Mobile Banking Updates - Feb 9

Isis CEO: Mobile payments making 'good progress,' but no specifics yet
"Since November I'd say it's been evolving. It was important for us back in November to get the announcement out there so people knew that it was real. I think, as you're well aware, there can be a lot of rumors, different things can be happening out there. But if you're going to make payments work in the United States on a mobile phone, you're going to need a lot of players to come alive in the ecosystem to make that happen--everything from the merchants to the OEMs to the phone manufacturers. You have got to make sure that everybody comes together with a common standard and common protocol."

Will Your Wallet Soon Become a Historic Relic?
"Will the wallet soon be a thing of the past? At the rate mobile banking apps are being adopted, who knows. Intuit announced Thursday its latest initiative, GoPayment, will be one of other first mobile payment apps available on the Android. Already available on the iPhone, the app offers flexibility for businesses to get paid right on the spot with the credit card swiping technology in the phone."

US Operators Partner Up for M-Banking
"Wireless operators in the U.S. have an opportunity to help shape mobile banking (m-banking), a promising service that three fourths of the over 250 million mobile Americans would use if offered, according to a new report from Heavy Reading."

Beyond Mobile: Pitching Accounts via the iPad
"To many banks, the tablet is just another mobile device, but some are finding that the bigger screen gives the iPad and its peers bigger potential. BB&T Corp. is among the first to do so, offering an application designed specifically for Apple Inc.'s iPad that lets prospective and existing customers open accounts, a feature rare among mobile banking apps. It also lets customers perform standard functions like check account balances, pay bills and locate automated teller machines."

Rockland Trust Offers New Mobile Banking Services
"As part of its efforts to continue providing customers the latest in banking technology and convenience, Rockland Trust today announced the introduction of a full range of mobile banking services. One of the most exciting features of the mobile banking suite is a ground-breaking new capability called 'mDeposit'” With the free mDeposit app, Rockland Trust customers can deposit a check into their account directly from their mobile device. The app uses the device’s camera to scan and deposit the check. mDeposit is available on the iPhone® and iPod® Touch, with Blackberry® and Android™ devices expected to be added later this year."

Mobile banking will change your life
"Mobile banking is poised to change people’s lives in ways most of us never thought a bank could. No, it won’t bake a birthday cake, make a run to the dry cleaner or pick your kids up at soccer practice. But it does hold the promise to put your financial life on a more manageable path than even online banking has managed to do. It will help remind you when bills are due, how your checking-account balance is looking, and — if this is what you want — could eventually eliminate the need to set foot in a bank ever again."