MasterCard International President Ruth Ann Marshall asserts that smaller banks can thrive in the current rapidly changing environment if they use tools and partnerships made possible by the Internet and other information technologies. Speaking at the recent American Banker Small Business Banking Conference, Marshall cited the "open finance" model as an example of how a financial institution can offer customers more products and services than it can develop on its own by using Web-based platforms that aggregate the products of multiple industry participants. According to Marshall, more institutions will emulate the open-finance model, which can provide credit unions and small banks with online platforms they can use to offer customers more products--with little or no additional funding or staffing. Marshall explained that her company is transforming its Corporate Purchasing Card into one that will let community banks and credit unions market more products tailored to small businesses under their private labels.