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The Rise of the Ecosystem and Its Information Benefit
Recalling the murmur of science class, an ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting
as a system. Modern technology is finding these linkages and building out a network that
becomes an evolved and evolving "system" – ever adapting, ever-competing, ever-improving
connections that the consumer defines the boundaries of and will call upon when, where, and
how they chose. They may just want a sliver; they have a question, and want an answer ... how
can I best pay down my college loans? With some data and some intelligence, the question is
answered and can be automated to implement a solution, and because of the connected
ecosystem, even though it may take multiple providers to solve, it works just like that (snap
your fingers).
This size of this market is literally defined by the questions consumers are asking (any question
they have about their money), and is delivered to providers versus providers needing to go find
the person, who at that very moment has a question that the service provider makes money
by answering. As they find the answers, they will seek more and connect other parts of their
financial network to understand, to measure, to optimize, and connect their financial lives.
Modern technology is enabling an ecosystem of providers who can provide a
connection to help consumers understand, measure, and optimize their financial lives.