IT Competitiveness -- "Singapore has displaced the United States as the top economy in information technology competitiveness, according to the World Economic Forum's latest annual Global Information Technology Report released today. The U.S. drops from first to fifth in the rankings, which measures the propensity for countries to exploit the opportunities offered by information and communications technology (ICT). Iceland, Finland and Denmark occupy positions two, three and four out of 104 countries surveyed, with Iceland achieving the most improvement among the top countries, moving up from tenth last year."
The rapid evolution of digital payment technologies is reshaping global financial apps, with instant payment platforms emerging as a transformative force. These innovative payment systems are streamlining transactions and also driving financial inclusion or economic growth across diverse markets. The recent worldwide market study by ABI Research provides compelling evidence of the explosive growth in instant payment transactions. Instant Payments Market Development According to ABI findings, the top eight global instant payment platforms are projected to see their transaction volumes skyrocket from 213 billion in 2023 to 681.1 billion by 2028. This remarkable growth trajectory underscores the increasing adoption and importance of instant payment solutions in our increasingly online world. One key driver is the global rise in Peer-to-Peer (P2P) payments. "Account-to-account wallets, which have seen widespread use in P2P transfers, are experiencing increased usage given their use in