Mobile Banking Updates - Aug 18

Ten-Hut! Presenting Defense Mobile, a mobile carrier for U.S. soldiers
"Anyone who has ever spent time in a military town knows there is a whole network of services, ranging from medical and dental care to banking and department stores, provided specifically for members of the U.S. Armed Forces. One of those services, however, isn’t mobile. That’s changing this coming Veterans Day. November 11, a company called Defense Mobile Corporation is launching a new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), offering inexpensive mobile phone plans for active-duty military and their families as well as for veterans, members of the reserves and even cadets and midshipman in the military academies. Combined those groups encompass 51.6 million people, DMC estimates."

Value-add mobile features offer potential revenue play
"Retail banks can realize the full potential of mobile banking by offering segmented consumer experiences and advanced digital wallet capabilities, according to a study by Cognizant and Monitise. Consumers are increasingly expecting banks to help improve their mobile lifestyles by providing anytime, anywhere capabilities; customized user experiences; shopping and social features, and value-added services. This, the study states, represents a new opportunity for retail banks to drive customer loyalty, attract new business, and generate more revenue."

More than 50 percent of U.S. adults bank online
"Digital banking is on the rise with more adults using the Internet and their mobile phones to handle their financial transactions, according to a new survey released by the Pew Research Center. Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults, or 61percent of Internet users, currently bank online, up from 46 percent of adults, or 58 percent of Internet users in 2010, according to the results of the survey. Also, 35 percent of cell phone owners use their mobile phones to check their balance or transact business with a bank, up from 18 percent in 2011, it said."

BBVA Compass targets small biz with mobile payment tool
"The smallest of small businesses are the target of a technology innovation rolled out by BBVA Compass. The bank’s “business mobility bundle” includes an e-business checking account, online and mobile banking, and a merchant “mobility pack,” with a secured card reader for processing debit and credit card transactions on a smartphone or tablet, a statement from the bank said. The card reader is the bank’s way of competing directly with Square, the mobile payment processor that allows some merchants to ditch their cash registers, Lonnie Hayes, small business segment director at BBVA Compass, told the trade journal American Banker."

The $1.5 Billion Opportunity In Mobile Banking
"If banks want to add another $1.5 billion to their collective bottom line, they should work on promoting mobile banking opportunities and, in particular, mobile deposits. That's according to a July report from Javelin Strategy & Research, which found that banks could see significant savings if they did more to leverage mobile banking. The report notes that not only do mobile transactions cost less to process, but that mobile customers tend to be younger and more affluent -- two traits that make them desirable targets for banks."

Why you may soon be talking to your ATM
"The world of banking has come a long way since the original days of brick-and-mortar establishments. It’s now possible to do your banking from the comfort of your home, potentially without ever stepping foot into a bank. Although it seems as if banking technology couldn’t evolve any farther than ATMs, online banking, and mobile banking apps, it has and will probably continue to. Soon, the entire banking world will be rocked with the introduction of the newest in ATM technology: teller-assisted ATMs."

Mobile Banking Is More Common Among Blacks and Hispanics
"Two independent studies have discovered that mobile banking use is disproportionately higher among blacks and Hispanics than whites. This is contrary to the conventional wisdom which presupposes that minorities lag behind white Americans in technology use. A study by the Pew Center on the Internet and American Life Project, published August 7, found that "Blacks and Hispanics" had a "statistically significant difference compared with others of the same group" for use of a cell phone for mobile banking. 34% of Black cell phone users and 35% of Hispanic cell phone users accessed mobile banking while only 26% of Whites did."