Mobile Banking International Updates - Sept 27

How mobile and internet banking is making life easier for millions
"The banking sector may be growing by leaps and bounds, but Parag Darade's bank has become smaller. It's tiny enough to fit into his pocket. In fact, the Mumbai-based corporate executive carries it wherever he goes. Darade uses mobile banking to transfer funds, pay utility bills, recharge his mobile phone, even book movie tickets."

Standard Chartered to roll out mobile banking
"Standard Chartered Bank Kenya has announced plans to roll out a mobile commerce ecosystem network for its customers in partnership with Cellulant. Standard Chartered Bank Kenya will be rolling out a mobile commerce ecosystem (image: stock.xchng)
Cellulant, who powers mobile banking for more than 32 banks in Africa, operate Africa’s leading mobile commerce network, enabling over Kshs.10 billion in transaction value last year."

Innovating In Afghanistan
"'In 2002, fewer than 200,000 people in Afghanistan had access to telephones. Today, some 15 million Afghans use mobile phones and a full 85 percent of the population lives within the combined network coverage of the four major telecommunications companies. This technological leap connects Afghans to each other and to the economy in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago,' the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Rajiv Shah said recently in Kabul when announcing three USAID grants for further technological innovations, totaling more than $2 million."

AIB to bring out mobile banking site and apps for smartphones
"AIB will today unveil a new mobile banking service that will allow its customers to check balances, pay bills, top up mobile credit and transfer funds to other accounts. The new mobile banking channel will begin today as a web page optimised specifically for smartphones and will be followed in the coming weeks by an Android app and an iPhone app."

Customers will get incentives to adopt e-banking/m-banking
"Banks have decided to come up with incentives to allure customers to opt in at greater pace for internet banking as well as mobile banking facilities. As per a report released by consulting firm, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in case banks are able to generate awareness amongst people about the benefits of mobile banking and also gain confidence on the security level of this facility, then a 20-30% rise in usage of the facility can be expected by the year 2020."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Jan 10

Follow the Money: Mobile Banking Research in Afghanistan
"There's a moment at the end of every field study that's a mixture of relief and regret. It usually comes when the field study is wrapping up and the team is heading to the next destination -- shortly after take off, around the time that the food cart makes its way down the aisle and you're asked for chicken or beef -- or in this case lamb. It is the first proper reflection of whether the months of planning, the blood, buckets of sweat and tears have yielded enough to make it all worthwhile, and it's tinged with an acknowledgement that the opportunity for just one more interaction has passed."

Banks see cellphone transactions as path to growth
"A SENIOR executive at FNB has predicted an explosion of mobile banking in SA and Africa as banks use the cellphone to increase growth in the unbanked and low- income market. The CEO of FNB Smart Services, Yolande van Wyk, said in a recent paper on mobile commerce that mobile banking had become the ideal delivery channel to facilitate and deliver financial transactions and information."

China Bank launches mobile e-banking service
"China Banking Corporation (China Bank) has launched its own brand of speed banking 'China Bank Online for Mobile’ a mobile-optimized version of its award-winning internet banking service. China Bank’s mobile portal, www.chinabank.ph/mobile, is accessible via all Internet-enabled cellular phones and mobile devices such as iPad and iPod Touch."