Everyone: “The future of banking is digital. The future of banking is digital. The future of banking is digital….”

That has been nothing short of a mantra over the last few years. Indeed, there was not a list of future trends — it seemed as though everyone inked one around the New Year — without digital banking as its centerpiece.

That’s why it is interesting to note that discounting appears to be coming to some cloud banking services.

Specifically, a review of Fiserv’s DNAappstore offerings shows quite a few cloud-based services are being offering on sale. Apps like the Delinquent Loan Manager, Member/Customer Service, and Efficiency Maximizer are all now on offer at a discount.

Of course, there are many possible reasons for these discounts, and they might not at all be related to limp demand for digital banking-related cloud services. However, one of the dirty little secrets of banking is that, well, few banks want to spend on innovation. Some SAAS companies that serve the “innovation industry” are just scraping by — I learned of another one last week.

Call it the Can Kicking Syndrome. If a bank can kick the proverbial technology can down the road, it will. That’s why Chris Skinner’s No. 1 banking technology trend for 2015 — core systems will be replaced or renewed — will likely be the No. 1 banking technology trend for 2016 and 2017 and …

Yes, some of these issues will be solved sooner than, er, never. Skinner points out the following about core systems renewals for 2015:

Most would rather not bite the bullet, as their predecessors managed to avoid doing this, but it’s now become so apparent that most core systems are not fit for purpose that it is no longer an avoidable issue. Batch, overnight, programmed systems that no longer have developers, analysts, architects, engineers, designers or managers who understand them have finally reached their end-date. Thank heavens. This does not mean all and every system has to change – mortgage systems, life assurance systems, pensions and some others cater for contracts that span a quarter of a century and can be left in cryogenic operation – but anything that demands real-time needs to be ready for the digital age.

It is true that batch technology systems, services and, most importantly, developers are going the way of the Apple IIe. But the major banking technology companies will continue to create patches and middleware that obviate some of the need to completely uproot existing cores. Which is why the discounting on the DNAappstore might not necessarily be endemic of Fiserv’s shortcomings or those of the particularly offerings on blue-plate special, but evidence of less-than-expected demand. Mantra or not.

Learn about disruptive banks and the latest in FinTech at Bank Innovation 2015, March 2 – 3 in Seattle.