Scott, Susan V. 
ORCID: 0000-0002-8775-9364 and Zachariadis, M.
(2010)
A historical analysis of core financial services infrastructure: Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT).
Working paper series (182).
Information Systems and Innovation Group, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
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Abstract
Research in this article traces the origins of a not-for-profit financial institution the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (S.W.I.T.). Swift is a core part of the financial services infrastructure and widely regarded as the most secure trusted third party network in the world serving 200 countries with over 8000 users. Our analysis focuses on how the design and current state of SWIFT was influenced by its historical origins. In order to ensure widespread compatibility in a sector experiencing asynchronous technological development, legacy Telex specifications had to be accommodated in SWIFT’s design. Over time, what began as a closed “society” founded to reduce errors and increase efficiency in inter-bank payments grew into an industry co-operative supporting an enthusiastic community of practice and transformed into an unexpected network phenomenon. SWIFT achieved such success that it has been accused of being an installed base stifling innovation. In recent years, SWIFT has had to institute new categories of membership in an effort to counter concerns about its bank dominated governance and it continues to search for ways to meet the requirements of key constituents in the financial supply chain.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Working Paper) |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/informationSystem... |
| Additional Information: | © 2010 The Authors |
| Divisions: | Management Centre for Economic Performance Centre for Analysis of Risk & Regulation |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HG Finance Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software |
| JEL classification: | G - Financial Economics > G2 - Financial Institutions and Services > G20 - General O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Technological Change; Research and Development > O33 - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Apr 2011 12:21 |
| Last Modified: | 13 Sep 2024 20:16 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/33886 |
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