The beginning of any year is always filled with “best of,” “trends,” and “looking ahead” lists for people to consume. Sometimes, the number of lists out there can get a bit overwhelming, but it’s admittedly also very cool when you make those lists. And in the past couple of weeks, Kony’s made a couple of different “best of” lists, which we are admittedly pretty excited about.

We are incredibly excited to learn that Kony has won the inaugural Innovation Series award presented by Callahan & Associates.

Earlier this week Kony customer Partners Federal Credit Union announced the launch of a mini docuseries, throughout which the credit union for The Walt Disney Company will give behind-the-scenes looks into its “Digital 2x” initiative.

A world-class digital experience is not a luxury for financial institutions, it is a must. While our first forays into the digital space were mostly centered around our systems of record, that method is no longer an effective means to keep up with the speed of innovation required to deliver that experience and there is a cost for not staying relevant.

Part of the challenge for banks and credit unions looking to convert to digitally focused institutions is that it requires a new way of thinking.

In my last post, I covered several of the innovation areas which we are exploring and creating solutions within. One of these areas is Augmented Reality or “AR.” To me, when considering AR versus Virtual Reality or “VR,” AR wins from the perspective of how we work and, in many cases, gives us capabilities to enhance how we live. While there is a place for VR, VR normally requires specialized hardware and specific content to be compelling. In contrast, AR can be experienced using the smartphones and tablets we carry today.

Are you planning on attending DeveloperWeek San Francisco next week? If so, be sure to check out our very own Bill Bodin’s session, “Tomorrow’s Business Apps: Chatbots, Augmented Reality, and What Else?”

One of the most popular buzzwords of the past year has been “digital transformation.” And while pretty much everyone at the enterprise level knows it’s happening–no matter what–and that they must embrace it in order to make customers and employees happy, a lot of business leaders still aren’t 100% sure how to get there.

Despite the fact that a certain internet meme that involves eating a chemical substance has dominated the news this week, there’s actually a lot of intelligent conversation going on out there about digital transformation. From AI to blockchain to digital health, these are the ideas we wish would go viral. Enjoy!