How Jack Henry is Modernizing Banking Infrastructure

Most financial institutions still bank on software built before the internet, but Jack Henry's CTO, Ben Metz, is leading a quiet revolution to change that. Speaking with a16z General Partner Angela Strange, Metz shares how banks’ historical tech infrastructure and regulatory obstacles have stymied innovation—and how Jack Henry is helping them overcome these challenges. Metz outlines actionable ways startup founders can help smaller community banks leverage artificial intelligence and cloud computing, reshaping the industry at large. Chapter Breakdown: 0:47 Backstory 2:15 Community banks and historical infrastructure 4:30 Pre-internet banking & software realities 6:45 Challenges of scaling historical banking tech 8:30 Building software & COBOL 12:15 Dissecting core banking systems 15:40 How regulatory hurdles impact innovation 18:30 Mobile banking and market shiftsT 22:45 Integrating AI into banking's foundation 25:30 Digital service core to banking 28:15 Where AI will be integrated first 31:20 Advice for fintech founders 34:45 Building a data platform to enable innovation 38:20 Working together: banking & tech startups