Mobile Banking Updates - Dec 21st

CPNI Brings Mobile Person to Person Payments to the Unbanked
"In the latest release of their Phone Authorized Transfer™ (PAT™) mobile commerce software, CPNI Inc. (CPNI) announced today the ability to send money to people not yet registered for the service and the ability to send money to people without bank accounts. The functionality, offered by CPNI’s person to person mobile payment solution PATsend™, enables Financial Institutions to attract new customers with an entirely new service."

Tyfone Chip Offers Mobile-Pay Step for Banks and Consumers
"The mobile banking technology vendor Tyfone Inc. has come up with a way for consumers to install payments capabilities in their phones. Banks are eager to turn mobile phones into payments devices using near-field communication chips that can make a handset function like a contactless payment card, but only a handful of phones have the technology today. Tyfone's new NFC product, a platform called u4ia (pronounced "euphoria"), is integrated into a standard memory card that consumers can insert into mobile phones."

Smart Card Alliance Introduces New Contactless and Mobile Payments Tools for Merchants
"The Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council today introduced new tools for merchants accepting or thinking about accepting contactless and mobile payments. Merchants can now access a model to calculate return on investment (ROI) for accepting contactless payments, as well as an online discussion forum to interact with and ask industry experts questions and post comments about contactless and mobile payments."

Standard Chartered launches Mobile Phone Banking
"Standard Chartered has launched a new Mobile Banking service, allowing customers to have full transactional access to their UAE bank accounts conveniently and securely through mobile phones both in the UAE and abroad. The new service which works on all mobile phones will allow customers to view bank account and credit card details, transfer funds, top up mobile phone credit and more, all through their mobile phone."

ClairMail Launches Mobile Banking Web Solution for iPhone

"ClairMail, Inc., the leader in 2-way mobile phone-based customer interaction, today announced the latest release of the ClairMail System that includes a premier mobile web solution optimized for the iPhone. The iPhone solution includes the comprehensive mobile banking and payments functionality found in ClairMail's traditional mobile web offering – account management, fund transfers, bill payments, ATM/branch locators and more – presented on the iPhone's rich user interface." Continue Reading >>

Mobile Banking Updates - Dec 16th

Mobile finance business models do they exist? Are they even important?
"Everywhere I go I hear bankers’ refrain “When will we see a viable business model for mobile banking?” Mid-market and smaller banks, credit unions and card issuers that have yet to mobilize their business are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward mobile account access."

Chase Adds iPhone Mobile Banking Application
"JP Morgan Chase & Co. has released Chase Mobile, a new iPhone/iPod Touch application available for downloading from the iTunes Apps Store."

Citi’s Mobile Money Ventures Sets U.S. Rollout for Early ’09
"Mobile Money Ventures, the Citi-backed mobile banking and payments joint venture with South Korea’s SK Telecom, plans a U.S. rollout of an iPhone application in January, followed by a mobile Web-based service that will for the first time create a carrier-neutral banking service for Citibank customers. "

Oman Arab Bank Achieves Revenue Growth and ROI from SMS Based Banking Services
"Derdack, provider of mobile messaging platforms and notification workflow software today announced that Oman Arab Bank, a leading bank in Oman, has achieved significant efficiencies in customer service and the opening of new revenue streams from SMS-based mobile banking."

mBanking Panel 1 - Driving Mass Market Customer Adoption
"The first panel of the roundtable on mobile banking for the bottom billion included two panelists, Brian Richardson from WIZZIT, South Africa and Bold Magvan from XacBank, Mongolia."

Motorola Enhances Mobile Commerce Solutions for Consumers
"First M-Wallet solution deployment in China marks a milestone in Motorola's M-Commerce development"

Citibank Korea launches mobile banking service in English
"Citibank Korea Inc., or CKI, is prepping the launch of their VM mobile banking service for web-enabled mobile phones."

Mobile Banking Promo - Bank of America

Today I logged onto (m.weather.com) to check the snow report and caught this mobile banking promotion from Bank of America. I'm in awe - their timing, placement and resources are truly remarkable!

Mobile Banking Updates - Dec 14

Mobile Asia Congress 2008: Hannes van Rensburg, CEO, Fundamo


Crossover Hit: Small-Biz Goes Mobile
"Seeking new markets for mobile banking services, financial companies are turning their attention to small-business customers. Though these are similar to the services that many banks now offer consumers, early movers in the mobile business say they have added features geared specifically to the needs of commercial customers, notably the ability to authorize transfers and payments and to receive a variety of account alerts."

NFC No Answer for Mobile Payments, But Alternatives Offer Promise, According to ABI Research
"Once, NFC (Near Field Communication) was the leading contender among technologies that could enable mobile payments. But NFC has developed more slowly than anticipated, and will not offer viable large-scale mobile payment solutions for at least six years."

Wells Fargo Online Banking iPhone App
"Online banking has been popular since the late 1990s, but it might be about to change. The Wells Fargo Online Banking iPhone app might change online banking forever."

Mobile Banking with VNCTY.
"So I'm excited to say that Vancity has launched Mobile Banking to our Online Banking members. It's pretty simple SMS banking where you register your cell number within Online Banking and then when you text to the shortcode VNCTY you get your balance or last five transactions."

Banks Should Consider Mobile, But Keep it Simple
"U.S. banks are right to embrace mobile, but they’ll need to keep it simple. Access through this channel will deliver banks closer ties to a new generation of customers who are typically eschewing a stagnant screen for their smartphone to do work and get information."

Kenyans embrace moving money by text message
"To pick up money sent by her husband, who works at a remote Kenyan hospital, Rosalyn Khanyaha used to have to take an hourlong bus ride to the nearest city with a money-wiring office, or risk the cash being sent by bus."

Mobile banking set for rapid uptake - Monitise
"Mobile banking is set to achieve the fastest rate of mass-market penetration in recent history, even outpacing items such as credit cards, online banking or ATMs. This is according to recent research published by the Future Foundation, a consumer-forecasting consultancy and Monitise plc (Monitise), the mobile money specialists."

NEW! Beta Homepage from Chase

Has anyone else stumbled across the beta version of Chase's new homepage?

You can find it here: https://www.chase.com/beta/home/home

I love one of their new features! They've incorporated a "What matters to you today?" search box that dynamically changes as you enter additional characters into the field. For instance, begin typing the words "mobile banking" and you'll receive the following:

"m" = mortgage
"mob" = auto loans
"mobile b" = mobile banking

However, it's odd because home computer defaults to the site; yet, my work computer is directed to the existing site. I'm not sure if I've picked up a cookie or they are scrubbing on MAC versus PC. Check it out.

Bank of America - Mobile Banking

Apple is running an integrated advertising campaign where they highlight some of their most popular applications. For instance, I've seen a promos for...

Loopt
Shazam

But did you see the newspaper execution in Friday's Wall Street Journal?
Bank of America's mobile banking application is listed in the first row.

Mobile Banking Updates - Dec 2nd

Absa Launches New Mobile Service
"A new mobile service to bring greater control and convenience to millions of its clients, has been launched by the largest retail banking group - Absa. Over 3.5 million Absa clients using the SMS messaging service, NotifyMe, can now request instant balance enquiries and statements, as well as purchase prepaid cellular airtime, from their cellular handset."

Citizens Bank of Canada Launches Mobile Solution
"Have you ever found yourself standing in line to purchase something and wanted to check your bank balance? Now you can through text messaging from your mobile phone. Introducing Mobile Banking with BANKCB."

Can You Hear Us Now? Mobile Carriers Eye Financial Revenue
"As bankers continue to roll out services for mobile phones, wireless carriers are trying to find ways to earn more revenue from the financial activities moving through their systems."

Cell Phone Payments Make the World Easier For Terrorists, Too
"The Reuters article said little about the downside of the new technology. But terrorist financing experts in and outside government have long been worried that the mobile payment development is outpacing regulators' and law enforcement's ability to detect and prevent use by terrorists."

Alltel Wireless, mFoundry Partner for Alltel Wallet
"Alltel Wireless, will leverage the extensible mobile wallet platform from mFoundry (San Francisco) to create the Alltel Wallet, which will initially provide access to a consolidated mobile banking experience, providing customers with access to a wide variety of U.S. financial institutions."

Economy Puts Mobile Marketing on Hold
"If all went according to plan the day after Thanksgiving, JC Penney customers were roused with a wake-up call. The service was provided free as part of a Black Friday mobile marketing push. Consumers had been invited to come to JCP.com to sign up for the call, SMS shopping tips and sales alerts. This is a prime example of how this much-hyped marketing channel is helping companies like JC Penney, Subway and Coca-Cola court consumers through their cell phones and PDAs. The only problem: The economy is in free fall, leaving some marketers leery of dumping dollars into an unproven medium."

The Mobile Banking Opportunity for Small Businesses - Are Banks Listening?
"Small businesses want mobile banking services. Approximately one-third of those interviewed expressed a likelihood that they will use mobile banking."

Mobile Banking Updates - Nov 30th

PayPal Passcode Sent by Text Message
"PayPal Inc. announced the introduction Monday of PayPal SMS Security Key, which transmits a passcode to customers' mobile phones using the short message service for text when they log on to the payment service's Web site."

Are You Ready for Mobile Banking (Again)?
"Mobile banking can be viewed as a hook for customer acquisition, but takedown shouldn't be relied on for customer retention. This tool of convenience can complement an institution's existing offerings, but before joining the mobile banking bandwagon, evaluate whether it's right for your processes, personnel and customers."

Regions Mobile Banking Service Available for US Users
"Regions Financial Corporation has announced the Regions Mobile Banking, which can be accessed by wireless customers of AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Cellular South and Alltel Wireless."

ClairMail Hits 12 Transactions per Month Milestone
ClairMail, a vendor of mobile phone-based customer interaction products, reportedly has announced that its so-called “ClairMail System” has reached “millions of monthly mobile banking transactions” and increased growth, with more than 12 mobile banking transactions conducted every month per consumer."

ClairMail Chosen by PNC to Enhance Mobile Banking Services
"ClairMail, Inc., the leader in 2-way mobile phone-based customer interaction, today announced that PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. expanded its mobile banking services by integrating ClairMail's comprehensive mobile banking solution."

Sybase CEO sees mobile commerce as future
"John Chen, chairman, CEO and president of Sybase, has led a dramatic turnaround for the Dublin company by focusing it on infrastructure software that helps companies go mobile. Now a leader in mobile middleware, device management, messaging and mobile databases, Sybase topped $1 billion in revenue last year and is on pace for a record 2008."

Jack Henry & Associates Announces 103rd Mobile Banking Customer
"Jack Henry & Associates, Inc., a leading provider of integrated technology solutions and data processing services for financial institutions, today announced goDough, its state-of-the-art mobile banking solution, has been adopted by 103 of its core financial institution clients."

Diebold offers mobile banking through strategic alliance with ClairMail
"Diebold, a provider of self-service delivery and security systems and services, has announced that it is providing ClairMail's two-way mobile platform, as an integral part of its total outsourcing strategy, through a strategic alliance with ClairMail."

Mobile Finance: Indigenous, Ingenious or Both?
"In Ghana, it's popularly known as susu. In Cameroon, tontines or chilembe. And in South Africa, stokfel. Today, you'd most likely call it plain-old microfinance, the nearest term we have for it. Age-old indigenous credit schemes have run perfectly well without much outside intervention for generations. Although, in our excitement to implement new technologies and solutions, we sometimes fail to recognize them. Innovations such as mobile banking -- great as they may be -- are hailed as revolutionary without much consideration for what may have come before or who the original innovators may have been."

Txt Me: SMS Gains Mobile Bank Traction
"Most mobile banking services use browsers and specialized software available for high-end phones, but several financial companies are turning their attention to the basic text message. Advocates of texting say that this simple format can help banks reach almost any customer with a mobile phone, and that their immediacy makes texts well suited for alerts that can prompt a quick response."

Chase Mobile Banking from mShift

It's official. Chase has launched their browser-based mobile banking solution at Chase.mobi

This is in addition to their existing solutions:
* Chase Text Banking
* Chase Cards Downloadable Application




Also note - this is a huge WIN for mShift the technology provider. To date mShift has signed more institutions than any other vendor, and now they can also add a Top 5 FI to their resume.

Mobile Banking Announcements for BAI

Citi and Firethorn Launch Citi Mobile for Cards
"Today, Citi and Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company (NASDAQ: QCOM), introduced Citi Mobile for Cards, an advanced mobile solution that allows Citi credit card customers to quickly, easily and securely access real-time credit card account information on their mobile phones. Citi Mobile for Cards is now available to AT&T subscribers as part of AT&T Mobile Banking, and to Verizon Wireless customers who download and use the free mobile banking application on Get It Now."

Mobilearth and Cooperative Services bring Mobile Banking to the Credit Unions of Georgia.
"Mobilearth, a provider of Mobile Banking software for financial institutions is pleased to announce a reseller agreement with Cooperative Services, Inc. to provide mobile banking to credit unions throughout the state of Georgia. A unique pilot program over the summer gave credit unions in the Atlanta area the opportunity to try out mobile banking without no strings attached."

Monitise Americas Announces 23 New Mobile Banking Partnerships
"Monitise Americas has announced that 23 additional financial institutions have signed agreements with Metavante to provide mobile services to their customers and members. These new agreements add to the growing list of financial institutions that have chosen the Monitise Americas solution for their mobile needs. Metavante is a leading provider of banking and payments technology."

S1 Corporation signs tenth FI mobile banking customer
"S1 Corporation (Nasdaq: SONE), a leading global provider of customer interaction software solutions for financial and payment services, today announced that ten customers have licensed S1 Mobile, which enables financial institutions worldwide to drive mobile banking and payments revenues from their retail and business customers."

Sybase 365 Announces Partnership with paybox Furthering Mobile Commerce Globally
"Sybase 365, a subsidiary of Sybase, Inc., the global leader in mobile messaging services, today announced a partnership agreement with paybox, a leader in mobile payment solutions, that will extend mobile payments and mobile money services to customers worldwide."

FIS to Offer Obopay Mobile Payments to its Bank Customers.
"Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) is to offer Obopay's mobile person-to-person payment service to FIS's roughly 1700 bank customers, the pair announced at BAI's Retail Delivery show. Jacksonville, Fla.-based FIS is starting to sign up interested banks, Kishore Bayyapureddy, senior vice president of FIS told BS&T."

ClairMail Customers See Rapid Growth and Adoption of Mobile Banking
"ClairMail, Inc., the leader in 2-way mobile phone-based customer interaction, today announced that the ClairMail System is processing millions of monthly mobile banking transactions and seeing tremendous adoption and continued growth, with over 12 mobile banking transactions conducted every month per consumer."

CPNI integrates P2P m-payments system with Sun technology
"CPNI (CPNI) today announced that it will offer Financial Institutions the integration of CPNI's Phone Authorized Transfer (PAT) mobile commerce software with Sun Java Composite Application Platform Suite (Java CAPS)."

Tapping Your Cell Phone by Bob Segall

Over the last few years you've probably been exposed to a great deal of information on the topic of mobile banking security, but the implications of what you're about to see are staggering.

You can read the story Tapping Your Cell Phone by Bob Segall but I'd recommend that you watch the YouTube video to fully appreciate what's at stake.

Mobile Banking Updates - Nov 16th

Firethorn Introduces New Capabilities To Enhance Mobile Banking and Payments
"Leading mobile commerce enabler Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company, today announced the introduction of its mobile application upgrade which will enable Firethorn to transition its financial institution and wireless operator relationships from banking to broader mobile commerce functionality."

A Look at RBC's Mobex Mobile Payment Service
"In late September, RBC Royal Bank in Canada announced the launch of a trial of a text message-based mobile payment service called RBC Mobex. We recently heard from a colleague in Canada who's delighted with the service."

Monilink reaches 1 million transactions in October
"Monitise's UK mobile banking service Monilink reveals it has processed over one million transactions during October, a 15 percent increase compared to the previous month."

First Interstate - Mobile Banking Security Using SMS
"First Interstate Bank, a regional bank with 50 locations and 100 ATMs in Montana and Wyoming, has launched a mobile banking site at firstinterstate.mobi."

mFoundry to Provide Mobile Banking & Payments Solutions to Zions Bancorporation
"Mobile financial services leader, mFoundry today announced that Zions Bancorporation has selected mFoundry's financial services platform to power its mobile banking and payments offerings."

Mobile Banking Updates - Nov 11th

Report: Smartphone Adoption Driving Growth of Mobile Banking
"Cell phones may have been invented as a means of carrying on voice conversations in an ultra-portable way, but today these devices have evolved into miniature computers of sorts, and are used for all kinds of fun and practical purposes, including playing games, listening to music, checking e-mail, sending text messages, and performing mobile banking tasks."

Mobile Insecurity: Reality or Just hype?
"The increasing functionality and numbers of mobile banking platforms, the growing sophistication of criminals, and the popularity of smart cell phones create the potential for mobile banking security issues, but industry watchers have widely divergent opinions about how serious the threat really is."

Go Mobile, Go Green
"According to a recent report by Javelin Strategy and Research, 75 percent of consumers still receive paper statements and about 34 percent pay by paper check. Thankfully, a new paperless method is available for reducing the amount of waste the average consumer generates: mobile banking."

Mashreq unveils mobile banking service
"In keeping with the fast-paced lifestyle of the region, Mashreq Mobile Banking will provide customers secure and fully transactional access to their bank accounts through their mobile phones 24/7, from any GPRS / 3G / wireless (Wi-Fi) network, anywhere in the world."

GSM Safer than CDMA?

I found an article on security titled Report: GSM Best for Mobile Banking a couple of weeks ago, and I would appreciate hearing your opinion. I've been in the mobile banking space for awhile now and this is the first time I've heard that one format is "more secure" than another.

Also, here's an article that may help if you're not familiar with the details on which carrier is using which format Twisting Technology.

Chase Mobile Banking from Firethorn

There's a rumor that Chase is preparing to launch a downloadable mobile banking solution; yet, I haven't seen a press release and there's very little to support the claim...until now.

Over the weekend I was checking out a friends new Sony-Ericsson w760a from AT&T when the Chase logo jumped off the page with the words "Coming Soon." I have not been able to confirm or deny the hunch, but to date there's only one vendor that gets preloaded onto AT&T handsets and the Chase logo was grouped with the traditional list of Firethorn clients.

PNC Mobile Banking from Verizon

Verizon has promoted the Firethorn mobile banking application for some time; however, I recently discovered that they are also now promoting the PNC mobile banking application powered by mFoundry. Click here to visit the download page.

Mobile Banking Updates - Oct 30

Motorola's Razr Rules the Mobile Web
"Apple's iPhone is currently the biggest of big deals. The No. 1 phone, right? Think again. Know which well-known phone outsells the iPhone in the U.S.? I'll give you a big hint: This "other" phone has been around for some time, and more people use it to access the mobile Web than any other handset around. Give up? Say hello again to Motorola's Razr phone."

MasterCard Mobile Provides Over-the-Air Provisioning for Mobile
"MasterCard has announced the launch of a MasterCard Over-the-Air Provisioning Service, calling it "the first program of its kind that enables issuers to perform over-the-air personalization of their cardholders' mobile devices in an easy, one-step process."

Mobile Banking Developer Gets Development Funding
"­PlaNet Finance has received a US$1.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support a Mobile Banking Project to provide microfinance clients with enhanced access to banking services. The project was co-developed with mobile operator, Orange."

Prepaid Will Rely On Mobile Banking For Info
"Person-to-person funds transfers and mobile payments at the point of sale are still a ways off in the United States. But mobile banking has a role to play for consumers, according to speakers at SourceMedia’s ATM, Debit & Prepaid Forum in Chandler, Ariz. (SourceMedia publishes Prepaid Trends.)"

SK Telecom's Mobile Finance Technology Goes Global
"SK Telecom has launched the first commercial mobile financial services with Citibank Hong Kong through Mobile Money Ventures, its joint venture with Citi. Buoyed by the growing market of mobile bankers' support from telco operators and handset manufacturers, the company expects its mobile finance technology to take off in the global market."

City Bank Texas - Mobile Banking

I learned last week that City Bank Texas has launched a two-channel mobile solution (text and browser). Additionally they've created a nice micro-site including a tool with three target personas:
* Mike - Active Retiree
* Erin - College Student
* David - Business Owner

To learn more visit their website at citybankonline.com or the mobile banking specific microsite at citybankmobile.com

Also, be sure to check out their two television spots >>

MI Bank Mobile Banking and FREE Phone

M&I Bank has launched their mobile solution and is offering a FREE phone. Plus, they offer the ability to make expedited payments via mobile. Learn More >>

Regions Mobile Banking - FREE Phone

Over the last 18 months there have been a number of strong marketing campaigns promoting mobile banking, but this one is NEW!

To help launch their mobile banking solution Regions is giving away 25,000 free "high-end" phones (i.e. Blackberry Pearl, LG Shine, or LG enV). Learn More >>

At first I was blown away (and don't get me wrong I'm still impressed) but after a little research I did discover that E-Trade is promoting a similar offer. Learn More >>



In a related story...
BlackBerry Targets iPhone, Android With Application Store
"The Apple iPhone did it with the AppStore. And Google Android did it with the Android Market for the T-Mobile G1. Now BlackBerry is following suit launching an application store of its own to let users find and download applications to their smart phones."

Mobile Banking from eBank

E-Bank Japan Sets Mobile Banking Example
"Imagine you are a bank with no branches or ATMs, almost three million customers and only 195 employees in total. This is e-bank Japan, which provides 24-hour real-time electronic services. With a corporate vision that mobile computing can give customers their own personal branch in the future it is an example of a company that has totally automated its business using the latest technology.

The combined attractions of reduced costs and increasing customer demand could drive mobile banking adoption in here post credit crunch." Continue Reading >>

Verizon - To Fee or Not to Fee

Verizon Wireless Plans to Charge Companies Sending Text Messages
"Verizon Wireless this week told companies that send out text messages that starting Nov. 1 it will impose a fee of 3 cents for each message it delivers to the phones of its subscribers. The plan prompted waves of protest among many of the companies that use text messages, and Verizon has backed off the details."

Verizon denies text fee hike imminent
"Verizon Wireless is refuting reports it will introduce a 3-cent fee for all mobile-terminated messages delivered across its network."

Mobile Banking Updates - Oct 14

Citi and Obopay roll out P2P m-payments service nationwide
"Citi and Obopay have launched a US-wide person-to-person (P2P) mobile payments pilot for the bank's customers. The mobile payment service will be offered to all Citibank customers in the US, with a focus on Boston, Chicago, Maryland, Philadelphia and New Jersey."

Lloyds TSB Launches Mobile Banking Enhancements
"Lloyds TSB says it has "become the first bank in the UK to offer a range of banking services allowing customers to monitor and manage their money on a mobile phone. The new Lloyds TSB Mobile Services are unique in giving customers the ability to move money instantly between accounts through a Mobile Banking application and receive text messages about their finances."

With Digipass for Mobile VASCO Data Security Expands Its Authentication Software Offering
"The new version of Digipass for Mobile comes with a dedicated Software Development Kit (SDK) to enable the transparent embedding of Digipass for Mobile functionality in e-banking and m-banking applications"

More than half of retailers considering mobile contactless payments
"Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company, surveyed 180 companies to outline the implications and trends related to proximity mobile payments. Retail, hospitality, and transit companies are indicating high levels of awareness for mobile payments and NFC acceptance."

Mobile Banking Updates - Oct 7

It has been a busy couple of days in the world of mobile banking...here are the headlines!

Visa Questions Phones as Payment Tools
"Mobile phones are more useful for providing details about payments than for initiating them at the point of sale, according to Visa Inc."

INSIDE Debuts MicroPass Contactless Stickers
"INSIDE Contactless, a leading provider of advanced, open-standard contactless chip technologies, today announced that samples of the first MicroPass® contactless prelam for use in mobile handset stickers for secure payments are now available for card manufacturers."

Maximizing Efficiency in Payments - Mobile Banking
Mustafa Patni of WaMu will be discussing, "The NACHA Operating Rules to accommodate payments that originate from the mobile channel and to identify any unique risk considerations, including authorization and authentication, to enable efficient and effective adoption in the ACH Network."

Awareness and Use of Mobile Banking Low, But Poised to Grow
"The use of cell phones to conduct banking activities such as balance inquiries, bill payment and funds transfers is still a relatively new capability for many banks. Not surprisingly, then, awareness and usage of mobile banking services are just beginning to build among banking customers."

Venture to Provide Mobile Transfers
"Monitise Americas, a joint venture of Monitise PLC and Metavante Technologies Inc., plans to start offering person-to-person transfer services through mobile phones next quarter."

Sybase 365 Exposes Top Myths Surrounding Mobile Banking
"Sybase 365, the global leader in mobile messaging services, exposed several myths surrounding mobile banking. The results of a recent survey (“Mobile Banking: The Second Wave. Global Mobile Banking Survey 2008”) commissioned by Sybase 365 showed that some 34% of banks offer mobile services to customers and an additional 32% plan to offer mobile services in the next 12-24 months."

Mobile Marketing from ChaCha

It's likely that you're familiar with the concept of mobile marketing, but chances are you're not familiar with ChaCha's operating model.

ChaCha is an Indianapolis firm that was launched in January of this year by Scott Jones. A little history on Scott..."At age 25, Scott invented the massively scalable, easy-to-use voicemail system that has been used by over a billion people around the world."

How Does ChaCha Work?
"ChaCha is conversational, fun, and easy to use. Simply ask your question like you are talking to a smart friend and ChaCha’s advanced technology instantly routes it to the most knowledgeable person on that topic in our Guide community. Your answer is then returned to your phone as a text message within a few minutes."

Example:

Mobile Banking from Fifth-Third

There's no mention of the product on their website, but I just discovered that Fifth-Third bank now has a browser-based mobile banking site located at: www.53.com/mobile

Mobile Banking Updates - Oct 2

iPhone heading to EVDO/Verizon for 2009?
"According to him, Apple will be announcing iPhones for Verizon Wireless in 2009, perhaps as early Macworld 2009. Negotiations between Apple and Verizon are ongoing but they expect to hammer out agreements by the end of the year."

FSTC completes first phase of m-payments project
"The group is examining various technology models supporting mobile payments today and expects to make recommendations that will facilitate an interoperable mobile payments infrastructure in the near future."

Security, Compliance Top Concerns in Bank Survey
"Community bankers are spending more than ever on technology, according to survey published Wednesday, and their biggest concerns are data security and compliance."

Mitek intros Mobile Deposit Application for Apple iPhone
"The Mobile Deposit iPhone application is available to financial
institutions or mobile banking software vendors looking to add Remote
Deposit Capture (RDC) to their mobile banking platform."

ATMIA publishes mobile banking best practices
"The ATM Industry Association has launched Best Practices for Mobile Device Banking Security."

Firethorn and Fifth-Third Processing

Firethorn Holdings has announced that "it has entered into an agreement with Fifth Third Processing Solutions to bring mobile banking services to its 2,880 financial institutions. As part of the relationship, Fifth Third Processing Solutions will offer Firethorn's products to its processing financial institution clients, leveraging existing integration and connectivity to deploy Firethorn's mobile application. Fifth Third Processing Solutions plans to make the service available to its financial institutions before the end of the year. Continue Reading >>

iPhone Mobile Banking Application - IBC Bank/mFoundry

Late last week I heard that IBC Bank/mFoundry had launched a new mobile banking application through the iPhone App Store. I'm going to receive a demo on Tuesday, but here are a few screen-prints and a couple of the customer reviews.





"Best Banking App to Date... 5 Stars (by Clown Price)
This app rocks, much smoother than just a faceplate on a mobile web experience. These guys obviously care about providing their customers with a solid product."

"Amazing, incredible app 5 Stars (by JSpurr)
Note to other banks: make an app like this if you want to keep customers happy. Absolutely brilliant!"

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 28

The last 7 days have been very active in the mobile banking arena. Here's a summary:

Lloyds TSB mobile banking goes beyond text
"Lloyds TSB has added a slew of features to its mobile banking service. From mid-October, Lloyds customers will be able to view their banking details, move money around their own accounts and receive text message alerts on their phone."

Google Android: Can it take on the iPhone?
"How significant is the launch of Google's new mobile phone? And does it have enough to take on the iPhone, asks Claudine Beaumont"

Paying for your eBay items with PayPal just got easier
"It's finally happened! You can now pay for all your eBay items with PayPal via your mobile anywhere, anytime*."

CGAP at the Clinton Global Initiative’s Mobile Banking Call to Action
"Today, CGAP is announcing a new effort around mobile banking to identify, fund, research and champion technology enabled banking services for 25 million people in 20 countries. CGAP CEO Elizabeth Littlefield will announce the plan at the Clinton Global Initiative’s “Mobile Banking Call to Action.”

ClairMail to Power Mobile Banking for Texas-based City Bank
"ClairMail has announced that City Bank, a locally owned and operated community bank in Texas, has selected ClairMail to power its new mobile banking offering."

Visa Expands Mobile Banking Trials to Nokia, Android
"Visa today announced a variety of mobile banking tests for U.S. customers. The tests focus on mobile payments and money transfer, which are already available in many other countries, particularly in Eastern Asia."

Sprint offers mobile banking application
"Sprint Nextel announced Thursday a new downloadable application that will let its subscribers bank and pay bills from their cell phones. The new application called MyMoneyManager will provide online banking access to accounts with BB&T, Citibank, IBC Bank and PNC Bank. Subscribers with accounts at these banks will be able to check balances, pay bills, and find nearby branches with ATMs using the application on their phone. Sprint subscribers must have a Web-enabled phone and a wireless data plan to access the service."

First Android Device on the Market 9/23?

Earlier today Andrew Hickey published an article titled, "Wait A Generation Before Buying Google Android Device," and I was amazed to learn that the first Android device goes on sale in less than 24 hours and there has been no hype, no marketing, and no buzz.

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 21

The Finance 2.0 Summit - Learn More >>

Channeling the convergence of social media and finance: Practical marketing strategies to connect with your customer

January 26th - 27th, 2009
The Harvard Club, NYC

Users Like Contactless Payments & Would Switch Carriers to Pay, Says Smart Card Alliance
"Consumers are even ready to switch carriers to get what they want, with 47 percent of contactless users saying that they would switch mobile carriers to gain mobile payments."

University of California Gets $1.7M From Gates Foundation
"The University of California, Irvine received a $1.7 million donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create an institute focused on the growing use of cell phone technology in providing banking and financial services to people in developing countries."

SMobile - Secure Mobile Banking

I received a press release today that SMobile has announced, "the launch of its Secure Mobile Banking and Trading (SMBT) endpoint security solution for financial institutions and consumers." Continue Reading >>


Now, I'm not familiar with the company or product, but I did a little research and it turns out that they're located Columbus, OH. Ironically, I'm headed to Columbus on Thursday so I'll try to learn a little more, but here's the executive summary in the meantime.

Specs: Firewall, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spam
Consumer Price - $29.99
Product Information

Additionally, here are a few articles that I have previously written on the topic of security:
Mobile Banking & Security - 7/2/07
Mobile Banking Security and AntiVirus Protection - 9/6/07

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 14

Bancorp Now Issuer for Obopay Prepaid
"Obopay said Wednesday that Bancorp Inc. of Wilmington, Del., has started issuing prepaid debit cards are that linked to its mobile payment accounts."

Mobile payments misunderstood in U.S.
"The media are responsible, in part, for the lack of greater adoption of mobile payment systems in the United States, a panel of payment leaders said here Thursday at the fall 2008 CTIA."

Sun White Paper: The Road to Mobile Banking
"The Sun white paper The Road to Mobile Banking explains how the climate has changed to make mobile banking seem a viable option for financial services. For example, with a new generation of customers given to using their cell phones for just about everything, enlisting them as banking customers seems entirely logical."

US Financial Services Providers Adopting Mobile SMS
"Clickatell has announced that 'top US financial institutions and technology providers who serve the FI market including Visa, S1 Postilion, and RSA Data Security are trusting Clickatell to provide actionable financial alerts and notifications to millions of cell phones via SMS.'"

mFoundry iPhone Mobile Banking Solution

Today, mFoundry announced the launch of their iPhone mobile banking solution. Plus, don't forget that on June 30th Bank of America made a strategic investment in mFoundry. This will be a nice fit with the iPhone representing 25% of Bank of America's mobile banking user base. Learn More >>

Mobile Text Banking - 5 Things You May Not Know

Here are 5 things you may or may not know about a mobile text banking application.

1) Short codes are not purchased. They are leased from the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA). "Selected" codes cost $12,000/year. "Random" codes cost $6,000/year.

2) Have you ever wondered why many banks do not support transfers via text banking? The answer: Not all carriers will approve/support the functionality.

3) Which words/terms must you accept as a clients request to "unsubscribe?"
* Cancel, Cancel All, Stop, Stop All, Quit, Quit All, Unsubscribe, Unsubscribe All, End, End All

4) Whether running in-house or through a vendor you must utilize an aggregator. A few of the top players (in alphabetical order) are: Clickatell, mBlox, Sybase, and Verisign.

5) The carriers insist that you follow the MMA "Consumer Best Practices." Plus, be sure to ask your aggregator/vendor for a copy of the supplemental requirements provided by the carriers.

New Mobile Banking Research from Fiserv

To access the full mobile banking presentation from Fiserv/Checkfree click here.

Fiserv and M-Com Team Up

Steve Bills of the American Banker announced this morning that Fiserv and M-Com have formed a partnership to offer mobile banking to 200 of the largest financial institutions in the nation. This is the now the second major deal for M-Com which is head quartered in New Zealand. Earlier this year Washington Mutual launched an SMS banking solution powered by the M-Com platform. According to the story the joint venture will offer a 3 channel solution consisting of browser, SMS, and downloadable. Read the full story here.

Metavante (Monitise) Signs eCom

"Metavante, a leading provider of banking and payments technology, today announced Corporate Network eCom, LLC (eCom) has named Metavante Corporation its provider of mobile banking and payments solutions and will resell Metavante Mobile Financial Services, powered by Monitise Americas. eCom, a majority-owned subsidiary of U.S. Central, provides electronic financial services to the Corporate Credit Union Network, which in turn serves the nation’s nearly 8,400 consumer credit unions. Monitise Americas is the mobile banking and payments joint-venture between Metavante Corporation and Monitise plc, the global leader in the provision of mobile banking services." Continue Reading >>

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 7

Wells Fargo Enhances CEO Mobile Service for Corporate Customers

"Wells Fargo is announcing enhancements to its CEO Mobile service, a browser-based mobile banking service for its corporate banking customers that remains unique among major financial institutions in the US. Users of CEO Mobile can now initiate and approve federal tax wires and see which self administration dual control items they can act on from their mobile devices." Learn More >>


UW Credit Union offers mobile banking
"The UW Credit Union has a new mobile banking service that is targeted at on-the-move students. More than 4,000 members statewide have taken advantage of the new cellular banking tool." Learn More >>

Mobile Banking News & Research - Form Your Own Opinion

On a weekly basis we are inundated with new mobile banking research, data, facts and figures. Some of the headlines are positive and some are negative, but I encourage you to interpret the data for yourself.

Case in point -

Yesterday I received a single Google Alert that contained two articles.

Article 1 - Commercial NFC rollouts 'years away'

Article 2 - UK consumers want NFC on their mobiles

Ordinarily this wouldn't strike me as odd...again I'm used to the contradictory headlines. However, this situation was unique for two reasons:

1) The messages arrived together on the same alert

2) When I began reading the articles I also discovered that they quoted the same executive, speaking about the same data from the same trial.

For more on interpreting data see my post from 2007 on NetBanker titled Analyzing Mobile Banking Research

NOW - Discussions through BAMA

Building a mobile banking solution? Evaluating mobile payment options?

BAMA members - LinkedIn has now added "Discussion" functionality to their Group Service. The upgrade was added on Friday of last week and allows us to conduct private "member only" discussions.

This is an invaluable resource if you have questions, challenges, or just need honest feedback from another banker.

Mobile Banking News 9/1/08

Tech advances making mobile banking attractive prospect
"In an effort to keep up with technology – and competitors – Huntington Bancshares Inc. has rolled out a system that lets customers bank on the move. The mobile banking initiative allows customers to check balances, review transactions and pay bills using a cell phone or personal digital assistant."

Mobile Messaging Numbers Continue to Skyrocket, VeriSign Reports
"VeriSign, Inc. the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world, announced today another record-breaking quarter for mobile messaging, based on the latest quarterly index of mobile messaging statistics compiled by VeriSign's Messaging and Mobile Media division."

Mississippi Rising
"Since his days as a college-age, back-office worker, Michael Lindsey has turned heads with his technology acumen. In recent years he built a national profile, championing mobile services and payments as the future of relationship banking."

Mobile Marketing

Here are a few articles related to the topic of mobile marketing:

Bank of America campaign targets students for mobile banking
"Bank of America has introduced a financial awareness campaign designed to educate students to take control of their finances and discover mobile banking in this upcoming academic year."

Mobile banking, payments, marketing…what to do first?
"But there are lots of ways to play in the mobile arena, even without spending a truckload of precious assets. For example, mobile alerts and mobile marketing represent two relatively simple points of entry that should meet with real adoption and customer utility."

Google Banking On Mobile Ads
"Google Chief Exec Eric Schmidt has been talking about the future of the internet and his belief that mobile adverts are the honey pot of the future. "

Visa, Chase Kick-Off Mobile Offers Pilot
"Visa (NYSE:V) together with Chase (NYSE:JPM) today announces a consumer pilot that delivers merchant offers directly to the mobile devices of Chase credit and debit cardholders in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The offers – from merchant discounts to specials – are tailored to match the personal interests selected by Chase cardholders and will be redeemable at the point of sale or the web site of more than 50 participating merchants."

Mobile Banking at Finovate

In case you haven't heard the line-up for Finovate 2008 has been announced and it's stellar. Included in the list are mFoundry, mShift, Sybase, and Quicken.


Plus, if you're a member of BAMA, I have 5 promo codes (while supplies last) that I can give away to save you $250 off the price of admission. If you're interested simply login to the BAMA Group and send me a request via the LinkedIn message system.

Finovate 2008 Lineup

* BillShrink <billshrink.com>
* Boulevard R <boulevardR.com>
* CheckFree <checkfree.com>
* Checkpoint <checkpoint.com>
* Credit Karma <creditkarma.com>
* Digital Insight (Intuit) <digitalinsight.com>
* FiLife (Dow Jones/IAC) <filife.com>
* mFoundry <mfoundry.com>
* Mint <mint.com>
* MoneyAisle (NeoSaej) <moneyaisle.com>
* mShift <mshift.com>
* Inner8 <inner8.com>
* LendingClub <lendingclub.com>
* Pertuity Direct <pertuitydirect.com>
* Quicken Online (Intuit) <quicken.com>
* SmartHippo <smarthippo.com>
* Sybase 365 <sybase.com/365>
* Vidoop <vidoop.com>
* Wesabe <wesabe.com>
* WeSeed <weseed.com>
* Yodlee <yodlee.com>

About Finovate 2008

* Date: Oct. 14, 2008
* Place: New York, NY (Crowne Plaza Times Square)
* Cost: $995 through Sep. 30
* Website: finovate.com

Mobile Banking in the News

I may be a little biased, but here are two fantastic articles on Mobile Banking by Orla O'Sullivan (bio below) of Bank Systems & Technology.

August 21st
Mobile Banking Takes Off ... Or Does It?

August 25th
Huntington Hits Annual m-Banking Target in Two Months





Orla O'Sullivan
Senior Editor
Bank Systems & Technology



Orla O'Sullivan covered business for consumer and trade media on either side of the Atlantic before recently joining Bank Systems & Technology as senior editor. The New York Times is one of numerous titles in which she has been published in the U.S., while in her native Ireland she recently served as personal finance editor of the top daily newspaper the Irish Independent and radio correspondent to the national PBS, RTE.

She was editor in chief of Bank Technology News, and a web and book editor during her eight years at Thomson (Source One). She has been a longtime contributor to the American Banker's Association' monthly ABA Banking Journal.

Technology, the mortgage business, and financial marketing are areas of specialization.

She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Dublin and several vocational qualifications. She speaks a few languages.

Mobile Payments at the DNC

"During this year's Democratic National Convention (DNC), Denver's Pepsi Center will serve not only as a focal point of American politics, but also as an arena for the future of how people will pay for goods and services.

First Data will introduce a new payment technology to thousands of select media and delegates attending the DNC. Beginning August 25 through August 28, media and delegates receiving a limited edition pin from First Data can use the commemorative pin as a payment device to purchase refreshments up to $10 in value at participating Pepsi Center concession stands." Continue Reading >>

Quicken Mobile - Beam

On Friday I received this alert that Intuit had released a new mobile aggregation tool.

Intuit Releases Mobile Account Aggregation Tool
"Quicken Beam is designed to let users access their account information via mobile devices. Intuit (Mountain View, Calif.) has released a beta version of Quicken Beam, a service that allows users to receive information on all their financial accounts via their mobile phones. Consumers receive instant access to their account balances and recent account activities." Continue Reading >>

However, it wasn't until this evening that I tested the product, and I must say that I'm impressed. As promoted the tool is for aggregation (i.e. no transfers or bill pay); yet, there were a number of pleasant surprises:

1) They receive huge points for allowing me to use my existing Turbotax credentials. Nice Work! No need to require another login and password.

2) They simultaneously launched two solutions. I can obtain information via text or by using an iPhone friendly browser site.

3) A simple short code: 636363

4) They stayed true to the aggregation model and allow you to add accounts from multiple institutions.

5) They have a built-in alert component. Simple, effective, and highly unexpected.

Overall, I'd give them solid marks. My only recommendation would be this...if you're going to build an iPhone friendly application, please also incorporate a bookmark icon that looks decent on my homescreen.

Be sure to check out the screen shots below and then enroll here.

Japan's Influence on Mobile Banking in the U.S.?

In recent days, there have been numerous articles, references, and stories related to Japan and how they could influence the future of mobile banking and payments here in the U.S.

Specifically, here are a few of the ones that caught my attention:

Aug 8 - Many Inputs as Citi Thinks Mobile in the U.S. - American Banker
"In Japan, more people go on the Internet from mobile devices than from computers, Mr. Kietz said.

'The common wisdom is that what is happening in Japan today is going to be happening in the developed world two years from now,' he said. 'There are going to be more, cool phones available, and use of the mobile browser is going to increase substantially.'"

Aug 18 - Mitsubishi UFJ to buy California bank - International Herald Tribune
"Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, one of the largest banks in Japan, agreed Monday to buy the remaining part of UnionBanCal that it did not already own for about $3.5 billion.

The transaction values UnionBanCal, which owns Union Bank of California, one of the 25 largest banks in the United States, at about $10.1 billion.

Mitsubishi is trying to expand beyond its relatively stagnant home market as Japanese companies seek to broaden their presence overseas and take advantage of a weaker dollar."

Aug 19 - Japan's Mobile Tech Too Quirky To Succeed Overseas? - Washington Post
"For all of the cutting edge mobile technology that Japanese consumers have routine access to, surprisingly little of it has made its way outside of the country. Its government, however, wants to change this, and will begin an "aggressive push" to market the technology overseas, reports AP."

Personally, I agree with Mr. Kietz and I'm excited to see Mitsubishi acquire an institution in the U.S. Their resources, knowledge, and experience will lead to significant advancements in technology and could help expedite the development and adoption of NFC.

Visa, North America & Mobile

"Visa, the global leader in payments, and eight leading North American financial institutions - PNC Bank, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo in the United States, and Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank Financial Group, and Vancity in Canada - have agreed to initiate a pilot program with up to a total of 2,000 participants to test the delivery of real-time notification alerts on Visa accounts." Continue Reading >>

RBC Royal Bank



TD Canada Trust