Core Banking Modernization

We wrap, replace, or convert a bank's core one product at a time, with balances reconciled before each cutover.
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Definition

What is core banking modernization?

Core banking modernization is the replacement or re-architecture of the system that holds a bank's accounts, balances, and postings, together with the deposit and loan products built on it. BD Emerson helps banks and credit unions decide between wrapping the incumbent core, moving products to a new core one at a time, and converting at once, then builds the integration layer and runs the conversion with balances reconciled at every step. We resell no core software, so the recommendation rests on your contract dates and your numbers.

Fiserv, Jack Henry, and FIS served more than 70 percent of banks surveyed in 2022, according to a 2024 Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City study, and those cores typically run under multi-year contracts with deconversion fees and notice periods that set the real decision window. Real-time payments on FedNow and RTP, open banking connections, and digital channels all pull on a core that often posts in nightly batches. Wrapping the core with an API and event layer relieves that pressure, and moving products to a new core removes it.

Clients come to us with a contract renewal inside two to three years, an acquisition that left two cores running, a product the current core cannot support, or examiner findings about the systems around it. The work starts with a five-year cost model of each path and a product-by-product plan.

Services

What our core banking modernization services include

Core strategy and selection
API and event layer
Product-by-product migration
Conversion and reconciliation
Payments and channels
Reporting and controls

Core strategy and selection

We cost staying, wrapping, and replacing over five years, including deconversion fees, license terms, conversion work, and the staff each option needs. When a new core is the answer, we run a vendor-neutral selection with scripted demonstrations on your products and a review of the contract terms that matter at exit.

API and event layer

We put a documented API layer and an event stream in front of the incumbent core, so digital channels, partners, and analytics get real-time balances and transactions through stable contracts, and the core can be replaced later without breaking them.

Product-by-product migration

We move deposit and loan products to a new core one at a time, starting with a product that tests the hard parts, such as interest accrual, fees, and statements, at a manageable volume. The incumbent core shrinks until it can be retired on a planned date.

Conversion and reconciliation

We run mock conversions until accounts, balances, accrued interest, holds, and history match at the account level, and we plan the conversion weekend hour by hour with a tested rollback. Nothing switches over until every account agrees.

Payments and channels

We connect ACH, wires, card, RTP, and FedNow to the new posting model, with cutoffs, returns, and exceptions handled as first-class flows, and keep online and mobile banking working through the conversion with real-time balances.

Reporting and controls

We rebuild the feeds into the general ledger, call reports, and BSA and AML monitoring, then reconcile them to the core every period. Access controls, audit trails, and change records are built in, because examiners will ask for them.

Our approach

Model it, prove it, convert it, retire it

01

Model the decision

We cost each path over five years using your contract dates, deconversion terms, product list, and staffing, and name the date by which the bank has to decide.

02

Prove one product

We stand up one product on the target core or behind the new API layer, run it on production data in parallel, and let your operations team test it before the full program is approved.

03

Convert in waves

Products and account groups move in waves, each reconciled at the account level and run in parallel until balances agree, with customer communications planned for each wave.

04

Retire and hand over

The incumbent core is decommissioned after its last product leaves, records are archived to your retention schedule, and your team takes over the code, integrations, and runbooks.

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Weighing a core banking conversion?

Bring your core contract dates and your product list. In one working session we will map the options, the conversion risks, and what a first product on a new core would prove.

Our Advantage

Why BD Emerson for core banking modernization

Independent of the core vendors

We resell nothing and take no margin from FIS, Fiserv, Jack Henry, or newer cloud core vendors. When renewing your current core is the better answer, we say so and show you the five-year numbers behind it.

Ledger-grade engineering

Postings are idempotent, cutoffs and replays are tested, and reconciliation runs at the account level, because banking systems fail at the seams between the core, payments, and the general ledger.

Exam-ready from the first sprint

Third-party risk documentation, access controls, change records, and conversion test evidence are produced as the work runs, in the form examiners review under the 2023 interagency guidance on third-party relationships.

Reviews

What our customers say

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

Certificates

Our accreditations

Our practitioners hold security, privacy, cloud, and AI governance certifications, and the people who earned them do the work on your engagement.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is progressive core banking modernization?

Should a bank replace its core or wrap it?

How long does a core banking conversion take?

What does core banking modernization cost?

What do regulators expect during a core conversion?

How do you protect balances during conversion?

Do you work with credit unions?

Do you resell or implement core banking software?

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