What we’re seeing:

How financial institutions feel about their current digital banking platform provider is closely tied to their digital maturity. In the latest Alkami research, we see dramatic differences in emotional sentiment depending on whether an institution is categorized as Patiently Exploring, Innovation-Ready, Digital-Forward, or Data-First.

The Data-First tier expressed higher rates of positive sentiment towards their digital banking platform compared to all other segments – Patiently Exploring (7%), Innovation-Ready (20%), and Digital-Forward (20%).

This emotional divide highlights that as financial institutions become more digitally mature, their provider relationships evolve from one of basic functionality to strategic empowerment. The digital banking platform becomes less of a utility and more of a growth partner.

Takeaway and Call-to-Action:

If your leadership team feels underwhelmed—or worse, frustrated—by your current digital banking platform, you’re not alone. But you also don’t have to settle.

The emotional impact of your platform experience isn’t just a “nice to have” factor. It directly influences employee adoption, innovation readiness, and overall confidence in your ability to compete. Feeling “content” may sound harmless, but it often signals stagnation. Feeling “trapped” indicates risk.

Forward-thinking institutions, especially those investing in data and their overall digital transformation, feel energized by their platforms. They’re using digital banking solutions that help them grow, experiment, and differentiate.

Use this moment as an internal gut check. How does your institution really feel about your platform? If the answer is anything short of positive, it might be time to consider a partner that evolves with your institution.

Read more in the 2025 Update to Alkami’s Retail Digital Sales & Service Maturity Model.