Sunday, December 26, 2010

Internet Banking

Something last year...
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Microsoft and M-Com Deliver Mobile Payments Solution Globally

Leading mobile banking software vendor leverages the Microsoft platform to deliver the most flexible and scalable mobile payments solution.
HONG KONG — Sept. 16, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. and M-Com today announced a solution offering that provides banks and payment processors with industry-leading mobile payments functionality — creating more opportunities for banks to offer mobile payments services to their customers and maximize their revenue opportunities. This solution clearly demonstrates that consumer choice and deployment flexibility for banks are key to the success of global mobile payments solutions for the financial services industry. The announcement was made at Sibos 2009, the industry’s premier global financial services forum.
Using Microsoft technologies, M-Com BankAnywhere provides a complete end-to-end mobile payments solution for the banking industry worldwide. The comprehensive solution provides best-practice security and risk management capabilities, ensuring that banks can effectively manage the exposure of their brands and services in the emerging market for mobile technology. As a fully integrated solution, it reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the mobile channel for banks.
A Microsoft Gold Certified Solution Developer, M-Com supports BankAnywhere across the globe and, in doing so, utilizes Microsoft resources and best practices in deploying BankAnywhere. The use of standard Microsoft technology, including Windows and Microsoft SQL Server, as well as Internet Information Services (IIS), allows enterprise users of BankAnywhere to benefit from existing industry-standard technology management tools and practices.
“Consumers today have many options and channels, requiring financial services firms to engage customers through a highly personalized, connected experience — consistent across all touch points — that builds strong relationships, creates customer intimacy and boosts loyalty,” said Susan Hauser, vice president of Worldwide Financial Services at Microsoft. “Today’s announcement underscores our efforts to provide multichannel integration that allows financial institutions to benefit from mobile and new media channels as part of the overall connected experience. Our alliance with M-Com expands our partner ecosystem for payments and mobile solutions and further validates our leadership position as a provider of payment processing platforms.”
Financial institutions, facing declining revenue from traditional credit cards, are looking to use mobile payments to replace cash-dominated lower value payments to generate new revenue streams. This is important for banks and retailers, as cash handling is both expensive and a security risk.
“With the increasing adoption of mobile applications running on smartphones, the mobile channel can no longer be ignored by banks,” said Red Gillen, senior analyst at Celent. “Mobile payments continue to be at the top of the list of applications that will entrench mobile financial services in consumers’ daily lives, propelling it into the mainstream. As banks look to invest in this strategic area, vendors that can provide solutions which go beyond simple mobile banking informational services to address other value-added services such as bill payment will be the ones that come out on top.”
For most financial institutions, paper-based payment transactions are expensive to support and offer few opportunities for differentiation. While the cost metrics associated with processing checks and cash payments vary substantively across jurisdictions, financial institutions, and payment types, it is well understood that electronic payments — including those carried out through mobile phones — have a direct positive impact on for the cost structures of payers, payees and financial institutions alike.
Global consumer demand also is helping to propel this migration. The growing ubiquity of mobile phones and their increasing multifunction capabilities make these devices a compelling candidate for replacing a physical wallet.
“It is clear that consumers in Asia and around the world have an insatiable demand for mobile financial services, especially payment transactions,” said Adam Clark, CEO of M-Com. “Banks must engage their customers and prospects in the mobile channel in the short term to ensure they profit from sustainable revenues and key customer segments that are adopting these services.”
As prominent examples, Bangkok Bank and KeyBank both recently selected a mobile financial services solution that leverages the M-Com BankAnywhere platform. The institutions chose Mobile Money from Fiserv Inc., which was launched in conjunction with M-Com in September 2008. Fiserv, a partner of Microsoft and M-Com, is the leading global provider of financial services technology solutions.
“The uptake of this cutting-edge consumer banking technology demonstrates a significant shift in how banks across the world connect with their customer,” said Karen Campbell, executive vice president at Bangkok Bank. “Customers in Asia are at least as demanding as their counterparts in Europe and the U.S. — they need the portable banking tools to complement their busy, highly mobile lifestyles.”
The mobile payment experience should be delivered across multiple mobile devices, manufacturers and cellular phone carriers to accommodate the personal preferences of the target audience: the consumer. This is the only way that choice can be extended across global markets. BankAnywhere on the Microsoft platform addresses these business imperatives by delivering the following:
· New revenue opportunities from payment and value-added transactions
· Cost elimination through a proven ability to move customers to lower-cost, self-service channels
· Differentiation and control over the bank’s mobile channel and the user experience they provide to customers
“We needed a product that would scale to a large number of users and could be extended to meet the diverse needs of Key’s multiple lines of business and client segments,” said Allison Landers, senior vice president, Virtual Banking, KeyBank. “Mobile banking is a strategic opportunity area for banks. By adopting the M-Com BankAnywhere platform for SMS, we’re providing our clients a strong first step into mobile banking with a seamless and compelling user experience.”
Mobile banking services are the best way to open up a mobile-centric relationship with consumers. Open loop payment mechanisms, choice of payment execution models, and interoperability across devices are essential to delivering the optimal experience. With its ecosystem of payments partners, including M-Com and Fiserv, Microsoft is helping banks through the complexity and challenges of mobile financial services."

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Some interesting links

some may just be links that I'd like to check out.....
1) http://bankfit.blogspot.com/2009/05/opinion-banks-and-google-wave-whats-in.html
2) asianbankerforums.com
3) 2002 article by Sr VP UOB Iris Chua - http://www.connect-world.com/index.php/component/k2/item/2552-e-banking-trends-in-singapore
4) Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce in YahooGroup - http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/JIBC/message/50
5) http://www.scribd.com/doc/15514241/Indepth-Analysis-of-Internet-Banking-Sector

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Retail Banking 2010s - iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad

If there is the one thing that separates iPhone (and iPod Touch, iPad) from the rest, it is this - they are really, truly, actually EASY to use.

NOW there is a friendly tool that we can use share information or proposals to and with our clients. AND the clients can review those information or proposals with his/her spouse.
This is also a great tool where all information can potentially be aggregated for better understanding of customer's financial position.

Just imagine this (CSR = he, Client = she): 
1) CSR greeted the client with a iPad (camera facing client, atm/creditcard/thumbprint recognition device)
2) Asking client what can he help.... then ask client to verify his/her name - pre-fetching through camera.... or more conventional card swipe... in anyway, personal data is then fetched to apps on iPad... ready for sales opportunity.
3) When opportunity arises, CSR asked client to take a look at the new app on iPad, on their financial position.... or on how a product fit into their spending pattern etc etc.
4) When this leads to the sales pitch proper, additional data can be entered. Modelling and comparison with other products on intranet/internet can be used to convince customer. Print outs can be done to impress (and implore). If closure can't be done, send the link to client's phone/email.
5) When client gets home/office, she click on the link and install the apps (from itune). Then log-in to see the personalized proposal. She can also opt to include more data from within or outside of the bank... and have a view more accurately depicting her situation.
6) Call/Contact button there can push all these new info back to the bank (or CSR)....

That's just one of the many possibilities.

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Retail Banking 2010s - Branch Banking

Branch banking used to be the only way.
With technology, we have telephone banking, call center, ATM, mobile phone banking, internet banking etc.
These channels are all different and can be used to fulfill transaction, product inquiry, financial planning or as a tool for banks to market themselves.
Branch banking has the ability to add an extra notch, premium service.

It is no fun to be called a Super VIP customer when no one is around acknowledge that. It is no fun to be called a Beauty when there is no one around to admire you.
Therefore at a branch, the bank has the opportunity to add that touch that may prove to be key in retaining the customers.... and grow their wallet share.

In early to mid 2000s, banks re-modeled branches to be more sales-centric. Pushing traditional tellering operations to ATMs.
Banks have also started to invest in technology to understand their customers better. Multi-channel integration project was also started as IT felt the strain to manage communications across different channels.

From a customer's perspective, it was good to have a variety of channels now. It was very good to have the option to avoid visiting the branch.
When we do visit bank branch, besides noticing the newly renovated premise, was there any other major difference? My answer is - no, not really. If yours is the same, banks then really have to figure out why and improve on that.

If you've answered no. The answer is probably that... the banking staff still behave as though they do not know me (or very little). I don't get the greeting that great hotel gives me "Hello Mr. Adeio, should we check you in to the room facing south again like last time?".... a while later "and Sir, warm water is waiting for you in the room".

Customer Experience is key. Bank can score high through their Branch banking offerings.

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Retail Banking 2010s - Social Media

My time managing banking clients with Unisys left me with keen interest in FI (Financial Institutions). All the trainings on banking processes, late nights monitoring how the our system automates certain processes, how those processes had to be adjusted due to certain rigidity or security requirement. An understanding of how these technology helped alleviate operational pains or more interestingly... helped create an edge for the bank (better, cheaper... or faster) to retain or recruit more customers (and more $$ from each customer).
One area that particularly intrigued me, was the way banks relate to their customers. From bank branch centric operation, to multi-channel banking (branch, ATM, call center, mobile sales, internet). How it had evolved. But now, probably a major leap is required for the bank to catch up!

This is the Google, Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, iPod-touch, iPad, GalaxyTab era.
Multi-channel banking used to be great offering but now just a fact of their existence. Like how ATM has been "relegated" to "just an ATM".
Internet technology is key determinant to that change. And it is changing banking business operation in a big way.
Consumers can now access and manage their fund directly with their personal device (mainly through internet technology).
There are so much less human-interaction we have with our banks now. There is no need to.
With less of such interaction, banks are therefore now left with a big job on their digital channel to impress, retain or even recruit their customers.
It is a difficult job. I may like Coke because of its taste. The ad that I see enhances the feeling I have (reminded of the "I feel good" tune).

There is however a great opportunity for banks now. A platform called social media has emerged and through it, banks can regain that interaction with their customers (and prospects). It is however an open platform and therefore the no institutions have total control over it (unlike internet banking).

So dear Mr Bank, a social media strategy?

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