"Brandon McGee, Industry Insider, Mobile Banking Guru...He is not only the real deal, a genuine industry insider, but also knows exactly what's on the minds of financial service pros as they contemplate the various mobile options." - Jim Bruene, Publisher & Founder, Online Financial Innovations

"Going Mobile. Local executive carves niche as national expert on fast-growing banking-industry technology trend" - Scott Olson, Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ)

"Brandon McGee, the industry's unofficial ambassador for mobile banking" 

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 29

ClairMail launches mobile banking app for iPhone
"Last month, I wrote about plans by banking and security products company Diebold to launch mobile banking services in the U.S. Today, Diebold’s partner, ClairMail, a Novato (Calif.)-based company, announced another effort to proliferate mobile banking: Smart Client. This free application for the iPhone is now available to banks, which will offer it to consumers later this year, and aims to make it easier yet for smart phone users to register for and use mobile banking."

U.S. Bank Introduces Downloadable Mobile Banking Application
"U.S. Bank has launched the Mobile Wallet, its new free downloadable mobile banking application that allows more convenient banking access on the go to its customers. The bank is collaborating with Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company, to provide the technology behind the Mobile Wallet."

35% of mobile subscribers will use m-banking in 2014, study predicts
"Some 35% of mobile users in Latin America will perform mobile banking transactions in 2014, predicts consultancy Signals Telecoms Consulting. Though the future of mobile banking is expected to involve consumers using their mobile terminals to carry out all sorts of transactions, removing the need to carry cash, cards and other means of payment, Signals market research director Carlos Blanco claims that the mobile banking concept encompasses a broader range of areas, including the categories of remote payments, authentication processes, bank account maintenance and payment orders."

CASHEDGE SIGNS FIRST ROUND OF BANKS FOR POPMONEY
"CashEdge, Inc. (www.cashedge.com), the leading provider of Intelligent Money Movement™ services, announced today that four financial institutions, including a top 10 bank, are adding POPmoney™ (www.popmoney.com) to their customer offerings. All are expected to be live with the new service by the end of 2009. POPmoney is the first email and mobile person-to-person payments (P2P) service for banks."

Internet Is Top Banking Method
"Online is now the No. 1 method of banking, according to an August 2009 survey of US consumers by the American Bankers Association (ABA). One-quarter of respondents preferred banking online to using branches, ATMs or any other channel."

Internet banking moves onto your phone
"WITH the rise in popularity of 3G mobiles, banks will soon offer their facilities anywhere you can get a phone signal. The world of banking has come a long way since we all queued up at bank branches to transfer money or withdraw cash. Since the first automatic teller machine appeared at a London branch of Barclays in 1967, banking has steadily evolved from a Dickensian-style, paper-based industry requiring rubber stamps on every transaction, through the telephone banking revolution of the 1990s to today's hi-tech digital operations where, with the right equipment, many of us need never visit a bank branch again."

M-Com Presents Interactive Webinar on Mobile Banking and Payments: Winning Strategies for Banks
"Global mobile banking and payments solution provider M-Com is to host a series of webinars on how banks can make money from mobile banking and payment services. Hear from industry experts at M-Com about what is working and what is not in the Mobile Financial Services space based on our 10 years of experience helping banks make the most from the mobile channel. This is not a product pitch but rather a review of key issues facing the segment, opportunities for revenue generation in the near-term and best practice approaches for delivering world class Mobile Financial Services solution in your market. Strategies discussed will be applicable to both developed and developing markets based on M-Com’s experience delivering winning mobile banking, payments and m-commerce solutions that help banks capitalize on revenue generation, cost mitigation and competitive differentiation opportunities."

First Bank Launches Free Mobile Banking
"In an effort to better service clients, FirstBank has launched free mobile banking to all account holders in the United States & British Virgin Islands. FirstBank’s mobile banking service will give clients instant connectivity to accounts anywhere, anytime using the browser on their mobile devices. FirstBank is pleased to offer clients yet another delivery channel for accessing their account information. The Bank continues to take a proactive leadership role in providing clients with the technology to meet their needs not only today but in the future."

ClairMail Extends Mobile Banking Platform
"ClairMail, Inc., the leader in mobile banking and payment solutions, today announced Version 4 of its industry leading mobile banking platform. The new platform includes cutting-edge technology designed to help financial institutions realize the strategic potential of mobile banking. This new release of the product delivers game changing capabilities in the three most critical areas of mobile banking solutions, the ability to use mobile to drive to 100% coverage of the bank's customers, the ability to proactively deliver personalized content to deepen customer engagement, and the need for a simple, yet powerful, converged customer experience to deliver comprehensive services and technology through a unified and streamlined customer interface."


CellTrust SecureSMS to Meet the Stringent Mobile Banking Requirements
"CellTrust Corporation, the world's largest provider of SecureSMS for mobile phones, announced today its SecureSMS platform meets the new and stringent SecureSMS security requirements of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
With approximately 53% of the adult population in Nigeria financially excluded, the Central Bank of Nigeria has been working feverishly to spur innovation within the financial services sector."

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 27

The power of mobile money
"ONCE the toys of rich yuppies, mobile phones have evolved in a few short years to become tools of economic empowerment for the world’s poorest people. These phones compensate for inadequate infrastructure, such as bad roads and slow postal services, allowing information to move more freely, making markets more efficient and unleashing entrepreneurship. All this has a direct impact on economic growth: an extra ten phones per 100 people in a typical developing country boosts GDP growth by 0.8 percentage points, according to the World Bank. More than 4 billion handsets are now in use worldwide, three-quarters of them in the developing world (see our special report). Even in Africa, four in ten people now have a mobile phone."

How Mobile Technology Is Changing Banking's Future
"Recent technological developments that allow for deposits by iPhone and mobile payments could one day make ATMs as quaint as brick-and-mortar bank branches. But the biggest impact may be on the ability of banks -- and even nontraditional players such as Nokia -- to find new revenue streams as they branch into emerging markets where cash is still king."

Mobile Coupons Interest More Merchants
"In an article in DMNews, Dianna Dilworth reports on JCPenney's pilot program for mobile couponsin the Houston area. Using the coupons presented on their mobile phones, consumers earn discounts on purchases. For its program, JCPenney is using San Jose-based Cellfire to manage the mobile coupon efforts."

Mobile-Phone Banking: Convenient and Safe?
"With the introduction of an iPhone app that lets you deposit a check by taking a picture of it, options for mobile banking are growing rapidly. And though you might think the boost in convenience comes at the expense of security, banking on your cell phone can actually be safer than using your PC if you take basic precautions."

Harland Financial Solutions Adds New Options to its Mobile Banking Suite
"Expanding upon its current mobile banking offerings, which consist of stand-alone and Internet banking-integrated retail and business solutions, Harland Financial Solutions today announced the release of Cavion® Mobile Banking SMS, as well as a mobile banking module optimized for the Apple® iPhone®. Cavion Mobile Banking SMS allows consumers to conduct account inquiries via text messaging by sending simple commands, such as “BAL” for balance. Cavion Mobile Banking SMS enables consumers to access account balances, history, rates, important information, news and tips for using the service."

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Wells Fargo Launches P2P Money Movement

"More and more Americans are using mobile devices for banking, and we want to be there for our customers where and when they need us – whether they are waiting in line at a store or traveling by bus,” said Arah Erickson, vice president and head of Wells Fargo Retail Mobile Banking. “The added ability to transfer funds while on the go will be especially helpful for parents who have kids in college this fall as well as for students who need quick access to money at the last-minute to cover living costs, textbooks, or to split an expense with a roommate.”

Wells Fargo Mobile customer-to-customer money transfer service is free*, fast, safe and easy-to-use. Customers simply log-on to online banking, add the account number of the customer to whom they wish to transfer money and make a first-time transfer. Subsequent transfers can be made from customers’ mobile devices by logging onto WF.com and following the prompts, or online from their computers. Customers can transfer up to $1,000 daily to another customer the moment they think about it, taking it off the “to do” list." >> Continue Reading

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Starbucks App Screen Shots

Here are screenshots of the application. Sorry for all the hype but this is a combination of two favorites...Starbucks Coffee and Mobile Commerce! >> Continue Reading






Starbucks and mFoundry Team Up

Drew Sievers and Bob Egan were discussing a BIG announcement on Twitter this morning. The news...mFoundry has build a mobile commerce application for Starbucks!

"Your decaf caramel macchiatos and no-whip pumpkin spice lattes are going mobile. In a double-shot launch (sorry), coffee giant Starbucks unveiled Tuesday its first two iPhone apps. The first one, called MyStarbucks, is a no-brainer: you can use the phone's GPS capability to find nearby stores (previously, this was available via text message), search ingredient and calorie information for Starbucks beverages and coffee bean varieties, and "build" virtual drinks to see what exactly would be in one if you ordered it.

But it's the second app, called Starbucks Card Mobile, that could be worth a double-take. The app allows for balance check and refilling of Starbucks gift cards, which the company has expanded into a customer loyalty program by offering discounts, free refills, and two hours of free Wi-Fi to cardholders. And in two experimental test markets, the Starbucks Card Mobile application can use a barcode to replace the plastic gift card altogether." >> Continue Reading

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 22

Tyfone Receives Patent for Mobile Electronic Wallet Technology
"Tyfone has announced the it was awarded a second patent - US 7,581,678, is entitled “Electronic Transaction Card - for its innovations in smart card-based electronic wallet technology. According to Tyfone, 'using time-varying magnetic fields, Tyfone’s patented technology enables the use of a memory card as an electronic wallet and/or the ability to use that memory card for the secure transmission of financial information.'"

Mobile Banks in the Developing World Prove Simpler is Better
"Recent initiatives designed to make U.S. consumer financial products simpler and intelligible to customers, reminds me of a study we did on Mobile Banks† in the developing world. Designed to work on the simplest mobile devices and originally targeting the unbanked, mobile banks evolved from simple services (transfer of mobile air time) to become widely used money-transfer and mobile payment systems. In the Philippines, over $100M flows through the GCASH system daily. GCASH and rival SmartMoney are accepted in establishments that take credit cards, giving the unbanked the ability to conduct cashless transactions, a benefit previously limited to credit card customers. In Kenya, the number of transactions that flow through M-PESA is comparable to the number of all ATM transactions in the country."

Just How Hot Are Virtual Currencies and Mobile Payments?
"Take a look at the Inside Facebook blog and the ads from its sponsors - including Zong, SuperRewards, Allpass, PaymentPin and OfferPal. Also, notice the survey results discussed in this article - none of the major consumer credit card companies or issuers made the top 10! Have you signed up to use virtual currency or pay for digital goods using your mobile phone?"

APPetite for Disruption—Should Financial Institutions Consider iPhone Applications?
"The Apple iPhone is indisputably a “disruptive technology”— one that has redefined what a cell phone is and does, has expanded Internet reach, rekindled data revenues for mobile operators and brought a whole new phrase to our lexicon: “App Store.” In short, the iPhone is sexy, and companies, including those within the financial services industry, are very excited about being a part of the phenomenon. However, there are a number of aspects that banks need to consider before committing time and money to developing and launching an iPhone application for banking clients."

Javelin: Contactless Payments Have Little-to-No-Mutual Realization of Value
"Javelin Strategy & Research (www.javelinstrategy.com ) today released a report revealing that the contactless payments ecosystem is presently a series of “islands” with little-to-no mutual realization of value among the various constituents. The report indicates that the success of contactless solutions depends on some disruptive factor or wide-scale deployment that bridges the gaps and allows for value creation among all constituents that connects the islands."

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Summary of Interviews with Mobile Banking Vendors

It's official, I have now published the notes from all 8 of my mobile banking interviews. If you missed the beginning of the series and you're unsure what I'm referring to...please continue reading.

In July, to assist you with 2010 planning, I interviewed the CEO of nearly every mobile banking vendor in the U.S., and asked them a series of questions related to: pricing, ROI, security, adoption, the future of mobile banking and the iPhone. Then, during August and early September I began publishing the information.

CEOs of Mobile Banking

Scott Moeller (MShift)

Adam Clark (MCOM)

Pete Daffern (Clairmail)

Steve Kietz (MMV)

Tripp Rackley (Firethorn)

Lisa Stanton (Monitise)

Drew Sievers (mFoundry)

Cameron Franks (Sybase)

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 20

Microsoft and M-Com Deliver Mobile Payments Solution Globally
"Microsoft Corp. and M-Com today announced a solution offering that provides banks and payment processors with industry-leading mobile payments functionality -- creating more opportunities for banks to offer mobile payments services to their customers and maximize their revenue opportunities. This solution clearly demonstrates that consumer choice and deployment flexibility for banks are key to the success of global mobile payments solutions for the financial services industry. The announcement was made at Sibos 2009, the industry's premier global financial services forum."

OnPoint Community Credit Union chooses NFC micro-SD supplier Tyfone for mobile banking launch
"OnPoint Community Credit Union, Oregon's largest credit union with more than US$2.8bn in assets and 200,000 members, has selected Tyfone's u4ia platform as the infrastructure behind its mobile banking strategy. To begin with, the credit union will launch a range of 'standard' mobile banking services. MicroSD-based NFC contactless mobile payment capabilities are set to follow."

The ABCs (and Fs) of Mobile Banking
"I’m a pretty tech-savvy individual, but I have to admit I’ve only recently gotten into mobile banking. I thought I was arriving late to the party—I mean, I feel like I’ve been seeing commercials about online bill paying and text message updates forever. But a recent study suggests that, depending on your bank, the aforementioned party could be anything from a roof-raising shindig to a gaggle of freshmen playing board games, or it could be no party at all. ABI Research Inc. evaluated the mobile banking services of 29 of the nation’s biggest chains, in addition to some smaller banks, ranking the overall user friendliness with letter grades A through F."

US mobile banking giant buys Macalla Software
"US mobile roaming company Roamware, that has its eyes on the US$5bn global mobile banking market, has acquired Dublin software company Macalla for an undisclosed sum. Macalla’s m-commerce and mobile banking solutions are successfully deployed by banks and operators around the world; these solutions include adding prepaid minutes, credit transfers, international remittance, person-to-person transactions and bill payment."

TopUp LIME Mobile Phones at Western Union Locations in the United States
"LIME, the Caribbean's leading full service telecomms provider, and MoreMagic Solutions, a leading mobile payment solutions provider, announced today that friends and family of LIME customers, living outside the Caribbean, are now able to purchase TopUps and transfer the airtime to LIME phones, at Western Union Agent locations throughout the United States. C&W is
connected to the MoreMagic Solutions IRR Global Hub, in order to perform international TopUp transactions and settlements. From 46,000 retail locations, or the web at www.etopuponline.com, a customer can purchase a gift of prepaid airtime for a LIME mobile phone. Because MoreMagic Solutions offers daily foreign exchange (FX) without markup, LIME customers receive maximum airtime value at Western Union locations in the United States."

Mocapay closes funding round with $3.0 million
"Mocapay, that provides the only mobile commerce platform supporting integrated mobile payments, marketing and distribution at point-of-sale, announced Wednesday about securing of $3.0 million in funding from Spartan Mobile, Lacuna and other investors. Mocapay’s CEO Kevin Grieve said, that the company is delighted to have Spartan Mobile as the lead investor in this round and believes it will support actively Company’s guide."

Friday, September 18, 2009

New England Federal Credit Union Selects PSCU Financial Services & mFoundry for Mobile Banking

Vermont-based New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) announced that they have selected PSCU Financial Services and mFoundry to deliver mobile banking to their more than 70,000 members. With over $720 million in assets, NEFCU is the largest credit union in the state of Vermont.

Mobile banking will enhance the ability of NEFCU’s members to access their financial information where and when they need it. It makes banking even more convenient for NEFCU members who are increasingly using their mobile phones to manage personal data.

The mobile banking solution from PSCU and mFoundry incorporates speed, simplicity and high levels of security. It eliminates costly implementation processes by tapping into existing connectivity with multiple data sources. The solution includes comprehensive 24/7 support by contact center service representatives as well as turnkey marketing support to stimulate member adoption. >> Continue Reading

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 15

Wachovia introduces its Mobile CyberInquiry service
"Wachovia presented its Mobile CyberInquiry service to its correspondent banking customers, providing mobile access to their account information at the 2009 SIBOS conference in Hong Kong in a move to expand its business. So, from now, global financial institutions are enabled to view real time balances, account postings and transaction details with mobile devices."

Arvest Bank $5,000 Giveaway
"Arvest Bank is hosting a $5,000 Giveaway when you sign up and use their mobile banking feature. This promotion is only available to current customers who are at least 18 years of age. If you are in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Southeast Kansas and Southern Missouri and you bank with Arvest Bank, then you should most definitely give this a shot. What have you got to lose anyway?"

Sybase And IBM Collaborate To Further Global Mobile Commerce Opportunities
"As mCommerce moves beyond early adopters, IBM’s global reach, strong client relationships and deep industry expertise, coupled with Sybase’s leading end-to-end mCommerce solution and unrivalled global operator reach and Financial Services customer base, the companies will be able to provide flexibility and choice of mobile banking, mobile payment and mobile remittance offerings to an increasing number of customers."

Fiserv opens Asia Pacific support centre for m and e-banking services
"ocated in Singapore at the company's regional headquarters, the centre will deliver local implementation and support expertise, complementing similar services already available at Fiserv locations in India and Australia. Fiserv online and mobile banking solutions are currently used by some of the largest and most innovative banks in Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. The new regional support centre will provide greater access to these and other Fiserv solutions and will provide local support to more financial institutions in the region."

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 13

New Hurdle For Mobile Commerce: Success?
"With all of the various reasons to explain why mobile commerce has gone almost nowhere with major American retailers thus far, AT&T and Apple-especially AT&T-are illustrating yet another. The M-Commerce movement may prove to be the latest corporate example of "Be Careful What You Wish For."

Consumer media have been filled with reports this month of major problems with iPhone 3G performance, illustrated by dropped calls, extremely slow connections and a generally unpleasant experience, especially in places where-ironically-the iPhone is most popular, such as New York City."

The ROI of Small-Business Mobile
"A new report from Aite Group, LLC analyzes the types of mobile banking transactions small businesses are most willing to adopt, and how that willingness varies by business size. Based primarily on the results of a July 2009 survey of 283 U.S. small businesses (defined as any business generating less than US$10 million in annual revenues), the report also points out challenges, such as misperceptions about mobile security, that banks will have to overcome to ensure a successful deployment. Finally, the report examines small-business willingness to pay for mobile banking/transaction service, expected adoption rates and estimated deployment costs and potential revenues for banks seeking to calculate return on investment (ROI)."

Mobile Receipt from Mitek Systems Climbs to #1 in the App Store
"Mitek Systems, Inc. today announced its Mobile Receipt (TM) application climbed all the way to the number one paid finance application in the App Store (SM) on September 8, 2009 and is consistently in the top five application in its category. Mobile Receipt converts the photo of a receipt taken with the iPhone camera into a high quality image and, with a single tap, converts the data into a professional looking expense report. Mobile Receipt saves time, enhances productivity and can help speed reimbursements."

Barclays revamps mobile banking site
"The first area of improvement is to the online banking log-in pages which have been optimised for access and viewing on mobile devices. In addition, a new 'quick access' log-in has been added for customers who purely want to view their balance, statement or to make a transfer. Research undertaken by Barclays has shown that complex logging in processes put many customers off using a mobile phone for online banking."

Creating New Revenue Streams With the Mobile Channel
"Since the late 1990’s analysts have asked how and when mobility will impact the established financial landscape. The Silicon Valley boom at the end of the 20th century boosted online commerce, while making household names out of organizations that still thrive today. People are less likely to know, however, that one of these brands, PayPal, started out as a Palm-based mobile payment solution. PayPal quickly moved beyond mobile and ultimately found its niche to help change the way consumers purchase goods online. More importantly, they spurred a stream of consciousness from Denmark to Israel and back to Silicon Valley where the dream originally hatched. Today, eBay-owned PayPal is the No. 1 online “alternative” payment method and enjoys hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. "

For m-Commerce to Work, We Need to Embrace Mobile Payments (Part 2)
"Interestingly enough, the "comfort factor" in using a mobile to make a purchase is more of a problem here in the developed world. In developing markets, however, where critical infrastructure like bank branches and high-speed internet is often lacking, people use mobile phones for all sorts of things including mobile banking, mobile money transfer, mobile education, and mobile medicine."

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Mobile Banking Report Card - ABI Research

ABI Research just released their Mobile Banking report card of 29 bank solutions on Reuters.

"The results are as follows:

A - Exceptional: BB&T, Eastern Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Northeast Bank, USAA, Wells Fargo

B+ - Very Good: Bank of America, Chase

B - Good: Capital One, US Bank, Huntington Bank

C - Average: America First, Bancorp South, Citibank, PNC, Wachovia

D - Below Average: Carolina First, 1st Bank, IBC Bank, Mercantile Bank, Regions, SunTrust, Synovus

F - Failing: M&T, Provident Bank

No mobile banking offering: Citizens Bank, Comerica, HSBC, KeyBank"

>> Click here to continue reading

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Mobile Banking Discussion with Cameron Franks of Sybase

Today I'm excited to publish the notes from my interview with Cameron Franks - Director, mCommerce - Sybase 365. Click to learn more about Cameron.

Q: What’s your differentiator? What sets your mobile banking solution apart from the competition?

A: Sybase is an aggregator; plus, we provide software for banking and payments. Sybase is the only vendor that provides both.

Q: Who are your key clients?

A: Compass Bank (iPhone app and SMS alerts), Citizens Bank (Business Mobile Banking), Citi Bank (Messaging and Intelligent Services), IXE (WAP, SMS and Application). In addition, we have PayPal, Mastercard and Western Union utilizing our messaging services.

Q: Who are you key partners?

A: Within the Sybase family we work closely with Financial Fusion. Externally, we partner with IBM and Western Union.

Q: Budget season is just around the corner, and the #1 question bankers want to ask is – What’s it going to cost me?

A: Sybase offers two approaches:
1) Purchase the License Up Front. Depending upon the size of the institution and options selected this will cost approximately $300-$500k.

2) Pay Monthly. The cost of this model is based upon the options selected and the number of active monthly users. For example: An FI with a small number of users could expect to pay roughly $50,000 per year.

Additionally, we’re developing a third model for small banks. This will be a streamlined version that is hosted by Sybase and will be less expensive – more details coming soon.

Q: What components of your ROI model have begun to materialize?

A: A reduction in calls to the call center has materialized. Clients are choosing to use mobile banking instead of calling.

Also, more banks are using their mobile banking service as an acquisition tool and a retention tool. Banks are using the image of the iPhone in their advertising to draw the attention of prospects.

Q: What’s your highest client adoption %

A: It’s reasonable to expect 5% adoption of online banking users within 6 months.

Q: What do the demographics of your users look like?

A: The clients using WAP and applications are almost exclusively high-end smart phone users within the Gen X and Boomer demographics. However, we are starting to see lower-end smart phones being used by the Gen Y segment. SMS is very interesting because we’re seeing usage from Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers, and even some Seniors.

Q: What do the usage patterns look like? Balance, History, Transfers, BP, Locator?

A: The majority of users are focused on checking their balance. Some clients are reviewing their pending transactions and transferring funds, but we’re not seeing a lot of bill payment activity. Account alerts will be the catalyst that will drive adoption of bill payment and advanced functions.

Q: What security elements are incorporated into your application?

A: The key is to make sure that layers of security are appropriate for the service. The Sybase platform is channel aware and can allow the institution to dictate what’s required to complete the transaction.

For example: Requesting a balance can be performed via SMS and there’s really no need for additional security. Yet, for transferring funds via SMS the institution may wish to require an additional layer of security.

Q: How likely are biometrics to become a component?

A: Biometric security is a long way off because the devices don’t have the necessary hardware.

Q: How has the iPhone changed your approach to the business?

A: A couple of years ago people were trying to figure out how to get their application on every phone and which carriers to work with. The iPhone and App store took care of this question; plus, removed many of the banks’ customer service concerns.

Q: What has been your biggest surprise/lesson-learned over the last couple of years?

A: Marketing of the mobile banking service is very important. In the UK nearly half of financial institutions now have their SMS short code on billboards and general advertising.

Q: What big industry development should we expect within the next 12 months?

A: The two main developments we anticipate are:
1) More effective P2P solutions. In many other countries it’s easy to move money online between banks. This is an untapped market in the US and is a great opportunity.

2) Mobile Coupons. We need to resolve questions around opt-in, privacy, and enrollment but there’s great potential.

Q: What can banks do a better job of to facilitate adoption?

A: Banks need to focus on creating services that make sense while you’re mobile. Alerts for example add incremental value. These types of services will drive uptake.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 7

Next Step for Microfinance: Taking Deposits
"Some 30 years ago, the field of microfinance was born from a radical concept: poor people, when lent small amounts of money, will pay it back in a timely manner. In the meantime, that money can be put to use in ways that help boost income — goat-farming, say, or carpet-weaving — and, ostensibly, raise a family's standard of living. Now another radical concept is starting to take hold: that the thing people really need, more than business loans, is a safe place to save their money. It's what development expert Robert Vogel calls the 'forgotten half of rural finance.'"

Make mobile banking secure with remote handset block, says minister
"As Nokia confirms plans to enter the mobile banking market using technology it acquired with the recent purchase of Obopay, fears have arisen that stolen handsets could enable criminals to access users' bank accounts. In an attempt to reassure consumers, the UK government has issued guidelines detailing how the handset should be disabled when reported lost or stolen.

In association with the mobile payment industry, the government is calling for the SIM card to be blocked to stop mobile banking access, as well as immobilising the contactless payment function for transactions over €12. If a large number of smaller payments are noted in quick succession, these will also require verification, according to the guidelines."

Diebold's Mobile Banking Plans for the U.S.
"Companies such as Nokia have been cashing in on mobile banking in emerging markets including India, Brazil, and South Africa. The success is in part due to the large number of people in these areas who have mobile phones but do not yet have access to land lines and Internet. Will well-wired American consumers have the same demand for this service? Diebold believes there is potential."

More CUs Plan Mobile Banking Adoption but Proceeding With Caution
"Credit unions are taking a step out of the dark ages and increasingly looking to adopt new technological services, like mobile banking, according to data from Callahan & Associates.

WAP/mobile browser service appears to be the most popular approach to offering mobile banking. In “Callahan’s Technology Guide,” 26% of credit unions surveyed said that they anticipate adopting WAP/mobile browsing in 2009 and 43% said they anticipate adopting it in 2010. This compares to 23% that planned to adopt SMS/text message in 2009 and 39% in 2010. Fifteen percent said they are adopting a downloadable program in 2009 and 30% said they plan to in 2010."

UCI Institute for Money, Technology & Financial Inclusion awards inaugural grants
"UC Irvine's newly established Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion (IMTFI) has awarded its first group of annual grants totaling $230,000 for research projects aimed at understanding how the world's poorest people spend, store and save money. "

Mobile Banking Articles from PaymentsNews.com

Getting the Garden Ready: First Data and Mobile Payments at the Point of Sale
"While the list of start-ups focused on mobile payments for digital content, eCommerce physical goods and/or person-to-person transfers continues to grow, another part of the industry is biding its time, with an eye on what may be a much larger prize.

What’s at stake are point-of-sale, in-person payments – what Glenbrook estimates to be roughly $4 trillion and 107 billion payments each year in the U.S. market. Some of these today are done by card; some by cash and check. All are targets for the companies looking at using the phone to make those payments."

Mobile Payments Are Taking Off. But Which One to Use?
"Mobile payments system Boku just announced that it will work with a bevy of social networks and gaming sites. But competitor Zong, was recently chosen to pilot Facebook's virtual currency, called Credits. Both sites will face considerable opposition from Obopay, a seasoned startup that recently earned the backing of mobile phone giant Nokia for its Nokia Money payment system. Mobile payments are convenient, fast and easy--but which service should you use?"

M-Commerce Is Still in Its Infancy
"More than 70 million US mobile phone users will access the Internet from their device in 2009, eMarketer forecasts. And a number of recognized retail brands have launched mobile commerce programs so they can be where their customers go.

Nevertheless, mobile commerce is still immature. Web-enabled mobile phone users are much more likely to employ their devices to get weather forecasts, read news, find movie times and bank online than to buy products."

Thursday, September 3, 2009

BB&T Business Mobile Banking Webinar

"BB&T Payment Solutions on Sept. 16 will host a free educational webinar for small business owners on alerts and other mobile banking services.

'Driving Business Success While on the Go,' the 12th in an ongoing series of payments-related webinars from BB&T, will be presented from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EST) by BB&T Online Channel development manager Sumit Deshpande." >> Continue Reading