The application of advanced analytics to detect and thwart sophisticated fraud increasingly is seen as the next, logical step in protecting customer data and identities.

If you haven't already, read Steve Cocheo's lead article "Innovation: Start reinventing, or start dying," in Editor's Report, the companion newsletter to this one produced by ABA Banking Journal. It's terrific.

All of a sudden, it seems, cybersecurity is all over the news.

Gamification. Sounds like yet another trendy, buzzy, shot-in-the-dark term people make up to hype the latest hair-brained approach to financial services operations, a term like Big Data, BYOD, or social media.

Make no mistake: Research-along with the gut feeling of bankers and business leaders of all stripes-confirms that the customer is the absolute king, queen, prince, and princess, particularly in how they rate the importance of their experiences while doing business.