Helping clients understand and respond to the threats and opportunities presented by digital disruption in one way or another is the cornerstone of the approach of all of the leading providers of digital consulting services. The digital era has spurred a wave of innovation touching every aspect of our lives. Nowhere is this more true than in the area of payment technologies.
Once a relatively simple affair (bits of colored paper and shiny metal for the small stuff, little embossed plastic rectangles for the bigger purchases), consumers and merchants now face a bewildering and rapidly proliferating array of payment options. Startups such as Square are disrupting the once-staid payment market area by offering a cheaper, easier alternative to point-of-sale systems that's proven particularly attractive to small businesses, while Apple Pay is just one of a number of new services that make use of near-field communication technology to allow consumers to pay with their smartphone or smart watch. While these technologies threaten to do away with credit and debit cards and their associated paraphernalia, Bitcoin takes it a step further and aims to displace the whole system of government-backed fiat currencies.
