Mobile Banking

Mobile Banking Updates - May 23

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:36:00 +0000

The Next Wave of Mobile Banking
"In the U.S market today, retail banks offer a standardized mobile banking application. They enable their customers to monitor expenses, transfer funds and pay bills. This provides the convenience and ease of banking for the “on the go” customer. In general, mobile banking is an expanding market and has changed the way customers manage their funds. However, it is arguable that the user experience of each of the retail banks applications is similar. The application allows the end user to view their account balance, transfer funds and pay a multitude of bills."

Sovereign launches mobile app
"Sovereign Bank has joined its big bank competitors in the mobile banking world by launching a mobile application for consumer customers that works on Apple and Android devices. The bank said that customers will be able to access account balances, transfers between accounts, bill paying functions, ATM/branch locator and customer service."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 22

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:32:00 +0000

Android's Mobile Dominance Fails to Simplify Bank App Development
"Google's Android mobile operating system has grown its market share lead, according to new data from Gartner. Indeed, the research firm says the platform accounts for 74.4% of smartphone units sold worldwide during the first quarter of 2013. Furthermore, Gartner found there are almost 50% more Android smartphones in the market than a year ago."

Chase Tops Keynote's Mobile Banking Ranking a Third Time
"JPMorgan Chase has yet again won a ranking of mobile banking apps. In this one, Keynote's semiannual mobile banking scorecard, Chase came in first for the third time in a row. Wells Fargo came in second and Bank of America third. In late April, Forrester dubbed Chase the best in mobile banking out of 15 large multinational banks, for the second time in a row. What does Chase do right to get the top nod so often?"

Banking Up Launches at FinovateSpring, Lets Any Business Offer Customers a Trusted Alternative to Traditional Banking
"Banking Up launches at FinovateSpring today a first-of-its-kind personal finance platform that lets banks and businesses provide customers with a smart, mobile alternative to traditional checking accounts. Along with the launch, Plastyc Inc., which developed Banking Up, announced that it is now doing business as Banking Up. Over 24 million households have poor access to mainstream banking, and 91 percent have mobile phones and smartphones, according to the FDIC. Banking Up gives banks and businesses a scalable way to provide customers in their local communities with an affordable, high-quality banking option."

Green Dot Sets July 4th Launch Of GoBank
"Green Dot, the provider of prepaid debit cards and other financial products, is looking to launch its big move into the mobile banking market on July 4th, the company said Tuesday afternoon. According to Green Dot, it plans to launch its service, GoBank, on Independence Day on iPhone, Android, and online--and also will be making a big, national push to market the service."

Is electronic banking killing the bank branch? PNC pares branches citing customers' online trends "Another bank branch bites the dust. Three and counting among PNC Financial’s branches in Central Pennsylvania. Another ten PNC branches in Western Pennsylvania. And more to come, as banks evaluate their networks and analyze mobile banking and ATM trends. For so long, it seemed a bank branch was opening on every corner. That era might be coming to an end."

International Mobile Banking Updates - May 21

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:26:00 +0000

Mobile Expert Series Mark Crofton
"Cognizant SMAC Analyst Kevin Benedict interviews SAP's Mark Crofton at SAPPHIRE NOW 2013 on the mobile solution and mobile banking market in Latin America."

RBC, Bell Mobility add to payments rivalry
"Canadian bank RBC and Bell Mobility, the country’s second largest mobile operator, are to launch a service that further heats up competition in the country’s payments market. RBC’s mobile banking customers will be able to buy goods in shops using their debit or credit cards, so long as they have a compatible NFC-based smartphone from Bell Mobility. The service will launch later this year, following a roadtest with selected merchants and consumers in the summer."

UPDATE 2-Safaricom warns on mobile banking tax as profit surges
"Kenya's top telecoms firm Safaricom expects to maintain its almost 40 percent earnings margin this year but "premature taxes" could stifle growth of lucrative mobile phone-based money transfers, its chief executive said on Tuesday. Safaricom, 40-percent owned by Britain's Vodafone, said pretax profit climbed to 25.5 billion shillings ($304.30 million) in its year to end-march, off the back of 16 percent growth in total revenue."

Noor Islamic Bank launches reality mobile banking app
"Noor Islamic Bank (Noor)’s augmented reality ‘Bank in Your Hand’ smartphone and tablet application is now available for download from Apple’s App Store, the banks announced in a press reealse. Work is also in progress on adapting the app to other smart phone platforms, it said."

HSBC Bank Brazil expands DIGIPASS for Mobile deployment
"VASCO Data Security International, Inc. (Nasdaq: VDSI; www.vasco.com), a leading software security company specializing in authentication products, announces that HSBC Bank Brazil, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings, one of the largest financial conglomerates in the world, deployed the DIGIPASS for Mobile technology for an enhanced group of retail and corporate customers, while expanding the offered online and mobile services. Currently, more than 90,000 account holders use their mobile device to access all self-service channels to execute financial transactions. With this enhancement, HSBC Brazil is the first and only financial institution worldwide to fully integrate access to internet banking, mobile services, contact center, ATMs and e-commerce."

SAP Technology powers mobile banking for Standard Bank communities
"STANDARD Bank has introduced the SAP business solutions in bringing banking services closer to the people of Tembisa in South Africa. It introduced AccessBanking as a service to help people in communities apply for a bank account and then use the account. It has used technology from SAP to enable agents to enable customers to set up bank accounts without customers having to travel to a major city. SAP technology is used to enable new accounts to be configured in the field using a mobile handheld device."

Mobile banking up 11.5% in South Korea
"The daily use of mobile banking in South Korea rose 11.5 percent in the first quarter from three months earlier, an increase aided by the growing use of smartphones, reports Yonhap News Agency citing the Bank of Korea. Transactions by mobile banking or banking services accessed via mobile handsets were valued at KRW 1.26 trillion per day in the January-March period, up from KRW 1.13 trillion three months earlier."

ING DIRECT Mobile Banking App Wins BlackBerry Achievement Award for 'Putting Customers First'
"ING DIRECT has been recognized for its unique mobile banking experience on BlackBerry® 10 smartphones. The bank, which was the first Canadian financial institution to introduce a BlackBerry 10 app, has won the BlackBerry Achievement Award in the 'Putting Customers First' category, which acknowledges customer-centric experiences that make a business stand out. The ING DIRECT mobile app provides customers with a convenient and secure way to conduct their banking transactions. The app puts an increased focus on savings through features like "Orange Alerts", pushing notifications to the BlackBerry® Hub for triggers such as account balances reaching pre-determined thresholds. This is just one of the intuitive features the bank has built into its mobile app with the aim to simplify and modernize banking for all Canadians."

PMC Bank Deploys Array's Application Delivery Controller
"Punjab Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC Bank), provider of banking services to customers with utmost ease and convenience, has chosen Array Networks' ADC and server load balancing solutions to serve their customers with secure high speed connectivity for internet and mobile banking. PMC Bank required high availability, speedy performance and reliable security for their internet and mobile services portals. They wanted to enhance their online transaction processing in order to provide customers with good user experience and around the clock service. PMC Bank conducted a detailed requirements analysis with their compliance and networking teams which was subsequently shared with various vendors. All the leading ADC products were tested; Array Networks' Proof of Concept (POC) solution was selected after a month of live internet usage at PMC's production site."

Banking now goes high-tech with unmanned services
"Standard Chartered Bank customers no longer need to endure long queues to access financial services after the lender opened a digital branch last week that offers unmanned banking services. Dubbed ‘Breeze@ The Junction’, the electronic banking unit provides all the banking solutions available at traditional branches, but through online and mobile banking as wells as intelligent ATMs. The units are fitted with iPads, personal computers, touch screens mounted on walls, and free wireless Internet; allowing customers to carry out transactions on their own."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 19

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:13:00 +0000

EyeVerify Rolls Out Authentication Service for Mobile Banking
"EyeVerify, a maker of identity management software for mobile banking, is rolling out its service to the financial industry. The Kansas City-based company said Monday that banks, payments providers and other businesses can use its EyePrint system to secure accounts, authenticate transactions and restrict access to systems. EyePrint renders the optical equivalent of a fingerprint by matching blood vessels in the whites of people's eyes to verify their identity automatically."

Mobile Banking Explodes and Keynote Announces Who Does It Best – One Billion Mobile Banking Consumers Expected by 2017
"Keynote® (KEYN), the global leader in Internet and mobile cloud testing and monitoring, today announced the results of the Spring 2013 edition of the Keynote Mobile Banking Scorecard, first launched in 2011 and the standard in benchmarking consumer mobile banking offerings."

Citi sets sights on international markets to cement mobile banking focus
"Financial institution Citi is rolling out its iPad application internationally to reach new groups of consumers and show them how mobile banking works. Citi has rolled out the iPad app to Russia and Hong Kong as part of a bigger marketing strategy to expand its global footprint this year. Mobile has played a key role for Citi over the past few years to help clients manage their accounts from their handsets."

APWG Report: Mobile Device Crimeware Evolves into Global Criminal Marketplace in Response to Mobile Payment and Banking Expansion
"The sprawling mobile devices marketplace has spawned an industrialized mobile financial fraud plexus that today drives increasingly sophisticated criminal technical innovation to exploit the mobile devices explosion. And it is funded by increasing revenues derived from potent new developments in mobile malware, a new APWG report released concludes. In a “post-PC” era, mobile devices increasingly present an attractive, practical and economical alternative to traditional desktops. In the coming years, global mobile payments are predicted to exceed $1.3 trillion, moreover, presenting a mother load of opportunity for cybercrime gangs who appreciate the vulnerabilities of these peripatetic communications and computing platforms, the APWG’s analysis reports."

Refundo Launches Mobile Banking App at FinovateSpring 2013
"Refundo, a national provider of financial services to the underserved, launched its widely-anticipated mobile banking app today at FinovateSpring 2013, which is now available for free download on the App Store. FinovateSpring is a demo-based conference for innovative startups and established companies in the fields of banking and financial technology, and is held today at the Design Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco."

Chase Tops Keynote's Mobile Banking Scorecard for Third Time in a Row
"Chase took top honors in the Keynote Mobile Banking Scorecard for overall mobile web experience in Q1 2013. This is Chase's third consecutive win in Keynote's ranking of mobile offerings among the 15 largest U.S. banks. In the latest Keynote Scorecard, Chase ranked #1 in two of four categories - Functionality and Ease of Use - to take the top spot overall."

Be smart about mobile banking
"Mobile banking represents a huge leap forward in the area of banking convenience. It also represents a huge risk to your personal information. Here’s how to minimize the risk and enjoy the convenience. Getting up-to-the-minute account information and having immediate access to funds via a mobile device is one of the great technical accomplishments of banking. The problem is that without adequate security precaution, this ease of access can be available to people who have no right to it. To protect yourself, a person does well to do two things:"

Mobile Banking Updates - May 16

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:26:00 +0000

Mobile Banking Revolution (Infographic)
"It’s no secret that mobile banking has taken off in recent years and continues to grow by leaps and bounds. To help illustrate just how much mobile banking is growing FICO pulled together an infographic with some impressive mobile stats. For example, did you know that by 2017 an estimated 1 billion people will be using mobile banking? Read on to learn more about the mobile revolution."

Mobile banking expected to grow 18% annually through 2017
"The evolution of technology has brought on an onslaught of change to the banking industry, with banks becoming more convenient and consumer-friendly through mobile strategies, according to an article from Business Insider. The article says banks have become more competitive in order to stay ahead of other financial institutions. Currently, the mobile-banking user base is expected to grow 18% each year until reaching more than 1 billion users by 2017. By the end of this year, 590 million consumers will be using the technology."

USAA launches voice command mobile banking
"USAA members can now ask their iPhone how much they spent on groceries last month or tell it to pay the mortgage on Thursday. It's all done through voice commands that the financial institution's new software not only can hear and understand, but act upon. USAA has embedded Nuance's voice recognition service known as Nina into its iPhone app for mobile banking."

Survey: 75% comfortable with mobile banking
"Mobile banking has been getting a lot of press lately. Just last week, Hawaii-based American Savings Bank announced that adoption of their newly-introduced remote deposit capture mobile feature had exceeded all expectations. Juniper research recently published figures showing that the number of consumers using tablets to pay bills will soar between now and 2017, and mobile document capture software firm Mitek revealed 12 million Americans have now deposited more than $40 billion into bank accounts using mobile apps."

What will banks do to lure more people to online banking?
"The excitement around online banking is fading. After four years of rapid growth, banks are seeing only a trickle of new customers using their online services. As a result, consumers can expect more incentives as banks try to move more people out of the branches and away from the ATMs and instead deal with them through their computers and cellphones."

Mobile Banking Plays Key Role in #1 Factor for Customer Loyalty According to Yodlee Interactive Survey
"Banking convenience dominates all options amongst reasons to stay with banks, according to a new study conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Yodlee Interactive. With the convenience of online and mobile banking, more customers are utilizing these services, while banks are responding by reducing the number of physical branches. This survey was conducted among 2,219 Americans (ages 18+) between February 28 and March 4, 2013."

Device, Channel And Security Choices Featured At Mobile Banking & Commerce Summit
"The 2013 Mobile Banking & Commerce Summit, hosted by American Banker and Bank Technology News, will shine on a spotlight on the next generation of mobile banking applications and recent advances in mobile commerce and payments. The event will take place June 3-5, 2013 at the InterContinental Miami Hotel in Florida."

Does JPMorgan Plus Apple Equal a Mobile-Banking Home Run?
"Banking is going mobile. The largest U.S. banks have been fairly quick to adopt the new technology and are reaping the benefits as millions of users flock to mobile interfaces. JPMorgan Chase sports one of the best-received mobile banking platforms. Despite being a relatively small portion of the bank's overall operation, its ability to innovate new mobile products and efficiently serve more customers is good news for investors. In this video, Motley Fool banking analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson tell investors why this recent trend benefits JPMorgan, as well as tech giant Apple."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 15

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:15:00 +0000

The Debate Around Responsive Design in Mobile Banking
"Responsive web design — a method of designing and developing websites such that they display well on a range of devices — is a seductive concept, especially for banks that struggle to maintain mobile banking apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices. The ideal is the company has one set of code, one product to manage and it's set, no matter what smartphones and tablets customers are using. The reality is not so simple, and a debate is going on in the industry around how useful responsive design is, and whether or not it can replace native apps."

Mobile Banking Without Apps
"Eric Bangerter, an executive with a $1.6 billion institution in Wisconsin, explains why the risks associated with mobile apps led his team to opt for using a Web-based platform for mobile banking instead. Bangerter, vice president of e-commerce and Internet services for UW Credit Union in Madison, Wis., says many U.S. banking institutions have too quickly jumped onto the mobile-application bandwagon. Apps pose risks for users, and unforeseen authentication challenges for the institutions that offer them, he says in an interview with Information Security Media Group."

FIS Demonstrates the Latest Mobile Innovations that Are Supporting More than 20 Million Users at FinovateSpring 2013
"Dominating the mobile financial services market through the support of more than 20 million consumers, FIS™ (NYSE: FIS), the world’s largest provider of banking and payments technology, announces it will be showcasing its latest mobile innovation, the FIS Mobile Wallet with Cardless Cash Access, at FinovateSpring 2013 in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 14. The FIS Mobile Wallet is a white-labeled, cloud-based mobile payment and offer redemption solution that allows financial institutions to fully brand and manage the customer experience, while offering consumers convenience and best-in-class security."

Alamo FCU to debut concierge banking
"Alamo Federal Credit Union is introducing concierge banking to San Antonio. If any customer is interested in a car loan, mortgage or any other product the credit union is offering, Alamo FCU will send a representative out to the person’s home, office or coffee shop. 'Most banks have invested heavily in expensive headquarters and facilities with their customer’s money. Alamo FCU is investing in superior service and dividends for really busy people,' says AFCU President Max Villaronga."

KOBIL Technologies Selects Security Professional Malloy as Director of Business Development
"KOBIL Technologies, Inc. a KOBIL Group Company and leader in Secure Payment Technology announced it has appointed Donald Malloy as Director of Business Development. Malloy has more than 20 years' experience in the Security and Payment industry and is responsible for building the business in the Americas for KOBIL Technologies in the area of Mobile Banking and online Security. His primary focus will be to gain new partners in the area of Banking and IT security with the objective to position joint products on the market. Don spent more than 7 years developing the Display Card business with NagraID Security and prior to that was Business Development and Marketing Manager for Secure Smart Card ICs for both Phillips Semiconductors and Infineon Technologies."

Financial Matters: Banking on the go
"Bankers hours aren't what they used to be, and they don't need to be. eCommerce Manager Marilyn Lamb talked about how you can track your banking with BayPort Credit Union's Banking on the Go."

International Mobile Banking Updates - May 14

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:01:00 +0000

Mobile banking apps to be tried on Everest
"Mountaineers Horacio Galanti and Horacio Cunietti have commenced a unique Himalayan expedition to summit Everest to mark the 60th anniversary of its first ascent. The expedition will also push the boundaries of mobile technology in extreme environments and help in the recovery of debris left behind on the world’s highest peak. While on their expedition, the duo are expected to subject Standard Chartered’s Breeze mobile banking apps to the rigors of some of the most challenging environments known by attempting to trade stocks and transfer funds during their journey."

Mobile money accelerates financial inclusion
"The volatile economic environment which has prevailed in Zimbabwe over the past decade largely contributed to the failure of telecoms and banking institutions to adopt mobile banking. But over the past year there has been a foray by telecommunication and banking institutions to establish mobile banking platforms. Examples of mobile banking products that have been launched include: Kingdom Bank’s Cellcard, Tetrad’s eMali, Econet Wireless’ Ecocash; Cabs Bank’s Textacash, Interfin Bank’s Cybercash and CBZ Bank’s mobile banking, among others."

Corporation Bank launches app for iPad, Android
"City-based Corporation Bank had launched an app for iPad and Android. The Bank recently had come out with a special mobile banking app through Android and iOS. This app can be downloaded free from app store for iOS and Google Play for Android phones and tablets. The bank is one of the first public sector banks to introduce transaction-based banking in tablet PCs and iPads."

Central Bank calls for tight security in mobile banking
"Bank of Uganda has urged banks to ensure that they operate a secure and robust mobile banking platform to protect customers’ mobile bank accounts. 'A number of banks are now offering mobile banking products. It is in light of this that I re-iterate that every new product comes with its attendant risks. It is imperative that potential risks are identified and appropriate mitigation measures developed,' Ben Sekabira, the acting executive director supervision, Bank of Uganda, said."

Valimo Offers over One Million Tele2 Norway’s Mobile Users Easy to Use Strong Authentication, Mobile ID and Legally Binding Electronic Signature
"Valimo, a leading solution provider for mobile user authentication and digital signature software, announces that Tele2 Norway, a major European mobile operator, has selected its Mobile ID authentication service platform. The Valimo solution will offer over one million Tele2 subscribers in Norway the opportunity to securely access services that require strong, two-factor authentication, such as internet banking or e-government applications, using their mobile phone to generate a legally-binding electronic signature. As a first step, this new service will enable highly secure and legally binding log-in for online and mobile banking with four major banks in Norway."

Kenyan mobile innovation hard to export
"Kenya's mobile banking innovation may prove difficult to export. The African country has led the way with an SMS-based payment service called M-Pesa, which launched in eastern India last month.The government's push to give all Indians the right to banking access bodes well. But financial regulations and fierce competition may mean M-Pesa in India will face higher hurdles than its Kenyan role model."

Capitec banking app on its way
"Capitec says its dedicated banking app will be coming near the end of its current financial year (February 2014), and will be designed to run on both smart and feature phones. This follows the recent launch of Absa‘s banking app on 10 April 2013 – the last of South Africa’s so-called “big banks” out the door with a dedicated mobile application. However, Capitec told BusinessTech that it does not feel pressured by the competition to released a specialised banking app for smartphones, indicating further that its digital plans differ from those of its competitors."

E-banking survey reveals surge in mobile banking
"Online research specialist Columinate has released the results of the second annual Internet Banking SITEisfaction survey, one of the most comprehensive reports on customers' usage and perceptions of e-banking in South Africa. The survey quizzed over 1,400 South African e-bankers on their online banking habits and attitudes, and revealed several interesting trends. Henk Pretorius, Columinate CEO, explains that the survey is important as it provides insights into one of the fastest changing areas of customer banking."

Mobile and Alternative Payments in Mexico
"The Mexican consumer financial services landscape is in the midst of great change, driven by the confluence of technological innovation, innovative forms of branch expansion, regulatory changes in consumer deposit accounts and bank cards, and a strong push to facilitate mobile banking and payments. Indeed, major banks and telecommunications companies, most notably Telcel, have launched mobile banking and payments platforms that we expect to gain significant traction in 2013. At stake is the transformation of the Mexican banking system--from remittances to redefining branch banking--which can address longstanding financial inclusion disparities by reaching tens of millions of consumers heretofore unable to participate in formal banking services."

Bell and RBC strike deal to launch a mobile payment service, will be available “by the end of the year”
"Mobile payments in Canada are slowly increasing in popularity and will gain even more traction this summer. Rogers recently teamed up with CIBC to launch ‘suretap’, and Bell announced a partnership with RBC this morning. The new mobile payment solution will only be available for RBC customers who download the RBC mobile banking app, plus have a compatible Bell smartphone. The mobile payment option will be included into the current RBC Mobile banking app, not a standalone app, and will appear on the homescreen menu. The app will allow users to purchase small ticket items (debit or credit) from their smartphone."

HSBC seeks balance between mobile payments, Hong Kong branch network
"The increased popularity of mobile payments in Hong Kong has pushed HSBC to invest in related technology, but the bank said it would not stop expanding its branch network. Diana Cesar, head of retail banking and wealth management at HSBC in Hong Kong, said the lender would strike a balance between different banking services, even as mobile banking emerged as a growth area. In the first quarter, average monthly HSBC mobile banking logins increased more than 60 per cent from last year, Cesar said at the launch of a wealth management app."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 12

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Mon, 13 May 2013 01:45:00 +0000

Study: mobile banking apps key to bank loyalty
"Add mobile banking to ATMs as a major channel for cultivating bank customer loyalty. According to a study from Yodlee Interactive, a developer of financial mobile apps, one-third of those who use mobile banking name it as a reason why they stay with their bank."

DeMarrais: FDIC tips for safe mobile banking
"When's the last time you went into a bank? For many of us, trips to a local bank were once near the top of our weekly to-do list, but technology has changed that dramatically, allowing us to do most of our banking from the convenience of home or office whenever it suits us. Banker's hours? They're no longer an issue when you combine direct deposit, ATMs and online banking. Bank visits have been limited largely to opening accounts, applying for loans, resolving disputes or looking for a calendar."

Federal Reserve Board Survey Shows Growth in Mobile Banking and Payments
"Americans are increasingly using their mobile phones to access bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial accounts, according to the Federal Reserve Board’s latest report on mobile financial services. As of November 2012, 28 percent of all mobile phone users and 48 percent of smartphone users had used mobile banking in the past 12 months. This represents a significant increase from 21 percent in December 2011 for mobile phone users and 42 percent for smartphone users. While relatively less common, the use of mobile phones to make payments at the point of sale increased threefold over the same period, as 6 percent of smartphone owners reported using their phone to make a purchase."

Few Bank Shoppers Say Mobile Check Deposit Is A ‘Must Have’
"Within the last two years, more and more banks and credit unions have begun offering mobile check deposit on their mobile banking platforms. Today, there are 137 institutions listed on FindABetterBank.com and 33% offer mobile check deposit (see table below). Many banks and credit unions plan to roll out the service within the next 12 months."

ACLEDA Bank, Fiserv win tech implementation award
"Financial technology company Fiserv and Cambodian bank ACLEDA have won an Asian Banker Technology Implementation Award in the category "best mobile banking project." The award recognizes a collaboration by Fiserv and ACLEDA to extend the ACLEDA Unity mobile banking and payments service to new, untapped consumer segments using Mobiliti Reach from Fiserv."

Understanding Consumer Adoption of Mobile Banking in 2013
"It came a lot faster than anyone predicted: Mobile banking is growing so quickly that it is even overtaking traditional online banking. Just last week, the second largest bank in the United States, Bank of America, announced that its customers are logging into the bank’s mobile platform more than its online platform. It’s quite possibly the most significant innovation across the industry since the ATM."

Mobile Banking Plays Critical Role In Customer Loyalty While Tablet Apps Lag Behind
"A lack of banking apps optimized for tablets leaves consumers to resort to a cruder mobile web experience. According to a study from Yodlee Interactive, mobile banking may keep loyalty high while physical branches continue their decline. 71% of mobile bankers are either satisfied or very satisfied with their bank’s mobile and web offerings. One in three of those who use mobile banking now view their mobile banking experience as a reason why they stay with their bank."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 9

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:06:00 +0000

Infographic: Mobile Banking Critical to Customer Loyalty
"The findings of new study conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Yodlee Interactive shows that banking convenience “dominates” all options amongst reasons to stay with banks. With the convenience of online and mobile banking, more customers are utilizing these services, while banks are responding by reducing the number of physical branches."

Banking by Voice Gets Test From U.S. Bank
"U.S. Bank (USB_) is testing a voice-banking service that enables customers to check account balances, review transactions and pay bills solely through voice activation. For now, U.S. Bank is limiting the app test campaign to its FlexPerks Travel Rewards program and to its employees. The voice-activated technology comes from Nuance Nina Mobile, and is now limited to iPhone and Android phones."

Intuit Debuts Mobile Banking App for Android Tablets
"Intuit Financial Services has released a tablet banking app for the Android operating system. The new app lets customers check balances, transfer funds, pay bills and find branches and ATMs, Intuit (INTU) said Tuesday. The app works on all seven- and ten-inch tablets and can be downloaded through the Google or Amazon app stores. Sharon Credit Union in Massachusetts has begun offering the app to its customers, Intuit said in the news release."

Four Sure-fire Tips for Mobile Banking Security
"I’m writing this dispatch from the Pacific Coast, where I’ve just seen a fabulous-yet-disturbing documentary at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It’s called “Terms and Conditions May Apply,” and director Cullen Hoback’s movie takes a chilling look at how vulnerable we all are in this digital society. That is, “free” services such as Google, Facebook and Twitter know much more about us than you might think — and they’re holding onto that information indefinitely. They also share it at will with federal espionage services, thanks to the dense legalese written into online terms of service since 9/11 and the Patriot Act."

A year of successful mobile banking
"In just one year, BOV Mobile, the mobile banking service for smartphones introduced by Bank of Valletta, has attracted more than 11,500 customers who have collectively used their phones more than half a million times to make payments, transfer funds and to monitor their accounts. 'We view mobile banking as a natural extension of our overall channel strategy. Mobile combines the best features of online banking, the convenience of an ATM, and the responsiveness of text messaging all in the palm of your hand,' chief operations officer Michael Galea said."

Banks Must Think Differently About Customer Experience In A Branchless Digital Environment
"Banks have offered online accounts for years, but new digital banking technologies, such as mobile remote deposit capture, and a new generation of young customers are driving increased interest in digital bank accounts. Customers in their 20s and 30s have been quick to embrace mobile and online capabilities that are steadily making branches obsolete -- at least for day-to-day banking needs. The fast-paced adoption of mobile remote deposit capture to deposit checks is a recent example of this trend. "The advent of mobile remote deposit capture is eliminating the No. 1 reason for branch visits," says Teresa Epperson, a managing director at AlixPartners, a consulting firm."

How Can Businesses Help Consumers Bank Better?
"It's not easy to pay mobile phone bills with cash. Yet, 24 million households are under-banked and 91% of the underbanked have mobile phones and smartphones, according to the FDIC. With numbers like these, it makes sense for consumer businesses such as mobile carriers to help customers bank up, says Plastyc CEO Patrice Peyret. At FinovateSpring 2013 in San Francisco, Peyret will demo a new banking service platform and discuss practical insights for consumer businesses that want to provide smart, simple banking services to their customers."

American Savings Bank Dials Up Mobile Deposits and Sets Adoption Record
"Monitise plc (LSE: MONI) today announced that Hawaii-based American Savings Bank is experiencing phenomenal user adoption since the launch of its mobile banking and payments solution. As part of Monitise's Bank Anywhere mobile solution, American Savings Bank is the first Hawaiian bank to deploy mobile remote deposit capture, resulting in mobile deposits skyrocketing by 40 percent in March. In a mere four months since deployment, many of American Savings Bank's active online banking customers are already using the Bank Anywhere services developed and deployed by Monitise."

International Mobile Banking Updates - May 8

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:56:00 +0000

Online and mobile banking: your rights when something goes wrong
"Nationwide customers were left without access to some banking services twice last week due to IT failures. Online and mobile banking was unavailable for several hours and angry customers took to social media sites to vent their frustrations. But Nationwide isn't the only provider to have been plagued by technical faults. Last year thousands of RBS customers were completely cut off from their bank accounts for several days."

Two million Kiwis now using online banking
"More than two million New Zealanders now use internet banking, an increase of nearly 18% over the past four years. Approximately 2.05 million Kiwis use online banking, up from 1.74 million in 2009, according to data released by Statistics New Zealand. While younger generations are the most likely to transact online, internet banking is popular among all age groups."

Africa: Nigeria Stumbles After Kenya
"More people in Africa use their mobile phone to bank than in any other region in the world. The continent's banking revolution began in March 2007 when Kenyan telecoms operator Safaricom launched M-Pesa, a service that allows users to send, receive and save money using a cellphone. Since then M-Pesa has spread to Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Mobile banking now exists in 33 African countries, according to GSMA, a trade association."

Fear and loathing of m-banking
"There was nothing unusual about that morning, until on my way to work that group walking on the road caught my eye. I had seen them many times before but probably not noticed them this way. Whether on foot or cramped together in a vehicle, they prefer travelling in groups every morning to their respective workplaces. They carry their lunches in cloth potlis or plastic thailis and come from villages and hometowns far away to earn livelihood. And they can, perhaps, be clustered into one defined group - they are a part of India’s significant migrant population, of which many are also unbanked."

Subscribers warm up to new cellphone banking application
"Six months ago, Jane Adhiambo Achieng walked into a local Kenyan bank with the hope of getting a loan for her small grocery business. After providing all the paperwork and after weeks of back and forth between her and bank officials, she was turned down. 'They just told me I don't qualify. My income was too little,' said 42-year-old Achieng, who was asking for some $250, about half her monthly turnover, to expand her fruit and vegetable stall in the Kenyan capital. But in early March, she applied for the same amount through a different source and got the money in a matter of minutes."

Citibank Bahrain steps up online security...
"The bank said 'dynamic multi-factor authentication' on online and mobile banking platforms comes in the form of one-time pins (OTP). Being offered through the bank's Internet banking (Citibank online-CBOL) and mobile banking (Citi Mobile) facility - the new one-time pin service sends a unique number to customers in the form of a mobile text message every time they log on to CBOL and Citi Mobile. Clients can perform multiple transactions within each Internet session."

Mobile Banking For The Unbanked
"In sub-Sahara Africa, more than 80% of people have no access to traditional financial services. This has been one of the great challenges in fighting poverty in South Africa. Given the lack of developed infrastructure in many parts of Africa, how is it possible to provide millions of unbanked people with basic banking services? Standard Bank of South Africa has found the answer! Standard Bank discovered that one of the biggest impediments to opening a new account for many of these people was their lack of ability to provide proof of residence. However, at the same time, Standard Bank also found that a large percentage of unbanked people had access to mobile phones!"

Mobile Banking Updates - May 7

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:47:00 +0000

Convenience No. 1 Factor In Customer Loyalty for Banks, Study Finds
"Customers want convenience more than any other attribute from their banking experience, according to a new online survey by Harris Interactive for Yodlee Interactive, an online banking solutions provider. The survey of 2,219 banking customers found that 63% of those surveyed said they stay with their current because of convenience. Customer service and low fees ranked next behind convenience, with 48% and 42% of the vote, respectively. And 33% of the respondents who use mobile banking said that their mobile banking experience is one of the reasons they stay with their banks."

Fiserv Names Jim Tobin Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Solutions
"Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced that Jim Tobin has joined the company as senior vice president and general manager, Mobile Solutions, Digital Channels. In this role, Tobin will be responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day oversight of the market-leading Mobiliti™ mobile banking and payments solution from Fiserv. Mobiliti currently supports mobile banking, alerting and payments services for more than 1,000 financial institutions and millions of consumers in North America, Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Europe."

Mobile remote deposit capture adoption exceeds bank's expectations
"American Savings Bank is the first Hawaiian bank to introduce mobile remote deposit capture, a feature whereby depositing money into an account can be done simply by taking a photo of a check. Rick Robel, Executive Vice President of Operations at American Savings Bank, says that customer adoption of the mobile feature has "exceeded all expectations". Within the first month of the November 2012 launch, the bank achieved first year adoption goals and within two and half months their two-year adoption goals had been met. In March, 2013, mobile deposits with the bank soared by 40%."

Augmented Reality in FS - got your goggles?
"‘Mobile banking’ is not a very precise term. Today, we know it as meaning using your mobile phone for banking. However, back in the late 1990s, all that it meant was SMS banking. If your bank was particularly advanced, it may also have meant a WAP-based mobile banking service. It has only been since the launch of smartphones in the mid-2000s, that ‘mobile banking’ has come to mean a browser- or mobile app-based banking service."

Mobile Services Compared: Which Banks Are Setting the Trend?
"According to comScore, there were 133.7 million Americans with smartphones in February 2013, up from 104 million one year ago. As smartphones become necessities for Americans, banks have increased their focus on mobile banking, especially mobile banking applications. It has never been easier for bank customers to manage their money on-the-go. But, not every bank is able to deliver a feature-packed mobile banking experience as others might. With time, more and more consumers will consider mobile banking features in their decisions to choose a new bank."

Mercator Banking Channels Report: Mobile Banking Deployment: Partnering and Outsourcing
"In new research, Mobile Banking Deployment: Partnering and Outsourcing, Mercator Advisory Group reviews how the pace of innovation in mobility has caused financial institutions to consider new ways of bringing new mobile banking products to market efficiently and effectively."

Security Solution Provider Arxan to Lead Panel Discussion on Protecting Mobile Banking and Financial Apps at the FS-ISAC & BITS Annual Summit 2013
"Arxan Technologies, the leading provider of software security solutions that protects the global App Economy, announced today that Vince Arneja, Arxan's vice president of product management, will lead a panel session on emerging mobile application and risks in the banking and financial services market at the Financial Services - Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) & BITS Annual Summit 2013. The FS-ISAC & BITS Annual Summit 2013 takes place April 29 - May 1, 2013 in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, and brings together more than 500 information security professionals in the financial services market, providing an industry forum for collaboration on critical security threats facing the financial services sector."

SAP’s Mobile Banking Innovation Gets Nod for "Outstanding Technology Implementation" at The Asian Banker Technology Implementation Awards 2013
"SAP, the global leader in mobile messaging and mobile commerce services, today announced that together with PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk (CIMB Niaga), both companies were recognized with the "Outstanding Technology Implementation Award" at The Asian Banker Technology Implementation Awards 2013. The award recognizes the collaboration between SAP and CIMB Niaga in implementing GoMobile, using innovative mobile banking technology to allow users easy, reliable and convenient access to various bank applications 24/7, through any mobile handset running on any mobile platform, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, J2ME (old Simbian), SMS, USSD, and WAP. The project involved the development and deploying of a groundbreaking mobile application that meets the increasing demand for mobile banking in Indonesia, without users having to worry about the kind or platform of their mobile devices regardless of the network they are using."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 5

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:39:00 +0000

Wells Fargo puts mobile banking at center of new marketing campaign
"Wells Fargo has launched a multichannel marketing campaign that aims to educate consumers on the benefits of mobile banking. The Wells Fargo “Done” campaign includes television, online and mobile components and highlights multiple areas of the financial service’s mobile banking features, such as mobile deposit and transfers. The campaign is meant to show how mobile banking is a natural extension of what consumers already do on their mobile devices."

Mobile banking spurs growth at Michigan First Credit Union
"Michigan First Credit Union is looking for a few good employees, 14 right now to be exact. The Lathrup Village-based financial institution is looking for everything from tellers to human resources professionals to add to its staff of 225 people. However, technology pros are in especially high demand for the credit union. About a third of its new positions have some sort of tech angle, such as software developer or IT professional."

In 2017 one in four tablet users will be paying bills via their device
"With tablet adoption and user acceptance of ‘push’ mobile banking on the rise, it is thought that by 2017, one in four tablet users will be paying bills via their device, according to a new report from Juniper Research. The report suggests that these factors will drive users of transactional tablet banking services to almost 200 million in 2017; representing around 19 per cent of total mobile banking customers in 2017, as opposed to nine per cent in 2013. It is also noted in the report that the adoption of bill presentment and payment (MBPP) transactional banking by tablet users will be higher than mobile handset users, particularly in developed areas where there is a higher adoption rate of tablet devices."

Mobile Banking Plays Key Role in #1 Factor for Customer Loyalty, According to Yodlee Interactive Survey
"Banking convenience dominates all options amongst reasons to stay with banks, according to a new study conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Yodlee Interactive. With the convenience of online and mobile banking, more customers are utilizing these services, while banks are responding by reducing the number of physical branches. This survey was conducted among 2,219 Americans (ages 18+) between February 28 and March 4, 2013."

Bank of America to Offer New Mobile Banking Features
"Bank of America’s mobile banking user base of 12.5 million, rapidly growing at a pace of 55,000 new users per week, can expect several new features to come to the bank’s mobile banking applications. From May until the end of the year, Bank of America will roll out six new mobile banking features, which were first reported by American Banker."

BII REPORT: How Banking Is Going Mobile
"Over the years, retail banks have innovated to make personal banking more convenient and consumer-friendly. They've built sprawling branch networks, introduced credit cards, and developed automatic teller machines. In its latest evolution, banking is going mobile. With smartphones and tablets increasingly at the center of financial decisions — especially those of younger consumers — banks have to get their mobile strategies right. If they don't, they risk losing business to more mobile-savvy competitors, as well as tech companies like PayPal, that are developing their own payment and personal finance solutions."

Mobile banking expected to grow 18% annually through 2017
"The evolution of technology has brought on an onslaught of change to the banking industry, with banks becoming more convenient and consumer-friendly through mobile strategies, according to an article from Business Insider. The article says banks have become more competitive in order to stay ahead of other financial institutions. Currently, the mobile-banking user base is expected to grow 18% each year until reaching more than 1 billion users by 2017. By the end of this year, 590 million consumers will be using the technology."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 2

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:54:00 +0000

U.S. Bank Testing Mobile App Voice Commands
"U.S. Bancorp has developed voice recognition software that will let customers handle banking tasks by speaking commands into their mobile device. 'I could ask, 'What is my balance?'' and listen to the answer, says Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer for retail payments solutions at U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank developed the new voice app with Nuance, which sells mobile voice recognition software called "Nina." U.S. Bank's app understands spoken requests for information on annual percentage rates, cash back on purchases, and fees. Users speak to a microphone icon that appears in a corner of the bank's mobile app."

Boulder Valley Credit Union Introduces Tyfone Mobile Banking Financial Services
"Boulder Valley Credit Union (BVCU, https://www.bvcu.org), serving more than 21,000 members and over $300 million in assets across Colorado, today announced the availability of Tyfone's (www.tyfone.com) mobile financial services to enable next-generation mobile banking services for its member customers. The partnership stems from the appreciation of Tyfone's mobile banking, security vision and the strategic value that Tyfone provides BVCU members. Moreover, with an integrated path to enhanced strong ID authentication mobile security and NFC contactless payments, BVCU can now offer its members a convenient, secure and integrated mobile banking solution."

Consumer Satisfaction With Banks Improves Significantly For First Time In Years
"Big banks make significant improvements in J.D. Power and Associates’ annual consumer satisfaction study. Regional and midsize banks still outperform their bigger brethren, but the gap is closing. Overall customer satisfaction with retail banks improved significantly from 2012, largely a result of improvements made by big banks, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study."

Over 50 Percent of Customers at Risk of Leaving Their Bank Finds Capgemini's World Retail Banking Report 2013
"Within the next six months, ten percent of retail banking customers surveyed globally will likely leave their bank and an additional 41 percent of customers say they are unsure if they will stay or go finds the tenth annual World Retail Banking Report 2013 (WRBR 2013) released today by Capgemini and Efma. To re-build the customer-bank relationship, opportunity exists for banks to become more customer-centric by leveraging vast amounts of customer data and by further developing mobile capabilities to create more personal interactions. The cornerstone of the WRBR 2013 is its extensive customer survey and Customer Experience Index (CEI)(1) which measures perceptions of 18,000 customers in 35 markets about the factors that matter most to them across channels, transactions and products."

Nationwide online and mobile banking services knocked out
"A technical glitch at Nationwide Building Society has left customers unable to use online and mobile banking services for several hours today. All Net and mobile banking has been down since this morning, while incoming and outgoing Faster Payments are experiencing delays. In a statement on its Web site, Nationwide says 'We are making every effort to restore service as quickly as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause you.' Meanwhile, customers taking to Twitter to complain about the outage are being told to use ATMs or visit branches if they want to check their balances or carry out transactions but no timescale has been given for possible fix."

ACI Releases Mobile Banking System
"ACI Worldwide (ACIW) has released a mobile-banking program for the iPhone and Android smartphones. ACI Architect Mobile Banking lets banks manage their customers' desktop, mobile and tablet banking with a single set of administrative tools, ACI said Tuesday. It provides users secure browsing, downloadable applications and text banking. The system can also be customized for individual users for more targeted messaging, ACI said."

Mobile Tools, High Fees Quash Demand For Overdraft Protection
"A combination of mobile banking and high fees and conspired to lower consumer demand for overdraft protection services. In 2010 and 2011, banks saw a decline in revenue from overdraft fees because the Federal Reserve changed the rules about how banks can charge for “overdraft protection.” However, in 2012 banks turned the corner and reported higher fee revenue from overdraft protection. Why the increase? Slowly, banks have been raising overdraft-related fees like insufficient funds fees and overdraft protection transfer fees. But they may be hitting a ceiling for three consumer-driven reasons:"

Refundo Chief Executive Officer to Present at FinovateSpring 2013
"Refundo, a national provider of financial services to the underserved, announced today that it has been selected to present and demo its mobile banking technology live at FinovateSpring 2013. FinovateSpring is a demo-based conference for innovative startups and established companies in the fields of banking and financial technology, and will be held May 14-15, 2013 at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. 'We're honored to have been invited to debut our mobile app at FinovateSpring 2013,' said Refundo CEO, Roger Chinchilla. 'We can't think of a better event to create awareness that technology is the gateway to accessing the financially underserved. Each year, the people who can least afford it pay billions of dollars in junk fees because their needs aren't being met by traditional banks.'"

International Mobile Banking Updates - May 1

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:43:00 +0000

Mobile Banking Outpaces Traditional Banking in Kenya
"Kenya’s mobile networks last year collectively held more in deposits than the country’s largest bank. The telecoms regulator CCK reported the mobile networks held Sh226 billion ($2.70 billion) in deposits at the end of last year while the largest commercial bank held Sh223 billion ($2.66 billion). The report said the number of mobile money transfer subscribers grew to 21.1 million from 19.3 million in the previous period, a growth of 9.4 percent."

Absa banking app sees impressive uptake
"Absa‘s banking app, which launched on 10 April 2013, has already been downloaded over 50,000 times, the bank has announced. The bank’s app is the last to market out of SA’s big four banks, though according to Absa, it is the first native financial services app for smartphones and tablets in South Africa that is available for both retail and business customers alike. Customers can link multiple devices to a single account or conversely multiple accounts can be linked to a single device."

Mobile commerce is at an inflection point: Bipin P Singh, CEO, Mobikwik
"What kind of services does Mobikwik offer? Mobikwik is a digital (mobile/web) closed wallet services provider. Adding money to the wallet allows users to make payments for products/services in one click via the mobile app, via the website or via a SMS or by dialing a number. Mobikwik can helps to make payments for things like recharging mobiles and pay bills in India across - prepaid and post-paid mobiles, television and DTH, data cards, broadband/landline phones, electricity, gas and insurance. A vast majority of our wallet users use the mobile (SMS, IVR or Android App) for making their payments. Mobikwik currently boasts of about two million customers and adding nearly 200,000 users every month and and do 30,000 transactions per day, most of them via the mobile."

Mukuru launches mobile prepaid debit card in South Africa
"Mukuru.com has just announced the launch of a new cellphone based debit card in South Africa. It is something like mobile banking services locally, except this is optimised for existing Mukuru services in addition to using the card for regular banking and point of sale. The new card is backed by Standard Bank. According to a video posted on YouTube, the new product addresses the need by migrants to have regular bank accounts in South Africa. Migrants, apparently, find it hard to ‘open’ a bank account in SA, which then makes it difficult to transfer money securely to relatives in the greater Southern Africa region."

Mobile Banking Lessons from the Developing World
"Mobile banking adoption is growing far more rapidly in developing parts of the world, such as Africa, than it is in the US. What can US banks learn from mobile banking usage in the developing world? Plenty, according to Steven Lewis, director of banking and capital markets at Ernst & Young. Mobile banking is offering many convenience to US customers, including remote deposit of checks (even if it’s not free) from the comfort of home. But saving US customers that 10-minute drive to the branch pales in comparison to the effect mobile banking is having on customers that didn’t have bank accounts before mobile phones existed. Kenya, for example, has a very limited branch network that was not useful to most customers."

Banks in a rush for mobile apps
"IT WILL limit cash heists and save money — but cut margins from fees. Banks have had a busy April, with some taking their first plunge into the increasingly crowded pool of mobile banking applications. Already, more than 13% of South Africans access banking services on their phones and tablets, according to research company FinScope — something that is both good and bad for the banks."

Apps disappoint despite vast tech spend
"The problems consumers have encountered with mobile banking applications may inform the financial services industry as it looks to produce its own investment and superannuation apps. According to BanterMob director of mobile marketing and strategy Kelly Slessor, the wealth creation sector is not as advanced as the transactional banking sector. 'Most of the apps are superannuation calculators and they don't offer a great user experience, because they are not going to be used very regularly,' she said. A new report by mobile marketing specialist BanterMob revealed that banking apps are falling short of consumer expectations."

Beware the sting in smartphone banking
"If you've recently discovered the convenience of paying bills on a smartphone, you're not alone. Australians are embracing mobile banking at a cracking pace. About 6 million people manage their finances through a mobile telephone, according to a recent report from the Market Intelligence Strategy Centre. For all the time saved by banking through digital channels, however, this boom comes with some costs. You may notice this most if you're someone who does a lot of their banking at a branch or through automatic teller machines. As this week's graph shows, the value of online transactions with the country's biggest bank, the Commonwealth, has surged almost tenfold in the past decade. The other major banks experienced a similar trend."

Standard Bank completes migration of another 3.5m South Africans onto SAP banking system
"Standard Bank in South Africa has just completed moving 3.5 million customers onto a mobile-enabled banking system that now allows a total of 7 million people to quickly bank. The AccessPoint system allows anyone to register for a Standard Bank account in about ten minutes through street agents in poor townships, malls and other places. Standard Bank pays AccessAgents a basic wage plus a commission for each customer they sign up."

Google Testing Replica of M-Pesa, Kenya's Mobile Banking Solution
"How is a third world tech country paving the way when it comes to the future of mobile banking? 90 percent of Kenyans use their phones to access the internet and M-Pesa is bringing mobile banking to the nation. Bloomberg's Jon Erlichman explains."

The World's Largest Mobile Pay Network Is ... in Kenya?
"When it comes to mobile banking, Kenyans are the early adopters. About 90 percent of the people in the developing nation access the Internet using mobile phones. Combine that with the popularity of mobile banking service M-Pesa, and Kenya is leading the way. Bloomberg's Jon Erlichman reports."

Mobile Banking Security - April 29

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:27:00 +0000

PNC Weathers Slowdown in Online, Mobile Banking
"PNC weathered a slowdown in its online and mobile services Friday that left some customers unable to access their accounts. The Pittsburgh-based company in the morning took to social media to tell customers it was investigating the problem and working to restore access for all customers. As of Friday afternoon, the bank continued to look for the cause of the disruption. "We do not have more information at this time," PNC said in a message posted on Facebook. PNC spokeswoman Marcy Zwiebel said that some customers continued to be able to log in to their accounts while others experienced difficulty."

Banking Trojans wreak havoc on mobiles
"Trojans continue to wreak havoc on mobiles, as banking transactions are increasingly being conducted on these devices. So said Ann Johnson, RSA Security’s VP for global identity protection and verification, in an interview with ITWeb yesterday. 'By and large, most of our customers today are talking about mobile banking security. The growth in mobile is expected to be about 76% this year, and mobile banking applications have started dominating the market. One of our biggest concerns in that area is Trojans,' Johnson said."

Mobile Banking on the Rise, but Security Concerns Linger
"Consumers are embracing the convenience of mobile banking solutions. A new survey by the Federal Reserve Board found that 28 percent of all mobile phone owners used their devices for banking at least once in the past 12 months. That’s an increase over 2012, when 21 percent used their mobile devices for banking. Naturally, smartphone users have a much higher mobile device banking rate than non-smartphone users. Forty-eight percent of all smartphone owners banked on their mobile phones at least once, up from 42 percent in 2012. The vast majority – 87 percent – of active mobile consumers use their devices for simple tasks like checking balances and reviewing recent transactions."

Mobile malware and your money
"According to the international software house for anti-virus security solutions, G Data Software AG, on average 6 915 new malware strains were created every day in the second half of 2012. According to the report, the number of new malware strains in the tools category, which includes online banking tools, has increased enormously in 2012. Malware is software that is intended to damage or disable computers and mobile devices and includes viruses and Trojans, for example. And the prevalence of malware on mobile devices is increasing rapidly. According to the mobile security company NQ Mobile’s latest security report malware on mobile increased 163% in 2012 compared to 2011."

Action Line Consumer Alert: The dangers of mobile banking
"It’s convenient to make banking decisions or move funds from the palm of your hands, but beware. 'So a couple of quick mobile banking tips in one, always password protect your phone. Two, always delete any text messages that a financial institution sends to you, if they do that,' says Timothy Caminos of the Hawaii Better Business Bureau Hawaii. Caminos says another thing you can do to stay safe, always log out or sign off from an application."

Mobile Banking Updates - April 28

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:19:00 +0000

Mobile Banking: The Next Big Thing Is Finally Here
"After years of over-promise, mobile banking has hit a tipping point. With streams of customers in developed and developing countries alike growing swiftly, new business opportunities are pitting banks against tech companies, retail giants and others for control of the electronic wallet. The Aite Group projects that, with rising smartphone use driving more consumers to mobile banking in the U.S., the number of people who will tap their bank account with a mobile device will rise from 33 million in 2012 to 96 million by 2016 – a 30% annual growth rate. The number of mobile bank customers will double over the next two years alone."

WHO LEADS IN MOBILE BANKING: FORRESTER RANKS 15 BANKS AROUND THE WORLD
"Mobile banking success is a moving target: Customers needs and expectations are changing rapidly, and eBusiness teams at banks are sprinting to get ahead of their customers’ expectations. To achieve this, firms are rolling out new features, optimizing existing services, and enhancing mobile experiences. To understand which firms are leading in mobile banking — and to better gauge the mobile banking landscape overall — we used our Mobile Banking Functionality Benchmark to evaluate and rank the mobile banking efforts of 15 of the largest banks in North America, Western Europe, and Australia."

Chase Crowned First Place for Mobile Banking (Again): Study
"JPMorgan Chase took first place for the second consecutive year in a mobile banking functionality ranking published by Forrester Thursday. The research firm evaluated and ranked 15 large banks' mobile banking services, including Bank of America, Chase, Citibank and Wells Fargo in the U.S.; Barclays, Lloyds TSB, NatWest and HSBC in the UK; Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and TD Canada Trust; Commonwealth Bank of Australia; la Caixa in Spain, Postbank in Germany, Rabobank in the Netherlands, and Société Générale in France. Chase, which earned 71 out of 100 points, was particularly praised for its transaction functionality. Forrester highlighted how the New York bank offers useful contextual options such as the ability to add a payee for person-to-person (P2P) payments by importing the customer's contacts from his phone."

Access Softek integrates mobile banking tech with Geezeo PFM tools
"Access Softek, Inc. and Geezeo, two proven technology innovators, today announced their partnership. Integrating Access Softek's mobile banking with Geezeo's personal finance manager (PFM) launches the next generation of mobile banking. As a result of this partnership, users will have a single mobile product that combines complete day-today financial operations with planning and goal management. Access Softek's Mobile Finance Manager offers extensive functionality including true real-time deposit capture, bill pay, P2P transfers, and more. Incorporating Geezeo PFM capabilities like account aggregation, auto-categorization, and spending alerts gives users unprecedented personal finance power while on the go."

Mobile Remote Deposit Capture and More Convenient Banking
"Quick now, what is the one technology that presently is revolutionizing banking as we have known it - killing off branches, cutting down on accont opening frauds, and in general changing just about everything we do with our financial institutions? But the real answer is the camera - a mashup that dates back to 1997 when tech guerrilla Philippe Kahn is credited with marrying a Casio camera to a Motorola Startac so that he could snap the first ever cellphone picture which happened to be of his newborn daughter Sophie. And there started the revolution, with every smartphone we know of now featuring a powerful camera as a built-in freebie."

Chase and la Caixa top mobile banking study; HSBC bottom of the pile
"Chase has topped Forrester Research's mobile banking rankings, with Spain's la Caixa proving Europe's top dog and HSBC trailing badly at the bottom of the table. Forrester put the mobile services of 15 major banks from around the world through their paces, judging them on the range of touch-points for access; the enrolment and login process; money management services; transactional features; service features; cross-channel functionality; sales services; and usability. Out of 100, the banks scored an average of 56 points, with US giant Chase leading the pack on 71. Chase scored particularly well - 86 out of 100 - on transactional functionality, thanks to useful contextual options such as the ability to add a payee for P2P payments by importing the customer's contacts from their phone."

Mobile Banking Updates - April 25

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:55:00 +0000

Refi Party Is Over, Mobile Money Party Is Just Beginning
"Mobile Money: Anglocentric coverage in today's FT. "For prospective employees mobile banking could prove one bright spot for pay and prospects in the sector," says one story. "Retail banks are expecting mobile banking to be the area where the most roles will be created this year, ahead of branch and internet banking." Another article looks at the competitive threat to incumbent U.K. financial institutions from nonbanks selling phone apps, prepaid debit cards, etc. "Banks will have a hard time coming down and playing in this space because of their regulators," a payments industry lawyer tells the FT. Sound familiar?"

4 tips for finding the best mobile banking
"Mobile banking use is exploding, and banks are quickly adding new services. Last year, 10 million more people signed up for mobile banking, according to Javelin Strategy & Research in Pleasanton, Calif., driven by soaring smartphone and tablet use. And, one-third of the U.S. population is now tapping into mobile banking, versus one-fifth in 2010. But mobile services vary widely. Here's the mobile banking landscape you're likely to encounter and how to choose the best bank and apps for you. Big banks such as JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America and Citi have led the charge, offering the most robust mobile banking technology, says Mary Monahan, Javelin's research director of mobile. And they consistently head the class in mobile banking service quality rankings, though regional banks are also quickly adding mobile services."

CO-OP Introduces Mobile App for iPad
"Credit union clients of CO-OP Financial Services are now able to offer their members a mobile banking app for the iPad tablet. The new app will let members account balances and cash flow charts that summarize debit and credit activity; account history; transfers; and GPS-enabled access to CO-OP Network ATM or CO-OP Shared Branching locations, the payment CUSO said. In addition, the app enables each credit union to customize with member access to their own hosted web pages for loan/account opening services, rates and promotions; or social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube."

Regions online banking goes down due to "network issue"
"Many Regions Bank customers were without online banking access Monday after what the company calls an 'intermittent network issue.' The bank said in a statement on their Facebook Monday they are experiencing a network issue which is impacting some customer's ability to access their website. Those wishing to access the company's website, Regions.com, were taken to a Network Solutions backorder domain website. 'I've been trying to log on off and on since this morning and it is a different page and says the domain no longer exists. I didn't type any info in because I was afraid I'd be hacked,' says Leanne Eldridge."

Wells Fargo's Big Idea: Shrinking Branch Office
"Can neighborhood bank branch offices works smarter, and not harder? Oh, and can they work smaller, too? Wells Fargo (WFC) aims to find out starting this month. The San Francisco banking giant opened a branch Monday in Washington, D.C., that is one-third the size of the usual and comes well-stocked with such features as mobile banking, new ATMs and image-based bank deposits."

Mobile Banking Updates - April 24

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:47:00 +0000

Better Authentication is Key to DDoS, Mobile Banking Protection: Jeff Carter
"'When you don't have trusted identities for accessing your online banking infrastructure, anyone in the wild can make a request, and you have to respond to it,' says Jeff Carter, who ran innovation for Bank of America and the Center for Future Banking, a joint venture between Bank of America, MIT and Harvard University, for six years and is currently chief strategy officer at EyeLock. He has a vested interest: his company's technology scans the human iris to create a "trusted identity" that can be used to authenticate users of anything, including a mobile banking app or online banking site."

Dr. Gavin Michael Joins JPMorgan Chase as Head of Digital for Consumer and Community Banking
"Chase announced today that Dr. Gavin Michael has joined the firm as Head of Digital for Chase's Consumer and Community Banking division. Michael served as the Chief Technology Innovation Officer at Accenture since 2010, where he was responsible for the innovation agenda, technology strategy, and research and development. He will report to Gordon Smith, CEO of Chase Consumer and Community Banking, and Guy Chiarello, Chief Information Officer for JPMorgan Chase. 'We are extremely pleased to have Gavin join the firm,' said Gordon Smith, CEO of Consumer & Community Banking. 'With over 31 million active Chase.com users and more than 12 million active mobile users, it's important that we continue to innovate and provide exceptional customer experience in our internet and mobile channels. Gavin has more than 20 years of experience across Retail Banking technology, including governance, organization, strategy, and innovation. His experience in running large, complex global projects across financial services and consulting makes him a great fit to lead Chase's mobile and digital channel.'"

Mobile banking: Increased acceptance equals greater opportunities for FIs
"Mobile devices have become a part of everyday life around the world, used for banking, entertainment, communication, payments, budgeting and even shopping. A recent survey by the U.S. Federal Reserve focused not only on the general growth in mobile usage but also on the increasing number of U.S. consumers turning to mobile for their financial service needs. Mobile phone and mobile Internet access have become much more widespread in the United States; 87 percent of the population now own mobile phones, 52 percent of which are smartphones. More surprisingly, the Federal Reserve found that 28 percent of mobile phone owners have used their phones for mobile banking in the last 12 months. An even larger proportion of smartphone owners (48 percent) have done the same. The most common uses of mobile banking are to check account balances or recent transactions (87 percent), and to transfer money (53 percent) and deposit checks (21 percent)."

IAB: 58 per cent of Americans use mobile banking apps
"But 52 per cent say they want a concrete guarantee their transactions are safe before using mobile banking more often. One billion people are expected to use mobile banking by 2017, while NatWest and RBS recently strengthened their mobile solutions with in-app customer service tools. IAB now finds that 58 per cent of Americans user their bank's mobile app, while 50 per cent use their bank's mobile website. Meanwhile, 25 per cent are aware of the app and 26 per cent are aware of the site, though they're yet to use them."

International Mobile Banking Updates - April 23

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:39:00 +0000

Mobile malware and your money
"You might have anti-virus software on your computer, but have you considered protecting your smartphone or device? According to the international software house for antivirus security solutions, G Data Software AG, on average 6 915 new malware strains were created every day in the second half of 2012. The report states the number of new malware strains in the tools category, which includes online banking tools, has increased enormously in 2012."

bKash Offers Mobile Banking for Bangladesh
"bKash's CEO Kamal Quadir made the case for the e-commerce company at D: Dive Into Mobile, during the last of three "Global Voices" sessions."

ICICI Bank & Vodafone launch new mobile application
"India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank on Wednesday launched a mobile banking application christened as 'M-Pesa' in association with Vodafone India, one of the leading telecommunication service providers. 'This launch is line with the bank's objective of achieving greater financial inclusion,' said Rajiv Sabharwal, Executive Director - ICICI Bank."

Mobile financial services: Visa to launch innovative product in expanding market
"Bullish about the mobile banking scene in Pakistan, Visa Inc – a global payments technology company – is soon going to launch its own mobile financial services (MFS) platform in Pakistan, The Express Tribune has learnt. The product will use VisaNet technology and function on ‘interoperability’ model – a first in Pakistan’s mobile banking market. VisaNet is the world’s largest retail electronic payments processing network, handling an average of 150 million transactions every day, according to the company’s website."

South Africa’s mobile money industry remains innovative and diverse
"Mobile Money Africa returns to Johannesburg in May. South Africa remains one of the most diverse regions in Africa for its proliferation of successful mobile money business models being championed by banks, MNOs (mobile network operators), third party providers and retailers. This is according to Emma Pearce, director of the upcoming, annual Mobile Money Africa conference and exhibition, which will again gather the continent’s leading industry experts in Johannesburg from 28-29 May."

INSIGHT: How tech has transformed banking services in East Africa
"In the past, for a customer to transact any business with their bank, they had to make a trip to a banking hall. Not so these days. Customers can carry out business with their bank using mobile phones or via the Internet. Technology has dramatically transformed banking beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar concept. Many Kenyan banks are now offering Internet and mobile banking services. In fact, local banks have been at the forefront (even by global standards) of adopting technology to drive business volumes and enhance customer service."

Are banking apps up to it?
"Do banking apps deliver a full banking experience? LIRON SEGEV rates and ranks the functionality of the big four South African banks as they go mobile. Mobile banking apps in South Africa have seen phenomenal uptake by customers. But are they all things to all bankers? And which financial institution has the best features on its app? I set out to find out by comparing the features of the various banking apps."

Credit union's Deposit Anywhere™: A Canadian first
"A first in the Canadian financial services market, Central 1 Credit Union and three Canadian credit unions - including Meridian, Ontario's largest credit union - are launching Deposit Anywhere™, a new mobile banking application that makes it easy to deposit a cheque using a smartphone."

Mobile Banking Updates - April 22

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:23:00 +0000

What Will the Next Generation of Corporate Mobile Banking Look Like?
"'Mobile banking is evolving quickly for companies. This evolution is being propelled by the phenomenal growth in personal smartphone usage. Our clients now want to take the convenience and mobility they have with their personal smartphone into the workplace,' says James Gifas, head of RBS Citizens Treasury Solutions. "Over one third of smartphone owners in the U.S. are using their devices for personal mobile banking, and consumers want their business banking to be just as convenient."

6 Mobile Banking Features on B of A's Drawing Board
"Bank of America isn't generally first to market with new mobile banking features, but when it does offer something new, it draws high adoption numbers and it strikes fear in the hearts of competing bankers, who know their customers will soon start asking why their bank doesn't offer it. Case in point: the bank launched mobile check deposit last August (USAA launched this feature in August 2009; Chase launched it in July 2010). Today, Bank of America has 1.9 million users of mobile deposit, it's processed 18 million check images captured this way, and on average it is handling 100,000 checks per day through mobile deposit."

Mobile banking spurs growth at Michigan First Credit Union
"Michigan First Credit Union is looking for a few good employees, 14 right now to be exact. The Lathrup Village-based financial institution is looking for everything from tellers to human resources professionals to add to its staff of 225 people. However, technology pros are in especially high demand for the credit union. About a third of its new positions have some sort of tech angle, such as software developer or IT professional."

Behold, the next gen of mobile banking
"Like nearly every other industry--entertainment, journalism, personal communications--banking is changing at an amazing rate. It's not a white shoe enterprise anymore, thanks to the nearly ubiquitous adoption of mobile phones and tablets. And banks have better get ready because these tech-savvy customers are already using their phones for checking balances and making payments, and they want to do even more. Those were the words of warning from a senior player in the mobile banking space in an address before mobile finance executives at Mobey Forum in San Francisco."

The Next Steps For Consumers And Mobile Banking
"Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of mobile financial apps and services, but there’s still more that banks and FIs can do to increase adoption. That’s one of the takeaways from a new survey by IAB, InMobi and Viggle, which poled more than 1,200 consumers on their various thoughts and feelings on mobile financial services. Over half of all respondents indicated that they use financial mobile apps, but how many remain unaware of their existence? PYMNTS.com takes a look in this Data Point."

The Nexus of Forces and Software Quality in Banking
"Financial sector software failures fill our news pages – from banks failing to make payments to cash machines giving away free money, these high profile crashes are just the tip of the iceberg. The challenge of ensuring quality of software and IT in the banking sector is nothing new. Banking IT is highly complex, with different systems for both retail and investment banks. A typical banking IT scenario may encompass several different systems from multiple vendors, developed independently and integrated over a period of twenty years. The business supported by the systems is so wide that no single team understands the entire IT infrastructure."

Wallet Wars - May 8th - New York

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:33:00 +0000

Wallet Wars
May 8-9th
The New Yorker Hotel

Never has there been so much to play for in the payments space, a revolution is just round the corner. With Square, Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft becoming major players in Wallet space MNOs, Banks and Payment Institutions need to innovate fast to make sure they’re not left behind...

Click to Learn More

Click to Register Now

Define your mobile wallet battle plan - Discover how to make a product appealing, accessible, reliable, and to ensure immediate uptake of your solution
Add value and bolster your arsenal - Integrating loyalty, coupons, offers and ticketing provides the convenience that will springboard your wallet’s mass adoption, turning it from a gimmick to an everyday essential
Discover allies and understand opponents - In this space you need to keep your partners close but your competitors closer. Get to grips with who can help you capitalise on a new market
Avoid the minefield of privacy - Realise the potential from a gold mine of new data, while making sure you don’t encroach on your customer’s privacy
Grab your share of the market - With the consumer unlikely to have more than one mobile wallet, ensure they choose yours

Mobile Banking Updates - April 18

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:46:00 +0000

Capital One, DBS Bank Win Kudos for Private Mobile Banking Apps
"Mobile banking apps from Capital One and DBS Bank of Singapore shared first place in a new study of 50 global banks’ smartphone offerings for private banking clients. MyPrivateBanking, a Swiss research firm, evaluated the offerings of 50 banks. Capital One and DBS received a score of 50 out of a possible 60. The firm awarded second place to Societe Generale of France (with a score of 49). Third place was shared by ABN AMRO of Amsterdam and Westpac of Australia (both earned 48 points). The top scorers’ apps went beyond providing basic account information and transaction features, according to the report."

Infographic: Consumers prefer mobile banking to mobile payments
"Proponents of mobile payment technology, which lets you link a payment card to an app and pay with your phone, tout the convenience of leaving your wallet at home. Yet a March 2013 Federal Reserve survey shows just how far apps like Square Wallet, Google Wallet and Isis have to go to make that a reality. Just 6 percent of smartphone users have made a point-of-sale payment with their phone, while more than a third of them don't see any benefit to mobile payments -- and would prefer to pay with another method. Concerns about security are the main barrier to mobile payment adoption, although they're becoming less of a concern, the survey found. Thirty-eight percent of respondents in this year's survey said they had security concerns, compared with 42 percent in 2011."

Mobile payments: The next great debate
"I find myself at the forefront of many debates these days. And I’m not talking about politics, but rather how we will pay for products or services in the future. A year ago, the topic of mobile payments circulated as mild Internet banter in terms of how money is exchanged across sources, rails and platforms. Today, this complex subject makes its way into daily conversations. When discussing the future of mobile payments, rarely do I observe people who ride the party line. You’re either for it or against it. There’s no such thing as a moderate. And the ever-important question: near field communication (NFC) or the cloud? Is there room for both? And are people actually ready to use something other than plastic to pay for stuff?"

More consumers banking by mobile app
"The explosive growth nationally in mobile-phone banking is giving consumers a critical new option in managing their money, so much so that some Colorado banks say they are scrambling to keep up with the demand. While increases in the use of smartphone technology for banking applications have ballooned by as much as 250 percent in two years in Colorado, some experts think a single security breach could chill some of the enthusiasm."

Liberty Bank offering mobile banking app
"Liberty Bank has launched mobile banking service which now allows consumer customers to bank via mobile app, mobile browser, and text message from a smart phone or tablet. 'The industry is seeing huge growth in the use of mobile devices to access information on the go and to execute banking transactions. Liberty Bank is capitalizing on this trend to make banking even more effortless and convenient for our customers,' says Liberty Bank president and CEO Chandler J. Howard."

Banks Add Card Controls to Their Mobile Banking Apps
"When the president of City Bank Texas asked his IT team about adding a feature that would allow customers to temporarily disable their debit cards through its mobile banking app, senior vice president and chief technology officer Jim Simpson recalls outwardly smiling at him while inwardly thinking, "Is it even possible?" But first, the bank wanted to figure out whether the feature would solve a customer pain point. "We listen to the call center first to [determine] how we build innovative solutions," Simpson says. After getting positive feedback more than a year ago from the unit, the $2 billion-asset bank began working with its mobile banking provider, Malauzai Software, to bring a card control tool to life."

International Mobile Banking Updates - April 16

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:35:00 +0000

MoneyGram and First National Bank launch mobile banking in South Africa
"MoneyGram and First National Bank (FNB) of South Africa have launched their first mobile money transfer service in Africa. The new mobile banking service enables FNB customers throughout South Africa provinces to send and receive international money transfers using their mobile devices. The service features data encryption system that protects account holder information. Transactions sent from a mobile device are available for collection within 10 minutes, subject to an agent’s hours of operation and local laws and regulations."

Australian banks need to embrace mobile application users: Study
"By the end of 2013, more Australians are predicted to be using their mobile phones to do banking than their desktop computers, but research released this week shows they are increasingly dissatisfied with the offerings from financial institutions. Mobile marketing firm BanterMob analysed ratings and reviews of Australian banking apps, and found nine of the 13 banks reviewed rated average or below average, and almost three-quarters of user app reviews were negative."

Buggy apps hurt customer experience in mobile banking
"Banks aren’t using online banking properly, Australian mobile marketing firm, BanterMob, has claimed. The group studied 42,000 ratings and about 2000 reviews of Australian banking applications available in the four major app stores. BanterMob director, Kelly Slessor, says the results show high levels of negativity and sub-optimal customer experience."

ABSA launch their mobile and tablet banking App
"ABSA proudly, if a little belatedly, revealed their on-line Banking App for Android and Apple iPhone devices today in Johannesburg. ABSA is the last of the South African big banks to launch their mobile App. The ABSA App will be of huge benefit to all the ABSA customers with smart devices. ABSA said the App would be the first real, native financial services App for smartphones and tablets in South Africa available for both retail and business customers."

ING Direct Canada Looks Forward On Mobile
"ING Direct Canada foresees a world where the mobile channel dominates consumers' interactions with their financial institution, and is preparing accordingly. The bank has been working with Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM on several mobile banking services using IBM's MobileFirst suite of solutions. 'People are using these devices for managing almost every part of their lives,' says ING Direct Canada's CIO Charaka Kithulegoda. 'The movement into managing the financial part of their lives has been a bit slower compared to retail, for example, but now they're starting to do it more and more in financial services as well.'"

Barclays Zimbabwe to launch mobile banking service, Hello Money (updated)
"Barclays will be launching its mobile banking application Hello Money, in Zimbabwe this month. The announcement was made as part of the launch of new ATMs by the company a few days ago. Hello Money will allow Barclays account holders to transfer money to a Barclays account or to an account at another banking institution, airtime top up, mini statements and balance enquiries."

Mobile banking transactions double, payments rise threefold
"Mobile banking seems to be gaining popularity among Indians with increasing number of people using this platform to buy tickets, pay bills, shop online, and transfer funds. The opportunity to expand reach, grow revenues and gain operating efficiencies have persuaded several banks to encourage their customers in using mobile banking. Consider this: The number of mobile banking transactions doubled to 5.6 million in January 2013 from 2.8 million a year ago. The value of these transactions increased threefold to Rs 625 crore during the month from Rs 191 crore in January 2012."

Stanbic IBTC Launches Mobile Money Application
"Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited has announced the introduction of the ‘Stanbic IBTC MobileMoney’ application for smart phones. The product is expected to run on blackberry and android operating systems. Stanbic IBTC’s Executive Director for Personal and Business Banking, Mr. Obinna Abajue, was quoted in a statement as saying that the move underscored the bank’s commitment to provide Nigerians with value-added products and services that suit their lifestyles, while giving them access to basic financial options via a secure mobile application wherever and whenever they want."

Banks in product development race
"AS competitive pressures mount in the banking sector, banks have to devise various safety valves, knowing that there is no single silver bullet for achieving sustainable competitiveness. Apart from diversifying sources of funding, enhancing liquidity profiles, fortifying balance sheets, growing deposit bases and enhancing access to lined of credit, banks are also actively pursuing a product and channel expansion strategy, if the recently released 2012 financial results are anything to go by. Most banks were unequivocal about their growth strategies and clearly articulated them in statements accompanying the results while others offered no clues. During the period under review, Agribank rolled out its first phase of e-Banking products; notably Internet and mobile banking, SMS alerts as well as e-statements. The bank also entered into a strategic partnership with EcoCash to facilitate roll out of mobile money transfer services. Going forward, Agribank intends to strengthen strategic alliances that grow non-funded income.

SA mobile banking fraud on the rise
"The Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) has noted an increase in complaints as mobile and internet banking fraud increased, according to its 2012 annual report on banking services. In the report, advocate John Myburgh, chairman of the board of the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS), said that the growing mobile customer base has spurred banks to launch ever-more innovative mobile payment options. With an estimated 13-million unbanked South Africans, the potential for such products is immense, he said."

Indian uptake of mobile FS on rise as banks launch more m-payment options
"Mobile banking is gaining popularity in India, with the number of mobile banking transactions doubling to 5.6 million in January 2013 from 2.8 million a year ago. The value of transactions increased tripled to rupees (INR) 625 from INR 191 in January 2012. CICI Bank, which has the largest share of mobile banking payments in India, makes periodic offers to its customers to encourage them to use mobile banking services. The bank produced these figures and has partnered with several service providers to offer customers discounts on their products and services, as well as entered partnerships to allow them to make utility bill payments via mobiles."

Mobile-banking with 1.4 million accounts shows remarkable surge
"Mobile banking in Pakistan has witnessed a reasonable growth as the number of such accounts (M-Wallets) has reached 1.4 million by 2012, showing an increase of 156 % as compared to previous years. The current number of m-banking accounts is seven times higher than the numbers at the end of September 2010. Of the total 1.4 million m-banking accounts, 66 % are active accounts and the ratio of active accounts has increased from 54 % as of end December 2011. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in its report has revealed that this increase in the active accounts is mainly due to increase in the small transaction m-banking accounts by UBL Omni, facilitated by regulatory flexibility in account opening by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)."

Internet Banking to Grow 65% a Year in Latin America
"The number of Latin Americans who have access to their bank with mobile divices will grow by 65% annually in the coming years and reach 140 million people by 2015, according to a Deloitte report released by the Latin American Federation of Banks ( Felaban). The study indicates that the concept of “mobile money” will transform Latin America in the coming decades and remember that in some rural areas access to traditional banking services is still limited because of the high costs involved."

Mobile Banking Updates - April 14

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:15:00 +0000

BBB offers top 5 tips for mobile banking
"Gone are the days of waiting in line at the bank or even waiting for your computer to boot up. Now you can access your bank account from anywhere in the world via your smart phone or tablet. But consumers need to be more cautious than ever when banking through any device, as hackers can prey on the unsuspecting. The FINRA Investor Education Foundation, part of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, offers these five tips on how to keep your identity safe and your money in the bank:"

Mobile Banking Continues to Increase
"A late-November study, Consumers and Mobile Financial Services, showed that 28% of mobile-phone owners have used mobile banking in the past 12 months, an increase from the 21% found in a December 2011 study. Another 10% of the mobile owners who are not using mobile banking plan to do so in the next year. Smartphone owners are even more likely to use mobile banking: 48% of smartphone owners used mobile banking in the past year compared with 42% in 2011."

Century Federal Credit Union Launches Mobile Banking Application - Eagle Mobility
"Members of Century Federal Credit Union (CFCU), one of the largest credit unions in Northeastern Ohio, now have access to their accounts 24/7, via CFCU’s new Eagle Mobility – Mobile Banking Application. Eagle Mobility allows CFCU members to securely login to check balances, transfer funds, pay bills and find a nearby location/ATM all on their Smartphone. CFCU members can turn on this service via the Online Banking Portal at http://www.CenFedCU.org or download an Android or IOS/Apple version of the application from their phone’s App Store."

Regions Bank Embraces Mobile Banking
"Regions Bank has just confirmed plans to embrace mobile banking and a multitude of cutting edge mobile financial services in the coming weeks and months. Regions Bank customers can expect to enjoy everything from remote deposit capture to various prepaid features. A January 2013 report from Juniper Research finds that over one billion mobile phone users will have made use of their mobile devices for banking purposes by the end of 2017, compared to just over 590 million this year."

Mobile Banking Updates - April 11

noreply@blogger.com (brandon@bmcgee.com) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 03:50:00 +0000

Top Five Tips for Mobile Banking
"In our tech-savvy world, everything is readily accessible and convenient…even banking. Gone are the days of waiting in line at the bank or even waiting for your computer to boot up. Now you can access your bank account from anywhere in the world via your smart phone or tablet. But consumers need to be more cautious than ever when banking through any device, as hackers can prey on the unsuspecting. The FINRA Investor Education Foundation, part of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, offers these five tips on how to keep your identity safe and your money in the bank:"

Five Star downloads mobile banking app
"Five Star Bank has launched its first-ever mobile banking app. The AirTeller Mobile Banking app allows customers of the Wyoming County community bank to check account balances, view recent transactions, pay bills, transfer funds and locate nearby Five Star ATMs and branches. The free app works on iPhones, iPads, iTouches and Android devices. It may be downloaded from the Apple App store and the Google Play store."

Mobile Banking and Branch Solution Provider Recognized for Innovation
"TRG Mobilearth Inc., a developer of mobile banking and mobile branch solutions for credit unions and banks, was recently recognized by BCBusiness magazine as one of the top 20 Most Innovative Companies in British Columbia. Ranked fourth, the award recognizes Mobilearth for their MobiBank™ mobile banking software as well as their new MobiBranch™ product, a tablet-based application that enables financial institution employees to bring the branch to their members and clients. Mobilearth clients include credit unions and banks across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America."

Swipe to See Your Account Balance with Groundbreaking Bank of the West Mobile Apps, Built on Mobiliti from Fiserv
"Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced that Bank of the West, a $63 billion asset bank with locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states, has launched new apps for iPhone®, Android® and iPad®, each of which is built on the Mobiliti™ mobile banking and payments platform from Fiserv. Among the highlights of the iPhone and Android apps is the Quick Balance feature, which enables enrolled users to access their balances with the slide of a finger, without logging into their accounts. The feature is the first of its kind for a North American bank."