The how, not the why
We begin with a simple assumption: if you are reading this, you’re considering buying a core banking system.
As such, we won’t rehearse the usual reasons why change is inevitable. We’ll just accept that change is inevitable and advance, in fact, that 2026 is the year when the cost of not changing a core system will exceed the cost of change.
Instead, we’ll focus on the how because strategy is theoretical until it meets execution – until the rubber hits the road.
In this first part of the playbook, we start with how to choose the right core. In Part 2, we explore how institutions can migrate to the chosen platform, and in Part 3 we examine how that core can be extended to achieve technical autonomy without accumulating technical debt.
“I have worked in banking for over 30 years. For much of that time, I have been convinced that legacy modernization was unavoidable, but still we as bankers found justifications to defer action. I think 2026 marks a tipping point. What has changed is the risk equation. The risks of migration have diminished, and AI is playing a critical role here, while the risks of standing still are mushrooming. The core has become the biggest barrier to progress, holding back innovation, increasing cost, and slowing banks down when they need to move faster than ever. The winners won’t be those who move cautiously, but those who act decisively. Because today, the greatest risk isn’t change, it’s choosing the wrong foundation, or waiting too long to choose at all.”
2026
is the year when the cost of not changing a core system will exceed the cost of change.