International Mobile Banking Updates - Jun 17

Mobirl on massive mobile awareness campaign
"With the telecommunication companies ramping up their services to ensure that our mobile devices stay connected, the private sector in Trinidad and Tobago is gradually introducing mobile applications and services to communicate with its customers and more importantly increase operational excellence for the business. Only two of our banks have mobile offerings today—First Citizens Bank and Scotiabank. First Citizens Bank’s mobile banking services allows its customers to access banking information on the go. This service is not only for customers with smartphones but extends to all cellphone owners. Account information is sent via text messages alerting customers of changes to their bank accounts including deposits such as salaries."

The Future of Mobile Banking
"Organised by Marketforce and the Institute of Economic Affairs, London has hosted on May 29 the second annual conference addressing the future of mobile banking. Opening the first session was Aman Narain (Global Head of internet and mobile banking, Standard Charted) who shared that they first began by establishing ‘war rooms’ with a sign reading 'World’s best internet bank.'”

Mobile Banking Helps Africa Advance
"The economic growth rate across sub-Saharan Africa has remained at more than five percent in recent years despite the ongoing global recession. Myriad macroeconomic explanations help explain this progress, but one intriguing element that is both underappreciated and undervalued involves a widget that fits in your pocket: the cell phone. The ability of cheap, easy-to-use cellular technology to connect poverty-stricken populations to the benefits of globalization generally, and banking more specifically, has yielded unprecedented new economic opportunities across the Global South."

ASB named 'New Zealand's best online bank'
"ASB has been honoured as New Zealand's best online bank by independent researcher CANSTAR in its first ever review of the nation's online banking market. ASB was confirmed as the clear winner among New Zealand financial institutions based on a comprehensive review of the bank's internet banking, website and mobile services."

Bangalore-Based Bank Chooses IBM Cloud for Core Banking Solutions
"IBM IBM +0.36% today announced that Sree Charan Souharda Cooperative Bank has selected IBM SmartCloud to help it meet growing demand, add new customer services and to centralize mission-critical operations such as real-time transaction processing across its five branches in Bangalore."

The Hard Sell: NatWest Mobile Banking
"Poor Sarah (well, she was Sarah when she lived in Godalming, but after her gap year she renamed herself Skye; it's just so much more her). She has had to call her dad for money to pay an angry hotel owner after she carelessly dropped an envelope full of Euros in a Moroccan souk while buying a scarf. Well, she was thinking about buying a scarf. But then,–"