Mobile Banking Updates - April 24

Better Authentication is Key to DDoS, Mobile Banking Protection: Jeff Carter
"'When you don't have trusted identities for accessing your online banking infrastructure, anyone in the wild can make a request, and you have to respond to it,' says Jeff Carter, who ran innovation for Bank of America and the Center for Future Banking, a joint venture between Bank of America, MIT and Harvard University, for six years and is currently chief strategy officer at EyeLock. He has a vested interest: his company's technology scans the human iris to create a "trusted identity" that can be used to authenticate users of anything, including a mobile banking app or online banking site."

Dr. Gavin Michael Joins JPMorgan Chase as Head of Digital for Consumer and Community Banking
"Chase announced today that Dr. Gavin Michael has joined the firm as Head of Digital for Chase's Consumer and Community Banking division. Michael served as the Chief Technology Innovation Officer at Accenture since 2010, where he was responsible for the innovation agenda, technology strategy, and research and development. He will report to Gordon Smith, CEO of Chase Consumer and Community Banking, and Guy Chiarello, Chief Information Officer for JPMorgan Chase. 'We are extremely pleased to have Gavin join the firm,' said Gordon Smith, CEO of Consumer & Community Banking. 'With over 31 million active Chase.com users and more than 12 million active mobile users, it's important that we continue to innovate and provide exceptional customer experience in our internet and mobile channels. Gavin has more than 20 years of experience across Retail Banking technology, including governance, organization, strategy, and innovation. His experience in running large, complex global projects across financial services and consulting makes him a great fit to lead Chase's mobile and digital channel.'"

Mobile banking: Increased acceptance equals greater opportunities for FIs
"Mobile devices have become a part of everyday life around the world, used for banking, entertainment, communication, payments, budgeting and even shopping. A recent survey by the U.S. Federal Reserve focused not only on the general growth in mobile usage but also on the increasing number of U.S. consumers turning to mobile for their financial service needs. Mobile phone and mobile Internet access have become much more widespread in the United States; 87 percent of the population now own mobile phones, 52 percent of which are smartphones. More surprisingly, the Federal Reserve found that 28 percent of mobile phone owners have used their phones for mobile banking in the last 12 months. An even larger proportion of smartphone owners (48 percent) have done the same. The most common uses of mobile banking are to check account balances or recent transactions (87 percent), and to transfer money (53 percent) and deposit checks (21 percent)."

IAB: 58 per cent of Americans use mobile banking apps
"But 52 per cent say they want a concrete guarantee their transactions are safe before using mobile banking more often. One billion people are expected to use mobile banking by 2017, while NatWest and RBS recently strengthened their mobile solutions with in-app customer service tools. IAB now finds that 58 per cent of Americans user their bank's mobile app, while 50 per cent use their bank's mobile website. Meanwhile, 25 per cent are aware of the app and 26 per cent are aware of the site, though they're yet to use them."

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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."

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Mobile Banking Updates - April 22

What Will the Next Generation of Corporate Mobile Banking Look Like?
"'Mobile banking is evolving quickly for companies. This evolution is being propelled by the phenomenal growth in personal smartphone usage. Our clients now want to take the convenience and mobility they have with their personal smartphone into the workplace,' says James Gifas, head of RBS Citizens Treasury Solutions. "Over one third of smartphone owners in the U.S. are using their devices for personal mobile banking, and consumers want their business banking to be just as convenient."

6 Mobile Banking Features on B of A's Drawing Board
"Bank of America isn't generally first to market with new mobile banking features, but when it does offer something new, it draws high adoption numbers and it strikes fear in the hearts of competing bankers, who know their customers will soon start asking why their bank doesn't offer it. Case in point: the bank launched mobile check deposit last August (USAA launched this feature in August 2009; Chase launched it in July 2010). Today, Bank of America has 1.9 million users of mobile deposit, it's processed 18 million check images captured this way, and on average it is handling 100,000 checks per day through mobile deposit."

Mobile banking spurs growth at Michigan First Credit Union
"Michigan First Credit Union is looking for a few good employees, 14 right now to be exact. The Lathrup Village-based financial institution is looking for everything from tellers to human resources professionals to add to its staff of 225 people. However, technology pros are in especially high demand for the credit union. About a third of its new positions have some sort of tech angle, such as software developer or IT professional."

Behold, the next gen of mobile banking
"Like nearly every other industry--entertainment, journalism, personal communications--banking is changing at an amazing rate. It's not a white shoe enterprise anymore, thanks to the nearly ubiquitous adoption of mobile phones and tablets. And banks have better get ready because these tech-savvy customers are already using their phones for checking balances and making payments, and they want to do even more. Those were the words of warning from a senior player in the mobile banking space in an address before mobile finance executives at Mobey Forum in San Francisco."

The Next Steps For Consumers And Mobile Banking
"Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of mobile financial apps and services, but there’s still more that banks and FIs can do to increase adoption. That’s one of the takeaways from a new survey by IAB, InMobi and Viggle, which poled more than 1,200 consumers on their various thoughts and feelings on mobile financial services. Over half of all respondents indicated that they use financial mobile apps, but how many remain unaware of their existence? PYMNTS.com takes a look in this Data Point."

The Nexus of Forces and Software Quality in Banking
"Financial sector software failures fill our news pages – from banks failing to make payments to cash machines giving away free money, these high profile crashes are just the tip of the iceberg. The challenge of ensuring quality of software and IT in the banking sector is nothing new. Banking IT is highly complex, with different systems for both retail and investment banks. A typical banking IT scenario may encompass several different systems from multiple vendors, developed independently and integrated over a period of twenty years. The business supported by the systems is so wide that no single team understands the entire IT infrastructure."

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Wallet Wars - May 8th - New York

Wallet Wars
May 8-9th
The New Yorker Hotel

Never has there been so much to play for in the payments space, a revolution is just round the corner. With Square, Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft becoming major players in Wallet space MNOs, Banks and Payment Institutions need to innovate fast to make sure they’re not left behind... 

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Click to Register Now

• Define your mobile wallet battle plan - Discover how to make a product appealing, accessible, reliable, and to ensure immediate uptake of your solution 
• Add value and bolster your arsenal - Integrating loyalty, coupons, offers and ticketing provides the convenience that will springboard your wallet’s mass adoption, turning it from a gimmick to an everyday essential 
• Discover allies and understand opponents - In this space you need to keep your partners close but your competitors closer. Get to grips with who can help you capitalise on a new market 
• Avoid the minefield of privacy - Realise the potential from a gold mine of new data, while making sure you don’t encroach on your customer’s privacy 
• Grab your share of the market - With the consumer unlikely to have more than one mobile wallet, ensure they choose yours

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Mobile Banking Updates - April 18

Capital One, DBS Bank Win Kudos for Private Mobile Banking Apps
"Mobile banking apps from Capital One and DBS Bank of Singapore shared first place in a new study of 50 global banks’ smartphone offerings for private banking clients. MyPrivateBanking, a Swiss research firm, evaluated the offerings of 50 banks. Capital One and DBS received a score of 50 out of a possible 60. The firm awarded second place to Societe Generale of France (with a score of 49). Third place was shared by ABN AMRO of Amsterdam and Westpac of Australia (both earned 48 points). The top scorers’ apps went beyond providing basic account information and transaction features, according to the report."

Infographic: Consumers prefer mobile banking to mobile payments
"Proponents of mobile payment technology, which lets you link a payment card to an app and pay with your phone, tout the convenience of leaving your wallet at home. Yet a March 2013 Federal Reserve survey shows just how far apps like Square Wallet, Google Wallet and Isis have to go to make that a reality. Just 6 percent of smartphone users have made a point-of-sale payment with their phone, while more than a third of them don't see any benefit to mobile payments -- and would prefer to pay with another method. Concerns about security are the main barrier to mobile payment adoption, although they're becoming less of a concern, the survey found. Thirty-eight percent of respondents in this year's survey said they had security concerns, compared with 42 percent in 2011."

Mobile payments: The next great debate
"I find myself at the forefront of many debates these days. And I’m not talking about politics, but rather how we will pay for products or services in the future. A year ago, the topic of mobile payments circulated as mild Internet banter in terms of how money is exchanged across sources, rails and platforms. Today, this complex subject makes its way into daily conversations. When discussing the future of mobile payments, rarely do I observe people who ride the party line. You’re either for it or against it. There’s no such thing as a moderate. And the ever-important question: near field communication (NFC) or the cloud? Is there room for both? And are people actually ready to use something other than plastic to pay for stuff?"

More consumers banking by mobile app
"The explosive growth nationally in mobile-phone banking is giving consumers a critical new option in managing their money, so much so that some Colorado banks say they are scrambling to keep up with the demand. While increases in the use of smartphone technology for banking applications have ballooned by as much as 250 percent in two years in Colorado, some experts think a single security breach could chill some of the enthusiasm."

Liberty Bank offering mobile banking app
"Liberty Bank has launched mobile banking service which now allows consumer customers to bank via mobile app, mobile browser, and text message from a smart phone or tablet. 'The industry is seeing huge growth in the use of mobile devices to access information on the go and to execute banking transactions. Liberty Bank is capitalizing on this trend to make banking even more effortless and convenient for our customers,' says Liberty Bank president and CEO Chandler J. Howard."

Banks Add Card Controls to Their Mobile Banking Apps
"When the president of City Bank Texas asked his IT team about adding a feature that would allow customers to temporarily disable their debit cards through its mobile banking app, senior vice president and chief technology officer Jim Simpson recalls outwardly smiling at him while inwardly thinking, "Is it even possible?" But first, the bank wanted to figure out whether the feature would solve a customer pain point. "We listen to the call center first to [determine] how we build innovative solutions," Simpson says. After getting positive feedback more than a year ago from the unit, the $2 billion-asset bank began working with its mobile banking provider, Malauzai Software, to bring a card control tool to life."

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International Mobile Banking Updates - April 16

MoneyGram and First National Bank launch mobile banking in South Africa
"MoneyGram and First National Bank (FNB) of South Africa have launched their first mobile money transfer service in Africa. The new mobile banking service enables FNB customers throughout South Africa provinces to send and receive international money transfers using their mobile devices. The service features data encryption system that protects account holder information. Transactions sent from a mobile device are available for collection within 10 minutes, subject to an agent’s hours of operation and local laws and regulations."

Australian banks need to embrace mobile application users: Study
"By the end of 2013, more Australians are predicted to be using their mobile phones to do banking than their desktop computers, but research released this week shows they are increasingly dissatisfied with the offerings from financial institutions. Mobile marketing firm BanterMob analysed ratings and reviews of Australian banking apps, and found nine of the 13 banks reviewed rated average or below average, and almost three-quarters of user app reviews were negative."

Buggy apps hurt customer experience in mobile banking
"Banks aren’t using online banking properly, Australian mobile marketing firm, BanterMob, has claimed. The group studied 42,000 ratings and about 2000 reviews of Australian banking applications available in the four major app stores. BanterMob director, Kelly Slessor, says the results show high levels of negativity and sub-optimal customer experience."

ABSA launch their mobile and tablet banking App
"ABSA proudly, if a little belatedly, revealed their on-line Banking App for Android and Apple iPhone devices today in Johannesburg. ABSA is the last of the South African big banks to launch their mobile App. The ABSA App will be of huge benefit to all the ABSA customers with smart devices. ABSA said the App would be the first real, native financial services App for smartphones and tablets in South Africa available for both retail and business customers."

ING Direct Canada Looks Forward On Mobile
"ING Direct Canada foresees a world where the mobile channel dominates consumers' interactions with their financial institution, and is preparing accordingly. The bank has been working with Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM on several mobile banking services using IBM's MobileFirst suite of solutions. 'People are using these devices for managing almost every part of their lives,' says ING Direct Canada's CIO Charaka Kithulegoda. 'The movement into managing the financial part of their lives has been a bit slower compared to retail, for example, but now they're starting to do it more and more in financial services as well.'"

Barclays Zimbabwe to launch mobile banking service, Hello Money (updated)
"Barclays will be launching its mobile banking application Hello Money, in Zimbabwe this month. The announcement was made as part of the launch of new ATMs by the company a few days ago. Hello Money will allow Barclays account holders to transfer money to a Barclays account or to an account at another banking institution, airtime top up, mini statements and balance enquiries."

Mobile banking transactions double, payments rise threefold
"Mobile banking seems to be gaining popularity among Indians with increasing number of people using this platform to buy tickets, pay bills, shop online, and transfer funds. The opportunity to expand reach, grow revenues and gain operating efficiencies have persuaded several banks to encourage their customers in using mobile banking. Consider this: The number of mobile banking transactions doubled to 5.6 million in January 2013 from 2.8 million a year ago. The value of these transactions increased threefold to Rs 625 crore during the month from Rs 191 crore in January 2012."

Stanbic IBTC Launches Mobile Money Application
"Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited has announced the introduction of the ‘Stanbic IBTC MobileMoney’ application for smart phones. The product is expected to run on blackberry and android operating systems. Stanbic IBTC’s Executive Director for Personal and Business Banking, Mr. Obinna Abajue, was quoted in a statement as saying that the move underscored the bank’s commitment to provide Nigerians with value-added products and services that suit their lifestyles, while giving them access to basic financial options via a secure mobile application wherever and whenever they want."

Banks in product development race
"AS competitive pressures mount in the banking sector, banks have to devise various safety valves, knowing that there is no single silver bullet for achieving sustainable competitiveness. Apart from diversifying sources of funding, enhancing liquidity profiles, fortifying balance sheets, growing deposit bases and enhancing access to lined of credit, banks are also actively pursuing a product and channel expansion strategy, if the recently released 2012 financial results are anything to go by. Most banks were unequivocal about their growth strategies and clearly articulated them in statements accompanying the results while others offered no clues. During the period under review, Agribank rolled out its first phase of e-Banking products; notably Internet and mobile banking, SMS alerts as well as e-statements. The bank also entered into a strategic partnership with EcoCash to facilitate roll out of mobile money transfer services. Going forward, Agribank intends to strengthen strategic alliances that grow non-funded income.

SA mobile banking fraud on the rise
"The Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) has noted an increase in complaints as mobile and internet banking fraud increased, according to its 2012 annual report on banking services. In the report, advocate John Myburgh, chairman of the board of the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS), said that the growing mobile customer base has spurred banks to launch ever-more innovative mobile payment options. With an estimated 13-million unbanked South Africans, the potential for such products is immense, he said."

Indian uptake of mobile FS on rise as banks launch more m-payment options
"Mobile banking is gaining popularity in India, with the number of mobile banking transactions doubling to 5.6 million in January 2013 from 2.8 million a year ago. The value of transactions increased tripled to rupees (INR) 625 from INR 191 in January 2012. CICI Bank, which has the largest share of mobile banking payments in India, makes periodic offers to its customers to encourage them to use mobile banking services. The bank produced these figures and has partnered with several service providers to offer customers discounts on their products and services, as well as entered partnerships to allow them to make utility bill payments via mobiles."

Mobile-banking with 1.4 million accounts shows remarkable surge
"Mobile banking in Pakistan has witnessed a reasonable growth as the number of such accounts (M-Wallets) has reached 1.4 million by 2012, showing an increase of 156 % as compared to previous years. The current number of m-banking accounts is seven times higher than the numbers at the end of September 2010. Of the total 1.4 million m-banking accounts, 66 % are active accounts and the ratio of active accounts has increased from 54 % as of end December 2011. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in its report has revealed that this increase in the active accounts is mainly due to increase in the small transaction m-banking accounts by UBL Omni, facilitated by regulatory flexibility in account opening by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)."

Internet Banking to Grow 65% a Year in Latin America
"The number of Latin Americans who have access to their bank with mobile divices will grow by 65% annually in the coming years and reach 140 million people by 2015, according to a Deloitte report released by the Latin American Federation of Banks ( Felaban). The study indicates that the concept of “mobile money” will transform Latin America in the coming decades and remember that in some rural areas access to traditional banking services is still limited because of the high costs involved."

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Mobile Banking Updates - April 14

BBB offers top 5 tips for mobile banking
"Gone are the days of waiting in line at the bank or even waiting for your computer to boot up. Now you can access your bank account from anywhere in the world via your smart phone or tablet. But consumers need to be more cautious than ever when banking through any device, as hackers can prey on the unsuspecting. The FINRA Investor Education Foundation, part of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, offers these five tips on how to keep your identity safe and your money in the bank:"

Mobile Banking Continues to Increase
"A late-November study, Consumers and Mobile Financial Services, showed that 28% of mobile-phone owners have used mobile banking in the past 12 months, an increase from the 21% found in a December 2011 study. Another 10% of the mobile owners who are not using mobile banking plan to do so in the next year. Smartphone owners are even more likely to use mobile banking: 48% of smartphone owners used mobile banking in the past year compared with 42% in 2011."

Century Federal Credit Union Launches Mobile Banking Application - Eagle Mobility
"Members of Century Federal Credit Union (CFCU), one of the largest credit unions in Northeastern Ohio, now have access to their accounts 24/7, via CFCU’s new Eagle Mobility – Mobile Banking Application. Eagle Mobility allows CFCU members to securely login to check balances, transfer funds, pay bills and find a nearby location/ATM all on their Smartphone. CFCU members can turn on this service via the Online Banking Portal at http://www.CenFedCU.org or download an Android or IOS/Apple version of the application from their phone’s App Store."

Regions Bank Embraces Mobile Banking
"Regions Bank has just confirmed plans to embrace mobile banking and a multitude of cutting edge mobile financial services in the coming weeks and months. Regions Bank customers can expect to enjoy everything from remote deposit capture to various prepaid features. A January 2013 report from Juniper Research finds that over one billion mobile phone users will have made use of their mobile devices for banking purposes by the end of 2017, compared to just over 590 million this year."

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