Discover launches tech website | Payments Dive

Dive Brief:

• Discover Financial Services launched an open source software development website, the company announced Wednesday. Discover Technology Experience is a public-facing platform where developer teams share fintech expertise.
• Discover also joined the Linux Foundation and the Fintech Open Source Foundation, with plans to “support, contribute and partner with the open source community,” the statement said.
• “Open source is an important element of our tech stack and essential to the way we deliver products,” Amir Arooni, executive VP and CIO at Discover, said in the statement. “We believe the best place for open source innovation is an openly governed community, and we believe the missions of FINOS and the Linux Foundation align with our own.”

Dive Insight:

The developer website grew out of an in-house tech academy launched in 2021, CEO Roger Hochschild said in a video announcement posted Monday. The academy emerged from a broader digital transformation initiative dubbed “Project Runway” by Arooni, who joined Discover in 2020.

In addition to spotlighting the company’s technology teams and publicizing their commitment to modernization, the website compiles posts on cloud adoption, Agile, open source and other enterprise IT topics. Tips on hybrid cloud architecture, technical debt, API strategy and career development populated the site when it launched.

As companies struggle to recruit and retain tech talent, cultivating a culture of learning through workforce development and upskilling initiatives has become a CIO priority in many organizations.

Layoffs in the tech sector have created an opportunity for companies in banking, biotech and manufacturing to attract experienced technologists with the promise of a challenging yet supportive workplace.

Discover opened an analytics training center at its Chicago office and began training its first cohort of 75 early-career employees in August. A second group will enter the program this year, according to the company.

For a tech-driven company, tapping the open source community expands access to scarce skills and fosters collaboration in high-demand talent fields.

“This is a great way for our developers to build their craft while fueling our passion for technology in a venue where they can share their expertise and collaborate with their peers outside of our walls,” Angel Diaz, VP for technology capabilities and innovation, said in the Wednesday announcement.