As banks race to deliver faster digital services and personalised customer experiences, data has become one of the most important strategic assets in financial services. Yet for many institutions, legacy systems and fragmented infrastructure still make it difficult to use data effectively across the organisation. Recognising this challenge early, ING undertook a major transformation to modernise its data infrastructure. By building a large-scale internal data platform, the bank has been able to support real-time analytics, improve risk management and accelerate the development of digital banking services.
Why ING needed a modern data platform
Like many global banks, ING historically operated with multiple legacy systems and siloed data environments spread across business units and geographies. While these systems supported traditional banking operations, they created barriers when the bank began scaling digital services.
Digital banking requires fast access to large volumes of customer and transaction data. Services such as personalised financial insights, fraud monitoring and real-time payments depend on analytics platforms that can process data quickly and reliably.
ING recognised that building these capabilities would require a modern data infrastructure capable of supporting advanced analytics and machine learning across the organisation.
Building a centralised data ecosystem
To address this challenge, ING developed a large-scale internal data platform designed to bring together data from across the bank into a unified environment.
This platform allows teams across the organisation to access high-quality datasets in a controlled and secure way. Instead of relying on isolated systems maintained by individual departments, data can now be shared through a structured framework that maintains governance and compliance standards.
The platform integrates multiple technologies, including cloud-based infrastructure, data lakes and advanced analytics tools. By consolidating data in one ecosystem, ING has been able to support a wide range of digital banking initiatives more efficiently.
Enabling real-time analytics and AI
One of the key benefits of the data platform is the ability to run real-time analytics across large datasets. This capability supports several critical banking functions.
For example, risk teams can monitor financial exposures more effectively, while fraud detection systems can analyse transaction patterns instantly. Customer-facing applications also benefit from faster data processing, allowing the bank to deliver more personalised digital services.
Machine learning models trained on these datasets help ING identify patterns in customer behaviour, detect unusual activity and generate insights that improve decision-making across the bank.
Supporting a digital-first banking strategy
The development of a modern data platform has also played a key role in ING’s broader digital transformation strategy.
By making data more accessible to development teams, the platform allows engineers and analysts to build new digital features more quickly. Product teams can experiment with new services, test analytics models and launch improvements to digital banking channels without being constrained by legacy infrastructure.
This flexibility has helped ING maintain its reputation as one of the most technologically advanced banks in Europe.
Strengthening data governance and security
While expanding data access across the organisation, ING has also implemented strong governance frameworks to ensure data remains secure and compliant with regulatory requirements.
The platform includes tools for tracking data lineage, monitoring data quality and enforcing access controls. These capabilities ensure that sensitive financial information is handled responsibly while still enabling teams to use data effectively.
Strong governance is particularly important as banks expand their use of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, which rely on trusted and well-managed datasets.
A blueprint for modern banking infrastructure
ING’s approach to building a modern data platform highlights how banks can transform their technology infrastructure to support digital banking.
Rather than relying on fragmented legacy systems, financial institutions are increasingly investing in centralized data environments that enable real-time analytics, AI-driven insights and faster product development.
As digital banking continues to evolve, data platforms like the one developed by ING are likely to become a foundational component of modern financial institutions.
What this means for the industry
- Data platforms are becoming critical infrastructure for digital banking.
- Banks need unified data environments to support analytics, AI and real-time services.
- Centralized platforms help break down data silos across business units.
- Strong governance frameworks ensure that data remains secure and compliant.
- Financial institutions that invest in modern data infrastructure can innovate faster and deliver better customer experiences.
