unit, and that is a good thing for us,” Parkkinen adds.

 

One such app which has been at the forefront in taking mobile banking to the next level is the OP Pivo, a smart wallet on your phone which keeps your banking information. The extent of use of the OP Pivo app is reflected in the fact that it is third in usage rating in Finland, just behind Facebook and Tinder.

 

According to Parkkinen, the department is not doing all by itself. He cited software security outsourced from Finnish companies as one area where the company is collaborating with other partners.

 

“We have quite a few collaboration projects with local companies, and we have been talking about a joint research venture with the University of Oulu, which should start pretty soon,” he said.

 

The company is also involved in digitalisation of other areas of its interests, such as insurance, real estate and more recently the healthcare units.

 

According to Parkkinen, not only has the location choice proven to be correct but also the quality of the department’s work which he describes as top notch.

 

“When we first started, the OP Financing Group managing director was at the opening, saying that we now need to build the best banking apps in Finland. I just replied to him that actually, we’re going to build the best banking apps in the world,” he quipped.