SA mobile users shift from voice to data

"South African mobile phone networks are seeing call revenues declining for the first time in their histories as the younger generation leads the consumer charge into a "new data economy", according to a new study from research company World Wide Worx." Continue Reading

Mobile Internet in SA 2014: Time of the App

"The Mobility 2014 research study, conducted by World Wide Worx with the backing of First National Bank, has shown that a growing number of South Africans are making use of mobile apps - in particular messaging apps like WhatsApp.

The app has become the single most significant tool driving the mobile economy in South Africa. The use of apps on phones has shot up from 24% of adult cellphone users in cities and towns in mid-2012 to 43% in late 2013." Continue Reading

Banking: get mobile or get left behind

"Up to 80 percent of South Africans use a cellphone, and there are more active SIM cards in the country than there are people. For many years now, more South Africans have used cellphones than desktop computers to do their banking.

Arthur Goldstuck, the managing director of World Wide Worx, says only about 30 percent of cellphone users in South Africa use a smartphone (see “Techie terms”, below). Even if your cellphone is not a smartphone, you can use it to perform some basic banking and prepaid transactions." Continue Reading

International Mobile Banking Updates - April 23

Mobile malware and your money
"You might have anti-virus software on your computer, but have you considered protecting your smartphone or device? According to the international software house for antivirus security solutions, G Data Software AG, on average 6 915 new malware strains were created every day in the second half of 2012. The report states the number of new malware strains in the tools category, which includes online banking tools, has increased enormously in 2012."

bKash Offers Mobile Banking for Bangladesh
"bKash's CEO Kamal Quadir made the case for the e-commerce company at D: Dive Into Mobile, during the last of three "Global Voices" sessions."

ICICI Bank & Vodafone launch new mobile application
"India’s largest private sector lender ICICI Bank on Wednesday launched a mobile banking application christened as 'M-Pesa' in association with Vodafone India, one of the leading telecommunication service providers. 'This launch is line with the bank's objective of achieving greater financial inclusion,' said Rajiv Sabharwal, Executive Director - ICICI Bank."

Mobile financial services: Visa to launch innovative product in expanding market
"Bullish about the mobile banking scene in Pakistan, Visa Inc – a global payments technology company – is soon going to launch its own mobile financial services (MFS) platform in Pakistan, The Express Tribune has learnt. The product will use VisaNet technology and function on ‘interoperability’ model – a first in Pakistan’s mobile banking market. VisaNet is the world’s largest retail electronic payments processing network, handling an average of 150 million transactions every day, according to the company’s website."

South Africa’s mobile money industry remains innovative and diverse
"Mobile Money Africa returns to Johannesburg in May. South Africa remains one of the most diverse regions in Africa for its proliferation of successful mobile money business models being championed by banks, MNOs (mobile network operators), third party providers and retailers. This is according to Emma Pearce, director of the upcoming, annual Mobile Money Africa conference and exhibition, which will again gather the continent’s leading industry experts in Johannesburg from 28-29 May."

INSIGHT: How tech has transformed banking services in East Africa
"In the past, for a customer to transact any business with their bank, they had to make a trip to a banking hall. Not so these days. Customers can carry out business with their bank using mobile phones or via the Internet. Technology has dramatically transformed banking beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar concept. Many Kenyan banks are now offering Internet and mobile banking services. In fact, local banks have been at the forefront (even by global standards) of adopting technology to drive business volumes and enhance customer service."

Are banking apps up to it?
"Do banking apps deliver a full banking experience? LIRON SEGEV rates and ranks the functionality of the big four South African banks as they go mobile. Mobile banking apps in South Africa have seen phenomenal uptake by customers. But are they all things to all bankers? And which financial institution has the best features on its app? I set out to find out by comparing the features of the various banking apps."

Credit union's Deposit Anywhere™: A Canadian first
"A first in the Canadian financial services market, Central 1 Credit Union and three Canadian credit unions - including Meridian, Ontario's largest credit union - are launching Deposit Anywhere™, a new mobile banking application that makes it easy to deposit a cheque using a smartphone."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Feb 19

Al Salam Bank Bahrain launches 'Mobile' banking service
"Al Salam Bank-Bahrain, one of the leading Islamic banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain, announces the launch of its new mobile banking service "mobile", adding another unique feature to its bouquet of products and services. "Mobile" will enhance your banking experience by providing many convenient features at your fingertips."

Mobile banking helps Monitise
"TECHNOLOGY firm Monitise said people using its mobile phones to do their banking on the move had helped first-half revenues rise 63 per cent to £27.8million.It said its recent £108million acquisition of US rival Clairmail, now called Monitise America, had helped drive up demand but the cost of the deal had left it in the red at £24.4million compared with a £1.1million profit last time."

UCPB launches new mobile banking service
"The United Coconut Planters Bank reaffirmed its commitment to provide excellent customer service and further enhance day-to-day banking transactions through UCPB Connect, an online facility meant to provide banking flexibility and convenience to clients. UCPB Connect is a state-of-the-art technology that allows clients to access the bank’s services 24 hours a day for seven days a week and perform essential banking transactions such as paying bills, transferring funds, viewing balances or ordering checks even at the comfort of their own homes, offices or anywhere else that has access to the Internet."

Standard Bank and SAP Bring Mobile Banking to Over Half a Million "Flip-Phone" Customers in South Africa via SAP® Mobile Platform PR Newswire
"SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced that Standard Bank has been successful in introducing its new AccessBanking offering in South Africa, aimed at meeting the banking needs of the previously "unbanked." This includes the AccessAccount, a transactional banking account based on SAP® Mobile Platform. SAP Mobile Platform integrates SAP and third-party back-end systems, which allows users to create visually rich mobile apps to extend the information from enterprise systems straight onto mobile devices. Since its inception in March 2012, the model has attracted more than 550,000 new customers onto the AccessAccount."

Why mobile banking’s not too big
"If data were to be believed, a lot of you would have graduated from using Internet banking to mobile banking already but a lot of us have still not made the leap. Reserve Bank of India (RBI), 67% of overall banking transactions still happen through cash, according to a 2011 Deloitte-Assocham study."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Dec 4

Indian banks flip the switch on unified mobile banking platform
"India's push to provide access to financial services through mobile means took another step forward when Shri P. Chidambaram, India's Finance Minister, recently announced the launch of a National Unified USSD Platform by India's National Payment Corporation. The NUUP allows the millions of Indians who lack access to physical banking locations use a single SMS texting number to access services across all banks, regardless of wireless service provider, mobile handset maker or region."

Safaricom opens M-Pesa mobile banking service
"Safaricom is to begin offering M-Pesa customers a new mobile banking service, offering interest-bearing deposit accounts and loans. The telco has partnered with Kenay's largest commercial bank, CBA, to create the account, dubbed M-Shwari, which can be activated on deposits as low as one shilling. Safaricom CEO Bob Colllymore says M-Shwari will have no ledger fees, no limits on the frequency of withdrawals, no minimum operating balance and no charges on deposits for M-Pesa to M-Shwari accounts."

CBA responds to mobile banking demand
"In response to customer demand for a simple, personalised and mobile banking experience, Commonwealth Bank (CBA) will be launching Kaching for Facebook, a redesigned Kaching for Android App and new sharing and tagging capability in NetBank. For the first time in Australia, CommBank will launch SmartSign technology that will allow Asset Finance customers to execute loan documents electronically from anywhere in the world."

Mobile banking in South Africa: Can MTN crack the market second time around?
"The network has partnered with the South African Bank of Athens as well as retailers Pick n Pay and Boxer Stores to introduce Mobile Money, it announced last week. Mobile Money is operated by TYME, a distribution channel of the South African Bank of Athens. The service allows customers to make payments from their mobile phones, including person-to-person money transfers as well as purchase prepaid electricity and airtime vouchers."

Banking services in your palm, just dial *99# from any handset
"Checking your bank balances or placing a request for a cheque book has been made as simple and hassle-free as dialling *99# from your mobile. Just dial *99# from your mobile of any make, every banking service, be it fund transfer or checking balances, comes at platter. Formally rolled out by Finance Minister P Chidambaram last Saturday at the national banking conference in Pune, as part of the government's financial inclusion programme, the service, one of the unique empowerment initiatives, is being facilitated by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)."

Mobile Banking SA Conference to address untapped opportunities outside the formal banking sector
"Developing simple, user-friendly mobile banking services with low-technology orientated solutions opens a world of opportunities for financial institutions who swiftly role out mobile banking offerings to the informal banking sector. The Mobile Banking Southern Africa Conference to take place on the 13 & 14 March 2013, at the Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, will focus on why financial institutions cannot afford to lag behind with development of mobile banking products that service over 27% of South Africans that are unbanked and the 10% that are under-banked."

Mobile banking trend sparks fear of new fees
"Small businesses are worried that so-called mobile wallets will give banks and credit card companies a new way to gouge them and consumers both. A task force recommended nearly a year ago that Ottawa introduce legislation to give Canadians and businesses better tools to make payments digitally. But a committee set up by the Finance Department to further study the issue has been told businesses worry they’ll be hit with new fees as consumers adopt payment systems designed for their mobile devices."

International Mobile Banking Updates

Dallas Fed economist sees mobile banking as the way to reach the world’s unbanked 
"The fast growth of mobile technology means cell phones maybe the way to reach the unbanked in many parts of the world. That’s the premise of Janet Koech, an assistant economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. 'In developing countries with a high mobile-phone penetration rate but a lack of robust financial services, the need for efficient payment methods has contributed to M-banking’s appeal,' Koech wrote in today’s issue of the Dallas Fed’s Economic Letter."

Mobile banking takes a hit on road to broader adoption
"Mobile banking is becoming increasingly popular with consumers and financial services firms alike. A recent UK survey conducted by Fujitsu of 50 CIOs from across the wholesale, investment and retail banking industry found that mobile is now seen as a top business priority. While online banking is commonplace and widely accepted by consumers, mobile banking still retains that touch of uncertainty that only time and education will gradually dispel."

Mexican Bank Expands Mobile Banking Service Following Trial
"Banorte, Mexico's third largest bank, and mobile payments service provider, Rêv Worldwide have announced the expansion of MiFon, a mobile-based financial services program piloted earlier this year, explicitly designed to foster financial inclusion among individuals with limited access to basic financial services."

Karur Vysya Bank looking to offer students fee-payment service via mobile
"Students can soon reduce the drudgery of standing in queues to pay their fees. They can instead use their mobile phone and do it from the comfort of their hostels or homes, a top official of Karur Vysya Bank said. The Tamil Nadu-based bank wants to tap universities and institutes with large student strength to offer mobile banking services. All that the students need is to have an account with the bank, says K.Venkataraman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer."

Citigroup Mobile Banking Users Reach 1.1 Million In Asia Pacific
"Citigroup Inc. (C) said Tuesday the number of its clients who use mobile devices to conduct their banking transactions in the Asia Pacific has reached 1.1 million."

Factors affecting mobile banking in SA
"The cost-to-income ratio is arguably one of the most important items in any bank’s annual reports. It shows how much of every rand earned is used to pay for the costs of running the business, and therefore, how efficient the bank is in the process of creating value for shareholders. One of areas that banks are focusing on in their quest to improve the ratio is to reduce customer reliance on branches and to encourage customers to start using cheaper self-service channels. The growth of cellphone ownership and Internet access in South Africa has provided banks with a window of hope to further reduce their costs and improve their cost-to-income ratios."

India: Can mobile phones take the place of banks?
"Getting poor people into the banking system -- which will allow them not only to save money, but also borrow funds to increase their earning power -- has been one of India's biggest challenges. But as a new article from Forbes India points out, an outfit called FINO, which was started by ICICI Bank in 2006, has been quietly making serious progress. When I wrote about mobile banking for Newsweek back in 2007, it was little more than a good idea, though a host of firms were already setting up "banking correspondents" in India's towns and villages. But since then, FINO has flown under the radar to make some pretty big strides, writes Forbes."

Mobile banking - mKesh
"A short video about the daily life of a research project fieldwork in Mobile Banking by NOVAFRICA - Centre for Business and Economic Development from the NOVA School of Business and Economics, Lisbon, Portugal."

Islamic banking industry has bright future in UAE
"The Islamic banking sector has a bright future in the UAE as it has been playing a major role in financing infrastructure projects, residential properties and corporate expansion, a top official of Noor Islamic Bank said. The Islamic lender, which was established with a vision to be recognised as the financial icon from Dubai, is developing its online and mobile banking products and services to expand its reach to the customers. The bank is all set to launch its latest product – A Bank in Your Hand — at Gitex Technology Week next week."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Oct 2

MOBILE BANKING (First of two parts)
"THE popularity of cell phones in the Philippines is undeniable and palpable. Ask any person on the street if he has a cell phone, and 7 out of 10 would probably say yes. Sadly, while access to mobile phone services has rocketed in recent years, access to financial services remains a major barrier to economic growth. If only banks here were as easily accessible as cell phones, particularly in the rural areas!"

Anytime-anywhere banking, courtesy RBI
"Customers can now pay for their taxi rides, pizzas, kirana store purchases anytime, anywhere with their mobile phones, reports CNBC-TV18's Gopika Gopakumar. Have you run out of cash while shopping? Don't worry! You can pay anyone including your neighbourhood kirana store with your mobile phone. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the organisation set up by the RBI for all retail payments, has now launched the inter-bank mobile payment service for all merchants. This will allow customers to pay their bills for as little as 25 paise for each transaction."

Mobile banking expands in rural areas 
"In 2011, Philippine rural banks processed over P4.9 billion (roughly $116 million) worth of banking transactions which were enabled by mobile banking. In fact, the former head of the Microentrepreneurs Access to Banking Services (MABS) program John V. Owens said a 58-percent increase in the volume of transactions through mobile banking has been noted in the first four months of 2012. Since mobile banking or access to banking services through the mobile phone technology was introduced in 2006, a total of P16 billion (approximately $363 million) had been processed."

KBank boosts mobile and cyber-banking services
"Art Wichiencharoen, first senior vice president of Kasikornbank, said that the company usually invests about Bt100 million to keep the bank's technologies up to date in order to provide a wide new range of secure cyber-banking and mobile-banking services. Currently, the bank has more than 1.4 million users of its cyber-banking services, with 400,000 active users per month. Meanwhile, it has more than 1.2 million registered users of its mobile-banking service, with about 500,000 active users per month."

SBI, ICICI lead the pack as m-banking gains currency
"Mumbai: Anand Chaturvedi, a 27-year-old analyst with a brokerage firm in Mumbai, started using his mobile phone for banking about six months back “because it is easy to use and accessible from anywhere”. When in office, he does Internet banking, but uses the mobile banking (m-banking) services of ICICI Bank Ltd and HDFC Bank Ltd when travelling. Vinaya Venugopalan, a 26-year-old information technology (IT) manager with an Indian bank, started using m-banking in May. He is comfortable with the service, but limits it mostly to checking his bank balance."

Australians slow to embrace mobile banking
"A cashless future where the bulk of consumers rely on mobile phones for their banking needs may be further away than many in the financial services industry claim. That's because consumers in Australia have not shown wide acceptance of mobile banking at a time when technical barriers persist and the challenge of an ageing demographic looms."

Way to beat a cash economy
"In a predominantly cash-run economy, electronic payment methods that provide convenience to users while lowering the transaction cost of banks make immense sense. Mobile banking, or m-banking, that started with small SMS transactions, is one such mechanism. Today, with more than 900 million cellphone subscribers in the country and hundreds of tablet PCs, there should ideally be many takers. According to a August Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report, in fiscal 2012, however, only 13 million people across 49 banks used m-banking services, and made 25.6 million transactions valued at Rs.1,820 crore."

Capitec mobile banking hits 2 million clients
"South African commercial bank Capitec Bank Holdings reported on Wednesday (26 September), that it had signed up more than two million clients to its mobile banking service. 'Capitec promotes the use of mobile banking, and at the end of August 2012, in excess of 2.0 million clients were registered for this service.'"

Mobile tellers take banking by storm
"Since taking the reins as chief information officer for Westpac, Clive Whincup has presided over the launch of the bank’s first iPad application; a trial to turn Android smartphones into contactless payment devices; the introduction of an iPad app to replace printed board papers; a 1000 iPad pilot for bank executives; and a St George innovation that allows payments to be made from a smartphone using only the recipient’s mobile number."

Mobile devices change the face of banking
"How about taking a picture of a cheque with your smartphone to deposit it? What about getting online advice about your investments when you're on your tablet? And then there's paying for small purchases with smartphones. The use of smartphones and tablets in consumers' everyday lives is helping push changes in how they bank, pay for bills and even how they can get investment advice, say experts."

The rise of mobile money is driven by the poor 
"As Google, Apple, Paypal, Mastercard and the entire banking community fights over mobile money, we decided to look to the power users to find out what the near future of monetary exchange might look like. The World Bank’s treasure trove of open data on mobile banking is a well stocked pantry for the data hungry. Welcome to our first data snack and enjoy the graph we created below."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 18

Seven ways mobile phones have changed lives in Africa
"A little over a decade ago there were about 100,000 phone lines in Nigeria, mostly landlines run by the state-owned telecoms behemoth, NITEL. Today NITEL is dead, and Nigeria has close to 100 million mobile phone lines, making it Africa's largest telecoms market, according to statistics by the Nigerian Communications Commission. Across the rest of the continent the trends are similar: between 2000 and 2010, Kenyan mobile phone firm Safaricom saw its subscriber base increase in excess of 500-fold. In 2010 alone the number of mobile phone users in Rwanda grew by 50%, figures from the country's regulatory agency show."

Mobile banking accounts registered 37% increase
"The country’s number of mobile banking accounts has reached at 1.45 million, experiencing a remarkable growth of 37 per cent during the quarter ending June 30,2012,a state bank official has said. The official said the accounts? activity level has also improved substantially during the second quarter (April-June) 2012 as the number of active accounts increased by 66 per cent."

Banking reinvented
"Mobile technology is forcing a complete reinvention of the banking world, with demand for new services through a more interconnected community of users, businesses and services. The mobile generation has profound implications for South African banks, and banking users. South African banks have historically enjoyed a reputation for pioneering online and electronic banking services. The rate of innovation appeared to be stagnating in recent years, but the last 12 months have seen major developments in online banking, and set the scene for another renaissance in electronic banking."

Chinese Banks Need to Focus More on Mobile Banking - Executives
"Chinese banks need to focus on leveraging technologies such as mobile services as they shift more toward consumption-based lending, said banking executives at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin Tuesday. Such a shift is important for Chinese banks which have relied heavily on VIP or high net worth clients, said Ma Weihua, chief executive officer of China Merchants Bank Co. (3968.HK). "I.T. is like ..."

USAID prods mobile money use
"THE US, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the country’s mobile money service providers aim to increase the number of mobile money users in the country by 1 million when they launched a new partnership dubbed 'Scaling Innovations in Mobile Money' yesterday."

Mobile payment to improve banking services
"The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) says there is need to ensure that anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations are in place in the advent of mobile payment systems in the country. BoZ deputy governor for administration Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula says with mobile payment solutions being on an increase, vices that can jeopardise the process are likely to occur."

M-banking poised for explosive growth in UK
"One-third of UK consumers expect to be using smartphones to do all their banking by 2020, while two-thirds of banks expect everyone to be using mobile banking in some capacity by 2017, according to a report released by business technology provider Avanade this week."

St George launches latest mobile, online banking services
"The St George Banking Group has unveiled its latest innovations in mobile banking services with the launch of new features to its mobile banking app and online banking services which it says now allows customers to open a savings or transaction account via their smartphone in just 60 seconds and start using the account immediately."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Sept 4

Nimbus‚ Finaccess join hands to offer mobile financial services to unbanked
"Nimbus Holdings and Finaccess entered into an agreement today to enable various businesses of Nimbus with a ubiquitous distribution network throughout the country — specifically in the rural parts and comprising over 500 dealers and sub dealers — to offer an end to end mobile financial service provided through the Hello Paisa Network."

Mobile Banking and Payments for Emerging Asia Summit 2012
"Bringing Senior Mobile Banking & Payments Stakeholders Together to Reach Commercialization. Clariden Global will be hosting a 2-day summit, Mobile Banking & Payments for Emerging Asia Summit 2012 - themed "Unleashing the Potential of Mobile Channels to Penetrate Emerging Markets in Asia,, on 8 to 9 October, at Conrad Bali."

DBBL launches Mobile Banking in partnership with Airtel 
"Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd Saturday formally launched mobile banking in partnership with Airtel Bangladesh Ltd, said a press release. As per the permission of the Bangladesh Bank, only a commercial bank can launch mobile banking services in Bangladesh. Under this initiative, Airtel subscribes will enjoy mobile banking services such as, cash-in, cash-out, remittance collection, salary disbursement, mobile top-up facility and person to person money transfer using DBBL mobile banking account."

Middle East consumers embrace mobile wallet services
"Mobile wallet services, which enable payments via mobile devices, are a potential growth industry in the Middle East, according to experts. While Asian markets look to be ahead of the pack, with a quarter of Japanese mobile users already managing their finances and paying for products via a mobile wallet, there is good potential for increased adoption in the coming year in the Middle East region, according to a study on mobile device usage by TNS, a technology and business strategy firm."

Nedbank app hits Play Store
"Nedbank has finally launched its mobile banking application, although only on Android-powered smartphones for now. The app, known as the Nedbank App Suite, has been available to the bank’s staff since the end of June and can now be downloaded from Google’s Play Store. The Nedbank App Suite includes online share trading as well as the ability to do corporate batch authorisations, reset business banking passwords, check balance enquiries and make payments."

Bank offers remote sign up
"Consumers sitting at home in their pyjamas can sign up to a bank without having to go near a physical main street branch. BNZ's upgraded iPhone app, launched today, allows anyone to join the bank using just an internet connection and a camera phone. The development follows the lead of TSB Bank, which pioneered a similar sign-up system in April with its [my]bank app. Would-be customers take a photograph of their passport or driver's licence, a recent bill or statement, and a self-portrait holding their ID."

Kwame Pianim calls for stronger regulations of mobile money and banking services
"Economist, Kwame Pianim is calling for stronger regulation of mobile money and mobile banking services in the country. This follows what he describes as a worrying trend of unfair competition posed by Telcos to other service providers. Mr. Pianim who is also the Board Chairman of Electronic payment Provider, E-Transact explains to JOY BUSINESS, mobile financial service-delivery is being unduly affected by the dual role of Telco’s."

Tagit helps MayBank Singapore offer mobile banking
"Since going mobile is the hottest trend, Maybank Singapore followed suit by offering mobile banking services Maybank mBanking App using Tagit’s proprietary Mobeix platform. The mobile banking service from Maybank is unique because of the level of personalisation it offers, and allows the users to connect to social media platforms for better service. This is possible because Mobeix works on a new design approach to mobile banking. Maybank’s mobile banking app is available for download in the Apple App Store starting August 24."

SA’s FNB Expands Mobile Services Through Cell C
"FNB and Cell C have announced that FNB Cellphone Banking customers are now able to buy Cell C SMS and Data bundles on the channel. Until now, the only Cell C product that was offered was prepaid airtime. FNB is the first and currently the only bank to enter into a partnership with Cell C to enable its customers to purchase SMS and Data Bundles. Shadrack Palmer CCO, of FNB Cellphone Banking says, 'This is an opportunity for us to increase our product and service offering to meet the needs of all our customers, especially on products that are currently in demand in the market. It is also an opportunity for us to attract new customers.'”

Mobile banking set to become user-friendly
"Banking transactions on mobile phones are set to become easier in a few days time. You will just need to key in the service code ‘*99#’ in your mobile to initiate funds transfer and check the balance in your bank account. To begin with, about 20 banks will offer the service code based mobile banking facility to customers who are subscribers of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. State Bank of India, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India will be part of the initial roll-out."

Mobile Wallet awareness is on the rise in Canada, but security is still a concern
"Canadian smartphone users, specifically those who access the various mobile banking apps, have reached a “critical mass” when it comes to being aware of the ability to pay for products and services at the point of purchase via their device. According to SRG’s Digital Life Canada Survey this key demographic represents about 4 million Canadians. Their study was conducted of 1,000 Canadians sometime in the spring of 2012."

Did you know you have five ways to bank with your mobile?
"Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all it’s flavor —English poet William Cowper Spoilt for choice: This is how you would feel when you think of making a mobile banking transaction. There are five options you can choose from. If you are not sure which mobile banking option you should choose, the following are a few simple ways to help you decide which option suits you better."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Jul 31

Smartphones set to change mobile banking for good
"The way we do banking on our mobile phones is changing rapidly, very rapidly. While most cellphone banking in emerging markets like South Africa is still conducted via text messages, people are increasingly also using phone browsers for their banking. In fact, the latest survey results from tech research company World Wide Worx suggest that more than a third of South Africans now use their browsers for mobile banking. That said, only five percent of cellphone bankers exclusively use phone browsers for the purpose, but a further 36% use their browsers as well as text-based services like USSD and SMS."

Mobile banking has failed to take off in India: RBI
"The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor H R Khan has hinted that mobile banking has failed take-off in India and hence has called upon banks and mobile companies to work together for the benefit of their customers. At a seminar in Bhubaneswar, Khan said that the growth rate in the value and the volume of mobile based transaction is much lower compared to the number of bank accounts and number of mobile subscribers."

Digicel, Boom Sign US$17m Mobile Banking Deal
"The deal, completed late last week, is expected to result in products that offer lower transaction fees than remittance services that can cost some 10 per cent on US$100 of transfer. 'Our investment in Boom Financial is a reflection of the strong value of the Boom service and the high-quality company that the team has built. Digicel's customers in the Caribbean and Central America receive more than US$5 billion a year in cash remittances from the US,' said Colm Delves, CEO of Digicel Group, in a release posted on Digicel's website."

Westpac unveils new mobile banking app for iPad
"Westpac has today officially unveiled its new iPad banking application, the Westpac Mobile Banking for iPad app. The bank says the new app focuses entirely on the customer experience and was built using "enormous amounts" of customer feedback. The app was launched in the iOS App Store on Tuesday 10 July but was formally unveiled at a media briefing in Sydney today. Despite the launch of the new app on Apple's iOS platform for iPad, Westpac declined to confirm when a version of the app would be available for Android tablets."

Mobile Banking Services Coming Up In Malaysia
"Malaysian Electronic Clearing Corp Sdn Bhd (MyClear), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank Negara, has teamed up with three banks and is working with another three this year to offer mobile banking services. The three banks that it has tied up with to offer mobile banking service, scheduled for the fourth quarter, are: Malayan Banking Bhd, CIMB Bank Bhd and Public Bank Bhd. It, however, did not disclose the names of the other three banks."

20% of European online shoppers already use mobile payments, finds Forrester
"One-fifth of Western European internet users use mobile banking today, according to a new Forrester report based on more than 13,600 consumer surveys. SMS alerts are still the most popular form of mobile banking in most countries, but use of mobile banking apps is growing fastest. As mobile Internet use explodes and mobile banking is displacing use of other channels, Forrester believes that ubiquitous mobile banking will mark a bigger strategic shift for the industry than home-based online banking. Banks need mobile banking to provide a platform for mobile payments and to protect their retail payments businesses from digital disruption."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Feb 1

Mobile Banking Takes Off In Nigeria
"When he graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with an MBA in 2005, Nigerian-born Tayo Oviosu said advice from the business world in his home country was loud and clear—'don't come back.' At that time, he explained, 'Nigeria was still about who you knew, and people did not yet properly value experience from abroad.'"

Cellulant to run Barclays M-Banking services
"Cellulant Kenya has sealed a deal to provide mobile banking services for Barclays Africa across its markets in the continent. In a venture dubbed, ‘One Africa’ Barclays Bank has entered into a deal with Cellulant to offer satisfying customer digital experience."

Emerging Markets Set Stage for Mobile Wallet Shopping
"Increased use of mobile money in Kenya has created a ripe environment for the use of near field communication (NFC) technology and other forms of mobile wallets which could be more widely accepted as payment systems compared to traditional ones such as credit cards. Adoption of the alternative payment systems could not only further slow the growth of the use of credit cards but could also see the creation of a new market for NFC-enabled devices including point of sale terminals and mobile phones in the country."

Is mobile banking demand on the climb?
"Canadians are increasingly embracing mobile computing but are we keeners to access our bank accounts from smartphones or tablets? The answer to that question depends on whom you talk to. From the customer's perspective, mobile banking is about convenience. For the banks, mobile banking is about providing self-service options and increasing the number of transactions per customer. Thus more transactions will take place but at a lower cost-per-transaction."

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Obopay, Warid Telecom Partner to Launch Warid Pesa Mobile Banking and Payment Service in Uganda
"Obopay, a mobile payments company headquartered in the US state of California, has partnered with Warid Telecom, a Pakistan-based postpaid cellular phone service provider, to launch a mobile banking and payment service in Uganda called Warid Pesa. Warid Pesa allows customers to transfer money to other people and merchants, request money, obtain statements, obtain account balances, change personal identity numbers and top up prepaid phones for themselves or others."

Citi Hungary mobile app with GPS puts branches/ATMs on the map
"Batara Sianturi, Citi Country Officer for Hungary, said, 'Citibank Mobile Banking allows customers to enjoy a superior, secure and smart banking experience anytime and anywhere in the world, including transactions on their Citibank accounts. With this new application, we have made another significant step in reaching our goal to become the world's and Hungary's leading digital bank.'"

New considerations for mobile banking strategies in Europe
"comScore and Telefónica Germany announced the results of "Connected Europe" Study which highlights how smartphones and tablets are shifting media consumption in Europe. With regards to mobile banking, the study shows that over 20% of smartphone users in Europe accessed their bank accounts with their mobile devices and 12% used electronic payment services to pay for goods from their mobile phone."

Mobile Banking 2012 to reach new heights
"Trade Conferences International is proud to bring you the second annual Mobile Banking Southern Africa conference and exhibition. It will be held at the Indaba Hotel, Fourways, from 13 to 15 March and promises to be all that the 2011 event was, and more."

International Mobile Banking Updates - Oct 16

Future lies in mobile banking, says SBI
"Every banker dreams of being able to introduce an initiative that no one has done before, when he or she gets to the helm. What is your dream?

I am too much of a practical person, so I look at it from what can be done. But having said that, I feel we need to do something more in the space of mobile banking. We need to make it much more popular than it is right now because that is the banking of the future. Mobile banking might have failed to take off and this is not because of lack of systems and procedures. Those things are in place. It is just that the general public is not very convinced about mobile banking. Bankers have to play a major role in popularising this. Otherwise, the future of banking will bypass India. I think, going forward, mobile banking will be more preferred than internet banking."

Mobile Banking Services Launch Chart a New Era
"THE launch last week of mobile banking services by Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and Telecel Zimbabwe has charted a new era in delivery of banking products to the public, analysts have observed. Zimbabwe, which has for long lagged behind in terms of ICT development, seems to have turned a new corner, with new forms of banking anticipated to foster financial inclusion of the unbanked population."

FNB rises to dominant position in mobile banking for Southern Africa
"As local and international banks roll out technology to provide efficient and remote banking services in Africa, South Africa's First National Bank (FNB) has managed to dominate the Southern African region. Outside of South Africa itself, First National Bank (FNB) has expanded the eWallet mobile banking service to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia, with plans under way to expand the service to more countries in the region."

Mobile Banking Zooming In Australia: In 10 Years will it be Ubiquitous?
"Is it possible that within 10 years, mobile banking and mobile payments will be entirely ubiquitous? Careful with those “In 10 years...” predictions. This reporter has heard that in 10 years, America will be on the metric system, cars won’t run on gasoline and the Minnesota Vikings will win the Super Bowl. However, George Lawson, head of merchant acquiring for Westpac, believes that in 10 years mobile banking will have made quite a dent."

CUA to overhaul online, mobile banking
"Indian-based IT services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has expanded its scope of work with CUA, taking out the contract for the new online banking system. TCS also won a contract with CUA this year to replace the credit union's home-grown core banking system with the BaNCS platform. CUA chief Chris Whitehead said that the selection of TCS for the online revamp made sense given its existing work on the core banking system."

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) Makes Mobile Banking Deal
"Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) has entered into a joint venture with the telecommunications provider America Movil to provide Latin Americans with mobile banking services. The alliance named Transfer will involve an investment of $50 million, and will begin in Mexico by the first quarter of next year."

International Mobile Banking Updates - May 25

AusCERT 2011: Mobile banking malware on the rise
"Chief technology officer of Trusteer, Amit Klein, has spoken about the trends of mobile malware, citing mobile banking as the next big threat to the industry. In the keynote session of the second day at the AusCERT conference on the Gold Coast, Klein said the financial and mobile malware began to increase during 2006, and has only become more prevalent in recent years."

Mobile money hits the UK like it means business
"This is probably the most significant week the UK has ever seen for mobile money. Two of the biggest operators in the country have announced mobile money implementations – Orange is going for a straightforward NFC-based payments model, whereas O2 looks like it wants the whole mobile banking hog."

SA clicks on to mobile banking
"SOUTH African consumers want greater access to financial services using cellphones, according to the results of a global survey on the growth of mobile money, released on Friday. The survey, by the international research firm TNS, said the growth of mobile banking in SA joined a growing global trend where new technology and mobile banking were driving usage globally."

Iraq to bring banks to the masses – by mobile
"Just a fifth of Iraqis have bank accounts, but 70 percent have mobile phones, so Baghdad is hoping to close the gap by getting people to open accounts, make payments and transfer cash – all via mobile. In a country that is one of the most corrupt and violent in the world, the initiative is aimed at securing Iraqis' funds, and strengthening the banking sector as higher revenues resulting from a greater number of transactions boost profits."

International Mobile Banking Updates

In South Africa, cardless ATM withdrawals via mobile phone
"The virtual ink had scarcely dried on our story about South Africa's upcoming Mahala Free Banking Platform last week when we received word of yet another mobile banking innovation in the country. Customers of Johannesburg-based First National Bank (FNB) can now make withdrawals from an ATM without a bank card using just their mobile phone."

Initial Details of Third Party Mobile Banking Unveiled
"We first heard of Third Party Solution for Mobile Banking in November 2009, when Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and State Bank of Pakistan jointly announced the proposed formation of unified regulatory framework for Third Party Solution Provider (TPSP) system for enhancing mobile banking in the country."

Rakbank launches Mobile Banking solutions
"A renowned market leader in customer service, Rakbank announced the launch of its Mobile Banking service, an alternative channel that provides customers with the opportunity of conducting banking transactions via their mobile phones. Rakbank's Mobile Banking is available on smart phones as well as conventional mobiles to ensure that all their customers can make use of this practical service."

OCBC banking app scans barcodes
"Mobile banking apps typically allow customers to view their account details and carry out transactions such as funds transfers. OCBC Bank's Android app, released last month, also offers users the ability to scan selected bill barcodes for easy payment. This video segment is part of ZDNet Asia's Financial Services special report."

Mobile banking via app has rewards, risks
"The days of restrictive banking hours have long since passed, and now you can add smartphone apps to a growing list of technologies that have made it easier to access your accounts -- any time, any place. The applications offered by several of Canada's big banks give users an ever-growing range of options including checking balances, transferring money between accounts and paying bills."

Obopay wins prestigious Asian Banker 'Technology Implementation' Award 2011
"Obopay Inc, one of the world’s leading mobile banking and payment providers, has been awarded this year’s ‘Asian Banker Technology Implementation Award’ for its work in India. Obopay, along with Yes Bank, was honored with the award under the ‘Best Multi-channel Capability Project’ category. The prestigious award, given annually in honor of organizations that have helped in successfully implementing banking projects/operations with technology as its backbone was accepted by Deepak Chandnani, CEO, Obopay during the award ceremony in Hong Kong. The winners were chosen from a strong list of contenders."

Mexico to introduce m-banking services by year-end
"Mexico is planning to launch mobile banking services by the end of this year. According to Guillermo Babatz, president of the Mexican Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), m-banking service users will be able to make payments and money transfers directly from their mobile phones."

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."

Mobile Banking International Updates - Dec 22

The Race (For Marketshare) Is On: Commercial Launch of Mobile Banking in Haiti
"And they’re off! Amid endless turmoil – earthquakes, cholera, and political unrest – Haitians finally have some good news. Two mobile banking platforms: TchoTcho by Digicel and T-Cash by Voilà have just launched for commercial use. Relief organizations, NGOs, and government agencies throughout the country have already begun to put the new technology to use. For an economy that has always been cash based, this is a huge leap forward. The public, most of which was previously excluded from banking, has responded enthusiastically."

Fraud and security concerns fail to slow the growth of mobile banking in Africa
"Developing Telecoms recently examined some of the factors that have led to mobile banking’s success across many African markets. Mobile money transfers in particular represent a far more secure alternative to handling devalued currency in a cash economy, and for this reason adoption has been widespread. However, the informality of mobile banking infrastructure in Africa can appear challenging to the developed world, and raises serious questions about the potential impact of fraud in the mobile finance sector."

Mobile Banking Updates - Jul 27

iPhone taking mobile Banking to the Next Level
"One of which is the recent spike of market shares for the iPhone- that has risen from “5.3%” to “10.8%”. This is no doubt largely due to the latest release of Apple’s 3GS iPhone. I predict this rate of increase will continue to flow each year, if Apple continues to Wow the market with bigger and better versions of the iPhone at lower costs."

Mobile giving is catching on
"For most nonprofits, raising money means asking donors to write a check. But like music, maps and movies, charitable giving is also going mobile. With a mobile phone, donating to a cause can be as simple as typing MEALS, WATER or ALIVE."

Gartner Says Consumers Most Value Online Banking Features that Address Communication and Personalization
"Consumers most value online banking features that address communication and personalization, according to recent surveys by Gartner, Inc. However, financial institutions could be failing to capitalize on online banking by not providing the features that consumers really want."

Differentiation of online services
"I enjoyed reading the findings of a recent Gartner research report on online banking services. Gartner surveyed almost 4 000 consumers in the UK and the US. The findings ring true to what we are seeing in the industry. One of the findings (in my opinion) do have specific implications for banks."

How Losing Your Phone Could Cost You
"A lost or stolen smartphone is more than just an inconvenience.It can lead to identity fraud or corporate espionage,and even compromise the integrity of your medical records.In March, Connecticut-based security vendor Credent Technologies reported that 80 percent of users store on their phones information needed for identity fraud."

Cellphone banking - some lessons learnt
"It wasn't long ago that mobile banking was barely known by account holders in South Africa. It was only in 2001 that certain of the large South African banks launched a version of mobile banking. These services attracted little interest from account holders with most of the initiatives failing. As late as the beginning of 2005, the future viability of mobile banking was uncertain and disputed. Neither the local nor the international banks were actively developing mobile services."

Borrowing $300 from Mom and Dad? Your bank wants some of it
"Hopefully, you've never been there: You're looking at your bank account. It's sickly. It's dying. You need cash, or you're going to be fixing a tree bark salad soon. So you borrow money from your parents or maybe your well-heeled aunt."

Mobile Payments Talk with Hannes van Rensburg, CEO of Fundamo
"Fundamo is the largest dedicated supplier of mobile banking solutions, globally. We supply a software platform to mobile operators and banks that can be configured to offer various solutions (including mobile wallets) to customers. We are based in Cape Town and have offices in six other countries, amongst others in Madrid."

Wizzit Mobile Banking in South Africa

Wizzit CEO, Brian Richardson, and colleagues describe the Wizzit model, including tackling the "Three A's = Affordability + Accessibility + Availability" to give millions of previously unbanked individuals access to a bank account...

I found this YouTube video on Joost Bonsen's blog.