"FreedomPay®, creators of the world’s most innovative commerce platform, joins Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) at SIBOS 2013 to introduce Payments Platform as a Service. This cloud-based payments and incentives solution takes advantage of the FreedomPay Commerce Platform™ to deliver mobile payments, offers, digital wallet and commerce solutions with banking-grade security through an alliance with Microsoft." Continue Reading

Keynote Mobile Banking Scorecard Reveals Top Retail Banks Fast Adopting Mobile Strategies
"Keynote® Systems (NAS: KEYN), the global leader in mobile and web cloud testing and monitoring, today announced the results of the Fall 2012 edition of the Keynote Mobile Banking Scorecard, first launched in 2011 and the standard in benchmarking consumer mobile banking offerings. Chase Bank achieved its second consecutive win for Overall Score, while second place went to Wells Fargo and third place to Bank of America. Leaders for individual modes include BB&T for Text banking, Wells Fargo for Mobile Web, Chase for iPhone and BlackBerry App banking and Bank of America for its Android App. Looking across the five modes, the Scorecard found Chase offers the best overall Functionality and Ease of Use while Wells Fargo leads in Privacy & Security and Quality & Availability."

Everything significant we are working on is around mobile?
"Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, famously said that “everything significant we are working on is around mobile,” reflecting the current core focus on mobile in the technology industry – something mirrored throughout financial services and retail. Schmidt’s quote also highlights the multitude of different mobile offerings currently on the market, and the fact that the largest companies are already choosing to keep several irons in the fire. At a recent Digital Banking Club event, this led the room to the question – should banking strategy now be mobile led?"

Mobile Banking and Payments Study: Multi-Device Mobile Support Becomes Ubiquitous; Rewards and Payments Grow
"First Annapolis Consulting’s third annual Mobile Banking and Payments Study reveals that 81 of the top 100 U.S. financial institutions currently offer some form of mobile banking, an 11% increase over the same figure one year ago. In addition to offering access through smartphone applications and the mobile web, 60 of the FIs offer some form of alerts or account management functionality via SMS (text message), and 26 banks have also launched an application optimized for tablets. This data highlights the omni-channel approach financial institutions are pursuing as mobile banking services become more widely accepted by customers."

This Exec Has An Outrageous Plan To Make SAP Bigger In Mobile Than Apple
"SAP, the enterprise software company, has a crazy ambition. It wants to get a billion people using its software by 2015. That's about double the footprint the company has now—and a lofty goal for a company that, despite its reach into the innards of businesses, is hardly a household name. The plan largely rests in the hands of Sanjay Poonen, who heads the company's mobile division and is also responsible for its analytics, database, and technology products."

Tech Companies Start Creating Windows 8 Mobile Banking Apps
"On the heels of Windows 8 officially hitting the market, financial services technology vendors have begun supporting Microsoft’s (MSFT) overhauled operating system for laptops, desktops and tablets. Harland Financial Solutions and Kony Solutions are among the first to create mobile banking apps for this platform."

80% of Consumers Deem Mobile Banking Important: Survey
"It’s a mobile world, and more and more consumers are hoping to use their devices to take care of their banking business. Indeed, new research shows that 80% of those surveyed say mobile banking is important. The survey of 200 consumers, published by Verve Mobile, a U.S. mobile advertising company specializing in location-powered solutions, also shared some insights on the most commonly used location services related to mobile banking, including an ATM locator by current location (51%), branch locator (19%), ATM by zip code (19%) and branches filtered by services (12%)."

Social Banking: When Financial Innovation Helps the 99 Percent
"For the world’s 2.5 billion people living on less than 2ドル a day, 80% of whom do not have access to a formal bank account, savings may seem like a foreign concept. Yet, in the book, Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on 2ドル a Day, the authors reveal that, despite limited formal options, lower-income populations do engage regularly in savings behavior — from informal networks and family ties to sophisticated savings clubs."

Microsoft makes a move in mobile payments
"Somewhat sadly, Microsoft has been an afterthought when it comes to the mobile payments battle--until now. With Windows 8, the Redmond, Calif., giant seems bent on taking on Google as an NFC digital wallet provider, a rare chance for it to play the underdog. The company's Windows 8 launch presentation was heavy with plugs for its planned NFC component and it showed off a wide array of features in a bid to offer 'the most complete wallet experience.' That's a big challenge."

Mobile Banking vs. Online Banking
"Tamara here, AllClear ID Investigator. Financial institutions have been working for years to make banking more accessible and convenient for their members. It started with ATMs, then with Internet banking, and now mobile banking. Mobile banking is convenient in that with a phone that has the capabilities, starting with text transaction processing and now moving to online access. Let’s compare mobile banking versus Internet banking."

Big Study Examines Retail Banking Channel Preferences
"Cisco has released findings from a broad, multi-channel study, gauging consumer preferences for branches, mobile, video and social. Released through its Internet Business Solutions Group, Cisco’s survey encompassed some 5,300 consumers across eight developed- and emerging countries: US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Brazil, China and Mexico."

Tablet Interest Builds in Next Phase of Mobile Usage
"Just as one format for mobile banking enters the mainstream, another form is beginning its stampede across the financial services landscape. The word among some industry leaders is that, suddenly, apps for tablet computers are a must- have. Transformational as mobile phones have proven, the changes now are accelerating with tablet computers such as Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle Fire."

Banks to invest more in mobile
"With interest growing in mobile banking, retail banks plan to invest more in mobile technologies, according to a new report by Forrester Research. The mobile investments will focus on alerts, remote deposits and person-to-person payments, according to the survey conducted by Forrester Research of members of Consumer Bankers Association. Almost 20 percent of U.S. online adults are active mobile bankers, according to Forrester."

BATTLE OF THE GIANTS Tech-industry power struggle could impact mobile pay development
"A little-publicized but highly intense battle among the top technology companies could affect the continuing development of mobile banking and mobile payments, according to Accenture research. Its recent report, Competing in a High-Tech Industry ‘Superstack,’ claims that mobility, cloud computing, and consumer electronics companies are being heavily impacted by a new business model it dubs 'superstacks.'”

Do mobile-based payment options really benefit you?
"You must have watched the mobile money commercials on TV channels. These advertisements tell you that you can transfer money to your loved ones, make bill payments and even shop using your mobile phone. The noise is going to get louder in the coming days as many banks and telecom companies are betting big on mobile-based payment options."

Guides on Contactless Cards And Mobile Banking
"With the growing use of contactless cards and mobile phones, the Banking Ombudsman is receiving enquiries about the security of these forms of banking. Banking Ombudsman Deborah Battell today issued new guides on using contactless cards and mobile banking to help customers avoid problems. 'Contactless cards will gradually become the norm and smartphone use is increasing rapidly,' Ms Battell says."

Microsoft Needs Mobile Money
"There are a lot of ways to make money off the shift to mobile computing. Some companies have found several ways to profit from mobile, but Microsoft in particular seems to be in a tough spot due to its late start in mobile, a very small market share, lack of leverage with the all-powerful carriers, and a revenue model based on licensing the operating system."

Why PayPal Doesn't Care About NFC
"You'd think that wave-and-pay smartphone technology would be top priority for PayPal, one of the biggest competitors in the mobile payments space. But while big retailers love NFC for its hyper-targeted marketing potential, small businesses that run on payment services like PayPal may actually be interested in mobile payments for something far humbler: customer loyalty."

Microsoft and M-Com Deliver Mobile Payments Solution Globally
"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."

OnPoint Community Credit Union chooses NFC micro-SD supplier Tyfone for mobile banking launch
"OnPoint Community Credit Union, Oregon's largest credit union with more than US2ドル.8bn in assets and 200,000 members, has selected Tyfone's u4ia platform as the infrastructure behind its mobile banking strategy. To begin with, the credit union will launch a range of 'standard' mobile banking services. MicroSD-based NFC contactless mobile payment capabilities are set to follow."

The ABCs (and Fs) of Mobile Banking
"I’m a pretty tech-savvy individual, but I have to admit I’ve only recently gotten into mobile banking. I thought I was arriving late to the party—I mean, I feel like I’ve been seeing commercials about online bill paying and text message updates forever. But a recent study suggests that, depending on your bank, the aforementioned party could be anything from a roof-raising shindig to a gaggle of freshmen playing board games, or it could be no party at all. ABI Research Inc. evaluated the mobile banking services of 29 of the nation’s biggest chains, in addition to some smaller banks, ranking the overall user friendliness with letter grades A through F."

US mobile banking giant buys Macalla Software
"US mobile roaming company Roamware, that has its eyes on the US5ドルbn global mobile banking market, has acquired Dublin software company Macalla for an undisclosed sum. Macalla’s m-commerce and mobile banking solutions are successfully deployed by banks and operators around the world; these solutions include adding prepaid minutes, credit transfers, international remittance, person-to-person transactions and bill payment."

TopUp LIME Mobile Phones at Western Union Locations in the United States
"LIME, the Caribbean's leading full service telecomms provider, and MoreMagic Solutions, a leading mobile payment solutions provider, announced today that friends and family of LIME customers, living outside the Caribbean, are now able to purchase TopUps and transfer the airtime to LIME phones, at Western Union Agent locations throughout the United States. C&W is
connected to the MoreMagic Solutions IRR Global Hub, in order to perform international TopUp transactions and settlements. From 46,000 retail locations, or the web at www.etopuponline.com, a customer can purchase a gift of prepaid airtime for a LIME mobile phone. Because MoreMagic Solutions offers daily foreign exchange (FX) without markup, LIME customers receive maximum airtime value at Western Union locations in the United States."

Mocapay closes funding round with 3ドル.0 million
"Mocapay, that provides the only mobile commerce platform supporting integrated mobile payments, marketing and distribution at point-of-sale, announced Wednesday about securing of 3ドル.0 million in funding from Spartan Mobile, Lacuna and other investors. Mocapay’s CEO Kevin Grieve said, that the company is delighted to have Spartan Mobile as the lead investor in this round and believes it will support actively Company’s guide."

Bill Gates donates 12ドル.5 million towards mobile banking
"The ultimate goal is to supply 20 million unbanked people with mobile financial services by 2012 in hopes of reducing theft rates, and therefore crime as a whole."

Visa will present mobile payment technology at GSMA World Congress
"Visa is expected to demonstrate Visa Mobile, its first commercial service in mobile offers that is enabled on Android powered mobile devices. Also, Visa will showcase NFC-based and SIM-based contactless payments which will enable customers to carry out mobile point of sale payments through their Visa payWave enabled mobile devices."

Sybase 365 launches SMS mobile advertising, geo-location services
"The mobile advertising service for content publishers, advertisers, carriers and consumers features dynamic, targeted, ad-funded content across SMS communication channels, with MMS to follow later this year. Enterprises can also use the mobile advertising service to promote its own offerings."

Ballmer Pushes New Microsoft Mobile OS
"So it was no surprise that the boss, Steve Ballmer, in his keynote address here at the 2009 Mobile World Congress took aim squarely at rivals Apple, Google, Research in Motion, Palm and all the other comers."

VASCO Data Security Demonstrates How to Leverage Mobile Platforms for Authentication
"VASCO Data Security International, Inc., a leading software security company specialising in authentication products, launches DIGIPASS(R) for Mobile 3.0 today at the Barcelona Mobile Conference."

Here are a few articles/links that I've recently discovered or are worth revisiting:

mBanking Blog by Hannes van Rensburg

FAME - "The Forum to Advance the Mobile ExperienceT (FAMET) is a member advocacy group and strategic authority leadership initiative to accelerate marketing programs and research around advancing the wireless user experience."

Microsoft, Sirit To Add NFC Technology To Windows Mobile - "Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) and RFID vendor Sirit plan to collaborate on adding proximity technologies to the Windows Mobile operating system."

Walked Into A Wall Lately? You May Be a Mobile Pioneer. - "According to new research from InsightExpress, a leading provider of digital marketing research, mobile consumers can be segmented into three new and distinct behavioral profiles: Mobile Pioneers, Mobile Wannabes and Mobile Traditionalists. This research, the third installment from the companys ongoing mobile research program, indicates that when it comes to usage, two ends of the mobile spectrum exist."

Qualcomm buys Irish mobile ad targeting company - "With the acquisition, Qualcomm hopes to help network operators deliver more personalized advertising and other content to mobile phone subscribers. Xiam's main product, Mobile Personal Offers System (MPOS), personalizes mobile services by profiling subscribers and offering them content and advertising that it considers most relevant to them."

Buxfer - Mobile Money Manager - "Buxfer has gotten some attention lately as one of the first two sites to use Google Gears for Mobile which lets you use web sites even when you have no network connection."