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At Experian, advanced technology drives our commitment to enhancing the customer experience. For us, it’s all about innovation and creating products and experiences that meet the demands of today’s tech-savvy consumers, businesses and diverse client base. To accommodate ever-changing market conditions, we leverage a unique mix of our own data centers and cloud platforms, as well as provide standard APIs so developers can easily connect to our systems and data. And, machine learning plays a key role in this commitment to innovation. Steven Norton, reporter for the Wall Street Journal, recently reported on how we’re operationalizing machine learning technology to manage an increasingly complex IT environment, and drive business value for customers. Experian’s use of real-time monitoring has allowed CIO Barry Libenson to show an empirical decline in downtime and critical IT issues year-over-year. With companies looking to artificial intelligence to deliver insights into their customers and the business, credit reporting firm Experian PLC is tapping machine learning to better understand how its own applications behave, with limited human intervention. Click here to read the full article published in the Wall Street Journal’s CIO Journal.

We often talk about the balance between customer security and convenience, but rarely do businesses track the impact of identifying customers and managing fraud risks as two sides of the same coin. According to our recent Global Fraud and Identity Report, 84 percent of business believe if they were certain about a customer’s identity, the need for risk mitigation would be reduced. Being able to better identify our customers should be at the crux of all our campaigns. Simply put, the faster and better you recognize your customers, the faster and better you recognize fraud. And we are not alone. We feel the industry agrees with us. Two of the world’s leading research firms, Forrester and Gartner, both recently released reports regarding the state of identity, and we are thrilled to have been recognized in both. The Forrester report, “Top Trends Shaping Identity Verification (IDV) in 2018,” which was authored by analysts Andras Cser and Merrit Maxim, and published in March 2018, discusses the importance of easy-to-use identity verification tools and the top trends shaping identity verification. Experian was cited as the most used vendor for identity verification based on a survey of global network security decision makers. The report also shared an example where a North American bank improved its identity theft detection rate by 15 percent by using Experian’s identity verification services. We were also included in Gartner’s April 2018 Market Guide for Identity Proofing and Corroboration, which helps companies understand the value of identity when it comes to protecting customers and revenue. Experian was one of only three vendors that met all the capabilities criteria recommend by Gartner. The guide, authored by Ant Allan, Jonathan Care, Dorothy Luong and Tricia Phillips, also points out several key findings regarding identity proofing and corroboration. Just recently, Experian was named one of the top 100 most innovative companies in the world by Forbes for the fifth consecutive year, and this is icing on the cake. We are thrilled to be included in these reports and are committed to helping businesses provide a seamless identity verification process with accuracy and simplicity, and one that doesn’t negatively impact the customer journey. Ultimately, investing time and resources to develop the best tools for identity verification goes a long way. Not only will your business leaders feel more confident in your organization’s ability to detect and prevent fraud, it’ll also save your business the time and money that you would spend on eliminating fraud after it happens. All our fraud and identity services are available through our award-winning Experian CrossCore platform, the industry’s first open platform for fraud and identity services. Gartner Disclaimer Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

At Experian, we are committed to finding new, innovative ways to deliver better outcomes for our clients and their customers. With this in mind, we are delighted to announce that we have now been granted approval to supply Open Banking and PSD2 services by the FCA. The accreditation allows Experian to help people benefit from the Open Banking initiative through a new suite of products so that consumers can share data in a secure and compliant way. This will complement Experian’s existing credit bureau services. The overarching aspiration of Open Banking is to level the playing field by offering greater choice through new products – promoting greater transparency about the benefit and value of these products in the process. This accreditation from the FCA underlines our commitment to support Open Banking for the benefit of both people and organisations. One bank has already signed-up to use our Open Banking platform and we’re running several proof-of-concepts with other clients, so they can explore a range of innovative new services. Open Banking will help people to prove they can afford products, even if they have a limited credit history. The development of insightful mechanisms to manage finances and simplify applications, for everything from financial products to rented accommodation, will also reduce the time and effort required. When people choose to share bank account information with financial service providers they can receive the most appropriate products, improved services and better deals. It will be a useful tool for organisations to ensure they only lend people and small businesses what they can afford to repay. And it will be invaluable to price comparison websites, brokers and background checking providers. Open Banking will also help lenders to meet FCA regulatory obligations in affordability and reduce costs when processing applications. Adopting new data assets will be easier from both a technical and consumer support perspective. The UK is at the vanguard of a global shift in data sharing. Having a dynamic economy and particularly a dynamic financial services sector, is going to be a crucial asset as we navigate our way through social and economic changes anticipated in the years ahead.  

Innovation is at the heart of our business and our culture. It is one of the reasons we’re proud to be named one of the top 100 most innovative companies in the world for the fifth year in a row by Forbes magazine. In the publication's eighth annual list of the "World's Most Innovative Companies," Experian climbed to the rank of 57th and is amongst the top 10 most innovative companies headquartered in Europe. Technology, innovation and new sources of data are fusing to create an unprecedented number of new ways for us to solve pressing business and consumer challenges. This accolade underscores our commitment to innovation, and using the power of data and technology to transform lives, businesses and economies for the better. At Experian, we have created a culture of continuous innovation focused on opportunities for businesses and consumers in today’s digital and data economy. Just a few examples include our involvement with the TechCity FinTech4All competition,  which aims to discover a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who will change the future of finance, and our Experian MicroAnalytics work, which has extended over 5 billion credit offers to the world’s unbanked people. Experian has jumped up 40 places in this year’s Forbes ranking, placing us alongside some of the world’s leading technology companies including Tesla, Netflix and Amazon. This accolade demonstrates investors' confidence in Experian’s ability to innovate, both today and in the years ahead, and is a testament to the tireless work of our employees. Even more exciting is that we’re leading our industry in innovation. This is reflected in Experian being the only credit bureau to make the list this year. And innovation experts agree.  According to author Greg Satell, who profiled Experian in his highly touted business book Mapping Innovation: A Playbook for Navigating a Disruptive Age, “Experian is the manifestation of a culture of discovery that enables it to grow and evolve while remaining at the forefront of innovation.” The key to our success going forward is to continue to actively seek out unresolved problems and to create new products and technologies that will helps transform the way businesses operate and consumers thrive in today’s society. Learn more about some of our pioneering innovations here: Connecting Businesses in Brazil Through Data Analytics Experian DataLabs Is Experimenting with a ‘Voice to Credit’ Feature Delivering Value in the Digital Age: Exploring UK Attitudes Towards Data We're on the Brink of a New Era of Innovation FinTech Breakthrough Selects Experian for “Consumer Lending Innovation Award” in 2018 Data on Demand – Unlock New Insights, Create Opportunities Faster than the Speed of Fraud — CrossCore

Experian MicroAnalytics has surpassed a record 5 billion credit offers, demonstrating our commitment to helping people in emerging markets create credit profiles and improve financial well-being. In emerging markets around the world, people have limited access to financial products, especially credit. At Experian MicroAnalytics we’ve developed a sustainable solution to provide billions of people with access to financial products, easily accessed through their mobile phones, unlocking the power of alternative data in countries across Latin America, Asia, Africa and beyond. “We’re thrilled to have extended over five billion credit offers,” said Elio Vitucci, CEO of Experian MicroAnalytics. “2017 was our fastest-growing year, and we are now extending over 270 million credit offers every month. Our goal is to help people in emerging markets build a strong financial identity. We build financial identities using mobile phone behavioral data, one of the richest sources of customer insight, and unlock an initial set of financial products. As customers use these products, they strengthen their financial identities and obtain access to an increasingly wider set of financial services.” While only a minority of people in emerging markets have access to banking services and even fewer have access to credit services, the vast majority have a mobile phone, most on a prepaid plan. Experian MicroAnalytics partners with mobile network operators around the world, using mobile behavioral data to start creating initial financial identities for people. With these financial identities, customers can start to gain access to simple but useful financial products, such as airtime credit. As customers continue to take and repay their borrowed airtime credits successfully, they strengthen their financial identities and progressively unlock a wider, more complete set of financial services. This creates a virtuous circle, where in time customers graduate to a full set of financial products. “We help consumers in emerging markets to build a financial identity, unlocking access to financial products such as loans, credit cards, insurance and more, all available via their mobile devices,” Vitucci added. “These financial products fuel economic development, stimulate growth and have a positive impact on the quality of life for billions of people.”

What would your reaction be if you were told you were one of the four million people in the UK who had a ‘thin file’? Justifiably, your first questions might be to ask what that is and why it matters. A person has a ‘thin file’ when there is limited financial information available about them, which means usually they have a lower credit score and fewer options available when it comes to accessing financial services. Research we carried out earlier this year found 1.2 million people with thin files are in groups whose household disposable income is forecast to fall in the coming years. As a credit reference agency, responsible for helping lenders to make informed decisions about their customers, the statistics are clear in showing there is work to be done. The commitment to address this issue is part of the reason why Experian was recognised for raising Consumer Awareness in Credit at the Credit Awards 2018. How can we help lenders to better understand the four million people in the UK who, at the moment, struggle to access mainstream financial services? For many people, a typical credit report may contain a bank current account, a couple of utility suppliers, a credit card and perhaps a mortgage. But what about those who haven’t opened a bank account, pay for their electricity and gas using a top-up meter and live in rented accommodation? How can we work with mainstream lenders so they can better understand these customers, and as a result, make informed decisions? Innovation is the only answer. At Experian, we believe finding new sources of data is the key to delivering better outcomes for people who have thin files. Our work with The Big Issue Invest on the Rental Exchange, which will mean 1.2 million tenants see their rental payments on Experian credit reports for the first time, is a great example of expanding our perspective on the regular payments people already make. By sharing this information with lenders, it opens up new possibilities for tenants across the UK. Our research on thin files has accurately sketched the issue in front of us, and we are making progress in raising awareness among consumers about how they can improve their credit profile – even easy, free choices such as registering to vote. Engaging with your financial information is the first step to improving it. Our challenge is now to find more sources of data which will allow lenders to recognise potential customers who, up until now, they have been unable to support. But more than that, to offer the analytics which turns data into an invaluable resource when making decisions.