Mobile Banking Updates - May 22

Android's Mobile Dominance Fails to Simplify Bank App Development
"Google's Android mobile operating system has grown its market share lead, according to new data from Gartner. Indeed, the research firm says the platform accounts for 74.4% of smartphone units sold worldwide during the first quarter of 2013. Furthermore, Gartner found there are almost 50% more Android smartphones in the market than a year ago."

Chase Tops Keynote's Mobile Banking Ranking a Third Time
"JPMorgan Chase has yet again won a ranking of mobile banking apps. In this one, Keynote's semiannual mobile banking scorecard, Chase came in first for the third time in a row. Wells Fargo came in second and Bank of America third. In late April, Forrester dubbed Chase the best in mobile banking out of 15 large multinational banks, for the second time in a row. What does Chase do right to get the top nod so often?"

Banking Up Launches at FinovateSpring, Lets Any Business Offer Customers a Trusted Alternative to Traditional Banking
"Banking Up launches at FinovateSpring today a first-of-its-kind personal finance platform that lets banks and businesses provide customers with a smart, mobile alternative to traditional checking accounts. Along with the launch, Plastyc Inc., which developed Banking Up, announced that it is now doing business as Banking Up. Over 24 million households have poor access to mainstream banking, and 91 percent have mobile phones and smartphones, according to the FDIC. Banking Up gives banks and businesses a scalable way to provide customers in their local communities with an affordable, high-quality banking option."

Green Dot Sets July 4th Launch Of GoBank
"Green Dot, the provider of prepaid debit cards and other financial products, is looking to launch its big move into the mobile banking market on July 4th, the company said Tuesday afternoon. According to Green Dot, it plans to launch its service, GoBank, on Independence Day on iPhone, Android, and online--and also will be making a big, national push to market the service."

Is electronic banking killing the bank branch? PNC pares branches citing customers' online trends "Another bank branch bites the dust. Three and counting among PNC Financial’s branches in Central Pennsylvania. Another ten PNC branches in Western Pennsylvania. And more to come, as banks evaluate their networks and analyze mobile banking and ATM trends. For so long, it seemed a bank branch was opening on every corner. That era might be coming to an end."

Mobile Banking Updates - May 15

The Debate Around Responsive Design in Mobile Banking
"Responsive web design — a method of designing and developing websites such that they display well on a range of devices — is a seductive concept, especially for banks that struggle to maintain mobile banking apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices. The ideal is the company has one set of code, one product to manage and it's set, no matter what smartphones and tablets customers are using. The reality is not so simple, and a debate is going on in the industry around how useful responsive design is, and whether or not it can replace native apps."

Mobile Banking Without Apps
"Eric Bangerter, an executive with a $1.6 billion institution in Wisconsin, explains why the risks associated with mobile apps led his team to opt for using a Web-based platform for mobile banking instead. Bangerter, vice president of e-commerce and Internet services for UW Credit Union in Madison, Wis., says many U.S. banking institutions have too quickly jumped onto the mobile-application bandwagon. Apps pose risks for users, and unforeseen authentication challenges for the institutions that offer them, he says in an interview with Information Security Media Group."

FIS Demonstrates the Latest Mobile Innovations that Are Supporting More than 20 Million Users at FinovateSpring 2013
"Dominating the mobile financial services market through the support of more than 20 million consumers, FIS™ (NYSE: FIS), the world’s largest provider of banking and payments technology, announces it will be showcasing its latest mobile innovation, the FIS Mobile Wallet with Cardless Cash Access, at FinovateSpring 2013 in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 14. The FIS Mobile Wallet is a white-labeled, cloud-based mobile payment and offer redemption solution that allows financial institutions to fully brand and manage the customer experience, while offering consumers convenience and best-in-class security."

Alamo FCU to debut concierge banking
"Alamo Federal Credit Union is introducing concierge banking to San Antonio. If any customer is interested in a car loan, mortgage or any other product the credit union is offering, Alamo FCU will send a representative out to the person’s home, office or coffee shop. 'Most banks have invested heavily in expensive headquarters and facilities with their customer’s money. Alamo FCU is investing in superior service and dividends for really busy people,' says AFCU President Max Villaronga."

KOBIL Technologies Selects Security Professional Malloy as Director of Business Development
"KOBIL Technologies, Inc. a KOBIL Group Company and leader in Secure Payment Technology announced it has appointed Donald Malloy as Director of Business Development. Malloy has more than 20 years' experience in the Security and Payment industry and is responsible for building the business in the Americas for KOBIL Technologies in the area of Mobile Banking and online Security. His primary focus will be to gain new partners in the area of Banking and IT security with the objective to position joint products on the market. Don spent more than 7 years developing the Display Card business with NagraID Security and prior to that was Business Development and Marketing Manager for Secure Smart Card ICs for both Phillips Semiconductors and Infineon Technologies."

Financial Matters: Banking on the go
"Bankers hours aren't what they used to be, and they don't need to be. eCommerce Manager Marilyn Lamb talked about how you can track your banking with BayPort Credit Union's Banking on the Go."