"Mitek Systems has seen incredible customer and revenue growth this year, and the company expects this growth to accelerate during 2014. Mitek is the leading developer of smartphone camera-based mobile banking applications designed to make it easy for consumers to use mobile banking applications with as little data entry as possible.

The company this year added to its Mobile Deposit application by rolling out Mobile Photo Billpay, which was adopted by U.S. Bancorp's (USB_) main subsidiary U.S. Bank, NA in March." Continue Reading

"U.S. Bank bet big on mobile banking in recent years and plans to up the ante in 2014 with features like voice-based passwords. The Minneapolis-based financial institution is testing technology that will allow customers to access their mobile account by speaking a phrase rather than typing in a password, said Dominic Venturo, the bank's chief innovation officer for payments." Continue Reading

"The bank was selected from four nominations shortlisted for the award. The award recognizes the bank's efforts to take mobile banking services to the next level. Consumers are increasingly relying on their mobile device for everyday activities, from listening to music and communicating with friends, to taking and sharing pictures, and shopping. This is only getting more popular as smartphones get smarter - with their ability to know where we are, to hear, and to see." Continue Reading

"U.S. Bank, the fifth-largest bank in the United States and lead bank of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB), and Mitek Systems (NASDAQ:MITK), the leading innovator of mobile imaging for financial transactions, have made an agreement in which U.S. Bank will offer Mitek's Mobile Photo Balance Transfer™ to U.S. Bank mobile banking customers.

Mobile Photo Balance Transfer will allow U.S. Bank customers to easily take advantage of credit card balance transfer offers from U.S. Bank by snapping a photo of a credit card payment coupon using their mobile device and sending it to U.S. Bank to apply for a balance transfer to a U.S. Bank credit card. Standard eligibility criteria and credit approval processes apply." Continue Reading

"Banks are edging closer to mobile shopping.This is a move from the mobile payment end right into the shopping and product selection part. I sat down recently with Lisa Stanton, President of Americas at Monitise, the technology company that enables mobile banking, with more than 300 financial institutions as customers.

The company last week announced a deal with U.S. Bank to accelerate the delivery of a shopping service that provides a way for top-tier retailers to let consumers buy from leading brands via mobile." Continue Reading

"Keynote®, the global leader in Internet and mobile cloud testing and monitoring, today announced the results of the Fall 2013 edition of the Keynote Mobile Banking Scorecard, first launched in 2011 and the standard in benchmarking consumer mobile banking offerings. In the latest Scorecard, Chase achieved its fourth consecutive win for Overall Score.

Also repeating were Wells Fargo in second place and Bank of America in third, with U.S. Bank moving into the top tier, tying with Bank of America. Leaders for individual mobile modes included BB&T, repeating as the leading provider of SMS (text) banking capabilities and Bank of America repeating for the leading Android banking app.

Looking across the four modes -- Text, Mobile Web, iPhone App and Android App -- the Scorecard found that Chase performed best in two of the four categories, Ease of Use and Quality & Availability, while Bank of America took first in Functionality and Wells Fargo led in the Privacy & Security category." Continue Reading

"Keynote has ranked Chase's mobile banking app the top in its class for the fourth time in a row. The bank's leadership is based on the fact that it offers robust functionality, a strong user experience, and streamlined navigation, according to Susan Foulds, manager of the Keynote Mobile Banking Scorecard.

That said, scoring among the top-tier banks - Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and newcomer U.S. Bank -- is tightening, Foulds says." Continue Reading

"U.S. Bank and Western Union are collaborating to expand Western Union Money Transfer(R) services to U.S. Bank customers via online banking and, for the first time, through mobile banking. This makes U.S. Bank the first bank in the United States to seamlessly integrate the Western Union(R) global money transfer capability directly into its mobile banking application ("app").

U.S. Bank has offered Western Union Money Transfer services through its branches since 2009 providing its customers the ability to send money to more than 500,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories. Now, customers can take advantage of the same services from their mobile app, and, over time, through their online banking portal." Continue Reading

The Quest for Simplicity in Mobile App Design
"We heard it again and again from Charaka Kithulegoda and other bankers honored in our Mobile Banker of the Year package this year: simplicity and ease of use are the keys to sound mobile banking app design. 'People don't live to bank, financial institutions exist to serve their needs,' observes Hari Gopalkrishnan, a managing director at Bank of America."

You Talking to Me? How Voice Is Revolutionizing Mobile Banking
"Want to race? Pull up your mobile banking app, enter bill pay data, click pay. I'll use my voice to log in - no keying in the password - and simply tell the app whom to pay, how much. Who will be faster? Who will get the job done with less irritation? And with none of the miskeyed entries that turn so much mobile banking into an exercise in angst."

The 5 Biggest Pain Points for Mobile Banking
"I just attended and presented at the Mobile Banking and Conference Summit in Miami. Now in its seventh year (mobile banking existed in 2006?!?), the conference was an exploration of how financial institutions are being influenced by, and taking advantage of, the mobile channel and mobile technology. A few hundred attendees, including mostly high-level executive, product, technology and marketing folks were there."

Finance on the fly with convenience of mobile banking
"'App. Snap. Deposit.' Sound easy? It is. Banking has become as simple as one, two, three. Manage your money on-the-go, anywhere, anytime, in the click of a button. Check account balances, recent transaction history, transfer funds and locate nearby branches and ATMs – all on your mobile device for free. The way of the future is now."

U.S. Bank's Badarinath Isn't Shy About Testing the Mobile Waters
"'In banking, there are few sustainable sources of competitive advantage,' says Niti Badarinath, senior vice president and head of mobile banking at U.S. Bank, Minneapolis. 'Product innovation is probably not a place where banks can truly distinguish themselves, especially in consumer banking. Pricing is also not a source of sustainable competitive advantage: you can change some rates here and there, but it's not something you can keep differentiating yourself on. Then it comes down to, how easy are you going to make it for your customers to access and manage their finances?'"

The ROI of Mobile Banking
"Today, the general consensus is that mobile banking capabilities are table stakes for financial institutions. While it's certainly true that consumers are coming to expect mobile banking, it should not be regarded as just another cost of doing business. Mobile banking actually delivers a compelling return on investment. Once a bank or credit union has the foundation of mobile banking in place, the addition of services like person-to-person payments and remote deposit capture can provide new revenue sources, as research indicates consumers will pay for such convenience-enhancing features."

BBVA Compass adds picture bill pay capabilities to its iPhone mobile banking app
"BBVA Compass today expanded its iPhone app with Picture Bill Pay, allowing customers to pay bills and add payees by taking pictures of their paper bills with their iPhones. 'We wanted our app to be as robust as possible since nearly 35 percent of those who take advantage of mobile banking manage their finances exclusively through their apps,' said Alejandro Carriles, director of self-service channels at BBVA Compass. 'Innovative and fun features like this allow us to improve and simplify those customers' experiences.'"

CR Money Minute: A better mobile wallet?
"More than 18 months ago, Google Wallet was launched on the Sprint cellular network amid hoopla that payment-by-smart-phone technology at cashiers nationwide would replace your plastic debit and credit cards. Since then, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless have begun testing their own Isis Mobile Wallet, and other companies have also jumped on the bandwagon."

Mobile Payments: Is Your Bank Putting Its Best Foot Forward?
"As mobile communication becomes more and more affordable and user-friendly, mobile banking is gaining increasing acceptance globally. With innovations such as Near Field Communications (NFC), mobile wallets, virtual personal financial assistants and a slew of new and customized applications being developed and adopted, the mobile banking landscape is undergoing a rapid and irreversible transformation, to an extent that monetary transactions are no longer restricted to banks and traditional financial institutions."

Opportunity as mobile payments show huge growth
"IT research company Gartner projects that global mobile transaction growth will average 42 per cent per year between 2011 and 2016, with the market estimated to be worth 617ドルbn (£404.8bn), with 448m users, by 2016. There is a plethora of different technologies and standards used in a globally fragmented market, with big regional differences. Probably the biggest difference is between developed and emerging markets. For developed markets, the benefits are based around convenience, with customers able to make faster transactions, together with reduced transaction costs for retailers – mobile payments are generally cheaper than existing chip-and-pin transactions."

Malauzai: Picture Pay Besting Mobile Bill Pay
"The big news in the latest mobile banking usage data dump from Austin, Texas, apps developer Malauzai is that mobile picture pay – paying bills by snapping a photo – is on the rise, even surpassing usage of mobile bill pay in some institutions. Robb Gaynor, chief technology officer at Malauzai, said in an interview that 5% of its active end-users give picture pay a try within 90 days of a financial institution’s launch of the service. The technology is catching on."

Brits trust banks to be mobile payment providers
"Consumers have a love-hate relationship with their banks. However, new research from UK-based payment systems firm VocaLink, suggests that when it comes to mobile payments, it's the banks to whom consumers look to provide the service."

U.S. Bank releases iPhone mobile payment case in Minnesota
"Minnesota U.S. Bank customers can now get an iPhone case that turns the smartphone into a touch-free, mobile payment device. U.S. Bancorp tested the Go Mobile device earlier this year in Salt Lake City and Portland, Ore. Now it's available in Minnesota and other major U.S. Bank markets like Ohio, U.S. Bank Payment Services Chief Innovation Officer Dominic Venturo told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in an interview."

What do consumers really want from mobile payments asks VocaLink
"New research from international payments provider VocaLink reveals that growing smartphone ownership is driving the mobile payments revolution in the UK. 60% of UK consumers now own a smartphone and are using them as payment devices on the move. Whilst the appetite for mobile banking and payments in the UK is growing with half the population either already using mobile payments (20%) or interested in doing so (30%), uptake is rapidly gaining momentum amongst the future generation."

Infographic: Mobile Banking Critical to Customer Loyalty
"The findings of new study conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Yodlee Interactive shows that banking convenience “dominates” all options amongst reasons to stay with banks. With the convenience of online and mobile banking, more customers are utilizing these services, while banks are responding by reducing the number of physical branches."

Banking by Voice Gets Test From U.S. Bank
"U.S. Bank (USB_) is testing a voice-banking service that enables customers to check account balances, review transactions and pay bills solely through voice activation. For now, U.S. Bank is limiting the app test campaign to its FlexPerks Travel Rewards program and to its employees. The voice-activated technology comes from Nuance Nina Mobile, and is now limited to iPhone and Android phones."

Intuit Debuts Mobile Banking App for Android Tablets
"Intuit Financial Services has released a tablet banking app for the Android operating system. The new app lets customers check balances, transfer funds, pay bills and find branches and ATMs, Intuit (INTU) said Tuesday. The app works on all seven- and ten-inch tablets and can be downloaded through the Google or Amazon app stores. Sharon Credit Union in Massachusetts has begun offering the app to its customers, Intuit said in the news release."

Four Sure-fire Tips for Mobile Banking Security
"I’m writing this dispatch from the Pacific Coast, where I’ve just seen a fabulous-yet-disturbing documentary at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It’s called “Terms and Conditions May Apply,” and director Cullen Hoback’s movie takes a chilling look at how vulnerable we all are in this digital society. That is, “free” services such as Google, Facebook and Twitter know much more about us than you might think — and they’re holding onto that information indefinitely. They also share it at will with federal espionage services, thanks to the dense legalese written into online terms of service since 9/11 and the Patriot Act."

A year of successful mobile banking
"In just one year, BOV Mobile, the mobile banking service for smartphones introduced by Bank of Valletta, has attracted more than 11,500 customers who have collectively used their phones more than half a million times to make payments, transfer funds and to monitor their accounts. 'We view mobile banking as a natural extension of our overall channel strategy. Mobile combines the best features of online banking, the convenience of an ATM, and the responsiveness of text messaging all in the palm of your hand,' chief operations officer Michael Galea said."

Banks Must Think Differently About Customer Experience In A Branchless Digital Environment
"Banks have offered online accounts for years, but new digital banking technologies, such as mobile remote deposit capture, and a new generation of young customers are driving increased interest in digital bank accounts. Customers in their 20s and 30s have been quick to embrace mobile and online capabilities that are steadily making branches obsolete -- at least for day-to-day banking needs. The fast-paced adoption of mobile remote deposit capture to deposit checks is a recent example of this trend. "The advent of mobile remote deposit capture is eliminating the No. 1 reason for branch visits," says Teresa Epperson, a managing director at AlixPartners, a consulting firm."

How Can Businesses Help Consumers Bank Better?
"It's not easy to pay mobile phone bills with cash. Yet, 24 million households are under-banked and 91% of the underbanked have mobile phones and smartphones, according to the FDIC. With numbers like these, it makes sense for consumer businesses such as mobile carriers to help customers bank up, says Plastyc CEO Patrice Peyret. At FinovateSpring 2013 in San Francisco, Peyret will demo a new banking service platform and discuss practical insights for consumer businesses that want to provide smart, simple banking services to their customers."

American Savings Bank Dials Up Mobile Deposits and Sets Adoption Record
"Monitise plc (LSE: MONI) today announced that Hawaii-based American Savings Bank is experiencing phenomenal user adoption since the launch of its mobile banking and payments solution. As part of Monitise's Bank Anywhere mobile solution, American Savings Bank is the first Hawaiian bank to deploy mobile remote deposit capture, resulting in mobile deposits skyrocketing by 40 percent in March. In a mere four months since deployment, many of American Savings Bank's active online banking customers are already using the Bank Anywhere services developed and deployed by Monitise."

U.S. Bank Testing Mobile App Voice Commands
"U.S. Bancorp has developed voice recognition software that will let customers handle banking tasks by speaking commands into their mobile device. 'I could ask, 'What is my balance?'' and listen to the answer, says Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer for retail payments solutions at U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank developed the new voice app with Nuance, which sells mobile voice recognition software called "Nina." U.S. Bank's app understands spoken requests for information on annual percentage rates, cash back on purchases, and fees. Users speak to a microphone icon that appears in a corner of the bank's mobile app."

Boulder Valley Credit Union Introduces Tyfone Mobile Banking Financial Services
"Boulder Valley Credit Union (BVCU, https://www.bvcu.org), serving more than 21,000 members and over 300ドル million in assets across Colorado, today announced the availability of Tyfone's (www.tyfone.com) mobile financial services to enable next-generation mobile banking services for its member customers. The partnership stems from the appreciation of Tyfone's mobile banking, security vision and the strategic value that Tyfone provides BVCU members. Moreover, with an integrated path to enhanced strong ID authentication mobile security and NFC contactless payments, BVCU can now offer its members a convenient, secure and integrated mobile banking solution."

Consumer Satisfaction With Banks Improves Significantly For First Time In Years
"Big banks make significant improvements in J.D. Power and Associates’ annual consumer satisfaction study. Regional and midsize banks still outperform their bigger brethren, but the gap is closing. Overall customer satisfaction with retail banks improved significantly from 2012, largely a result of improvements made by big banks, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study."

Over 50 Percent of Customers at Risk of Leaving Their Bank Finds Capgemini's World Retail Banking Report 2013
"Within the next six months, ten percent of retail banking customers surveyed globally will likely leave their bank and an additional 41 percent of customers say they are unsure if they will stay or go finds the tenth annual World Retail Banking Report 2013 (WRBR 2013) released today by Capgemini and Efma. To re-build the customer-bank relationship, opportunity exists for banks to become more customer-centric by leveraging vast amounts of customer data and by further developing mobile capabilities to create more personal interactions. The cornerstone of the WRBR 2013 is its extensive customer survey and Customer Experience Index (CEI)(1) which measures perceptions of 18,000 customers in 35 markets about the factors that matter most to them across channels, transactions and products."

Nationwide online and mobile banking services knocked out
"A technical glitch at Nationwide Building Society has left customers unable to use online and mobile banking services for several hours today. All Net and mobile banking has been down since this morning, while incoming and outgoing Faster Payments are experiencing delays. In a statement on its Web site, Nationwide says 'We are making every effort to restore service as quickly as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause you.' Meanwhile, customers taking to Twitter to complain about the outage are being told to use ATMs or visit branches if they want to check their balances or carry out transactions but no timescale has been given for possible fix."

ACI Releases Mobile Banking System
"ACI Worldwide (ACIW) has released a mobile-banking program for the iPhone and Android smartphones. ACI Architect Mobile Banking lets banks manage their customers' desktop, mobile and tablet banking with a single set of administrative tools, ACI said Tuesday. It provides users secure browsing, downloadable applications and text banking. The system can also be customized for individual users for more targeted messaging, ACI said."

Mobile Tools, High Fees Quash Demand For Overdraft Protection
"A combination of mobile banking and high fees and conspired to lower consumer demand for overdraft protection services. In 2010 and 2011, banks saw a decline in revenue from overdraft fees because the Federal Reserve changed the rules about how banks can charge for “overdraft protection.” However, in 2012 banks turned the corner and reported higher fee revenue from overdraft protection. Why the increase? Slowly, banks have been raising overdraft-related fees like insufficient funds fees and overdraft protection transfer fees. But they may be hitting a ceiling for three consumer-driven reasons:"

Refundo Chief Executive Officer to Present at FinovateSpring 2013
"Refundo, a national provider of financial services to the underserved, announced today that it has been selected to present and demo its mobile banking technology live at FinovateSpring 2013. FinovateSpring is a demo-based conference for innovative startups and established companies in the fields of banking and financial technology, and will be held May 14-15, 2013 at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. 'We're honored to have been invited to debut our mobile app at FinovateSpring 2013,' said Refundo CEO, Roger Chinchilla. 'We can't think of a better event to create awareness that technology is the gateway to accessing the financially underserved. Each year, the people who can least afford it pay billions of dollars in junk fees because their needs aren't being met by traditional banks.'"

The Future of Mobile Banking
"Mobile banking apps make banking and managing finances more convenient and less time consuming. They also reduce the need for working with loads upon loads of paper, like all those forms you need to fill out in brick-and-mortar banks. The most common activities performed by mobile banking app users include scanning and depositing checks, monitoring account balances and, for some, managing travel or hotel bookings. Many banks also offer online banking options for those who want an easier way to control their cash flow, pay their bills, and locate ATM stations."

For Students, Banking 2.0 Involves Social Media (and the Ads That Go With It)
"Let’s say you’re in college. You’re taking a full load of courses, balancing classes with a work-study job that pays minimum wage, and whether you eat or not depends entirely on the credit still left on your weekly meal plan. Money’s tight and you’re caught in between independence and still having to rely on your parents’ generosity."

Banks must adapt to Hispanics' mobile banking needs, study says
"A recent study has found that as Hispanics across the country embrace mobile technologies, banks hoping to attract Hispanic customers must change their marketing tactics to be more mobile. The “Hispanic Mobile Banking Trends Study” — which was conducted by Zpryme Research and Consulting LLC, an Austin-based research advisory firm, and ThinkNow Research, a California-based Hispanic consumer research firm — found that 69 percent of Hispanics use their smartphone for mobile banking and 49 percent use their tablet for mobile banking."

Mobile Banking Will Help the Poor Prosper
"When it comes to strengthening our financial security, Americans' relative wealth means more access to banking and the kinds of innovative technologies that put financial management and security at our fingertips. In the U.S. and much of Europe, smartphone use is becoming ubiquitous, and virtually every major bank offers app-based banking services. Even in the U. S., however, access to basic banking services isn't as widespread as it may seem. One in 12 American households lacks any kind of deposit account, according to a recent report by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In much of the rest of the world, access to formal financial services of any kind is even harder to come by. An estimated 2.5 billion adults lack consistent, reliable financial services, according to data from the World Bank. For three out of four of the world's poorest individuals – those who live on less than 2ドル per day – access to basic financial tools is nearly non-existent. But there is hope."

Mobile Banking Fees: Money Maker Or Momentum-Killer?
"Will charging for mobile banking apps slow their rate of adoption? We could see an interesting case study in that debate soon, as PNC bank is reportedly considering charging for its mobile check depositing service. PNC’s mBanking features are, as they are for most major banks, currently free for customers. But according to this recent Mobile Commerce Daily piece, the potential to add revenue may be too great a temptation for banks to resist: even if it means fewer people us their services."

Next in Mobile Banking: Photo Bill Payments
"Now that many banking customers are used to depositing paper checks by snapping a photo with their cellphones, some banks are adding another feature: photo bill pay. U.S. Bank this week introduced a mobile “photo bill pay” service, which allows its online and mobile banking customers to snap a photo of a paper bill with their phone and have the information automatically loaded into their account. Then, they can pay the bill electronically. First Financial Bank in Abilene, Tex., began offering the service earlier this year, too. A hat tip to Netbanker for bringing that bank to our attention."

Report: Tablet boost to mobile banking
"A quarter of tablet PC users will use their device to pay bills by 2017. That is one of the headline findings of a new report by Juniper Research. Because of a sharp rise in tablet adoption, Juniper calculates that users of transactional tablet banking services will number almost 200 million in 2017. The research firm says this will account for around 19 per cent of total mobile banking customers in 2017, up from 9 per cent this year."

Generations Bank Rolls Out Mobile Banking App that Includes PFM Tools
"Generations Bank announced Thursday a mobile app for its iPhone and Android customers called mygenmobile. Among the app's features are bill-pay capabilities; a GPS-based locator for branches and ATMs; alerts and notifications as well as the ability to aggregate outside financial accounts and add tags, notes or photos to transactions. Generations Bank is based in Seneca Falls, N.Y. The mobile app is available to its internet banking customers."

6 steps to safer online and mobile banking
"Using a phone to send a friend money to cover your bar tab, getting your ATM receipt via email and depositing a check by smartphone may seem futuristic, but these online and mobile banking functions are available today from many banks. While these and other paperless banking practices are practical and environmentally friendly, some consumers wonder if they are compromising their security in the name of convenience. Financial institutions have protections in place as well as recommendations for their customers on steps they can take to avoid financial or identity theft while using their smartphones for making payments and deposits."

MOBILE SURGE In four years, a billion+ users could embrace mobile banking
"A new report from Juniper Research finds that over 1 billion mobile phone users globally will have made use of their mobile devices for banking purposes by the end of 2017, compared to just over 590 million this year. While the forecast of 1 billion users by 2017 represents just under 15% of the mobile subscriber base, it should be acknowledged that around half of all mobile subscribers remain unbanked, with limited access to traditional financial services."

How Banks Can Use Mobile Banking Technology to Drive Revenue and Reduce Costs
"The annual E-Signature Summit for Banking Executives, co-hosted by Silanis and IBM this past week in New York, saw incredible turnout for the second year in a row and significant interest in mobile banking technology. With double the attendance over the year previous, attendees were treated to a day of sessions that included a panel discussion with guests from US Bank, JPMorgan Chase and IBM sharing their thoughts on mobile banking, e-signatures, cutting costs and driving revenue."

U.S. Bank Launching “Go Mobile” App in Salt Lake and Portland Offering Cardless Purchases Using an iPhone
"New U.S. Bank FlexPerks Visa customers in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Portland, Ore. will be the first U.S. Bank customers invited to try a new mobile payment service called U.S. Bank Go Mobile. The service allows customers to quickly and securely pay for everyday purchases with a wave of their iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. U.S. Bank is introducing the service in Beta with new FlexPerks® Travel Rewards Visa Signature® account holders before introducing it more broadly in 2013."

Shazam Launches Debit Card App for Smartphones and Tablets
"The electronic funds transfer network based in Johnston, Iowa said Monday it has released "Shazam Bolt,ドル" an app for smartphones and tablets that enables holders of the company's debit card to check their account balances, receive alerts of transactions and transfer funds directly to another person. Shazam is offering the app, which can display a sponsoring institution's name and logo, without charge to each of the roughly 1,500 community banks and credit unions that participate in its network."

YOUR MONEY ON THE GO: MOBILE BANKING THE BIGGEST PERSONAL FINANCE TREND FOR 2013
"Nearly half of consumers, 46 percent, were considering financial resolutions for 2013, according to the fourth annual New Year Financial Resolutions Study from Fidelity Investments. The top three specific resolutions were to save more (52 percent), spend less (19 percent), and pay off debt (19 percent). Luckily, technology and digital tools have made it easier to organize, prioritize, and achieve financial goals, specifically with the growth of mobile banking. Several financial services representatives spoke to Madame Noire about digital tools for personal finance and mobile banking was the most popular topic by far."

Mobile banking customers to reach one billion by 2017
"A recent report revealed that the number of customers who utilize mobile banking technology will reach more than one billion by 2017, compared to 590 million this year. Though the forecast only represents 15 percent of mobile device users, approximately 50 percent of all mobile users are unbanked or have limited access to traditional banking services, Telecoms.com reports."

Where Social Networks, Payments and Banking Intersect
"This article reviews the extent of social network adoption, describes ways in which commerce and banking services are arising, discusses payment methods, and highlights some of the potential risks of these various interactions."

Mobile Banking's Legal Dark Side
"Heard of Maxim Inc.? If you're a bank interested in developing mobile payments innovation, you should have, because the company claims it invented key technology that entitles it to a piece of the mobile payments pie."

Citizens Bank Mobile Banking Apps For iPhone®, Android™ Receive #1 Ranking For Customer Satisfaction
"Citizens Bank’s Mobile Banking apps for iPhone and Android have been named the “best integrated apps” in the industry by Javelin Strategy & Research following its review of customer ratings in the Apple App Store and in Google Play. Citizens Bank’s average customer rating of 4.25 out of 5 stars was the best in the industry, tied only by USAA, Javelin reported this week."

U.S. Payments Market: Mobile & Alternative Payments Analysis with A Business Case for Mobile Banking
"RnRMarketResearch.com adds "Mobile and Alternative Payments in the U.S., 3rd Edition" , "The Business Case for Mobile Banking" , "Mobile Banking and Payments" and "Alternative Payment Channels" reports to its store. With mobile taking over daily, dedicated personal space and time of people, banking and financial industry has the most exciting and equally challenging task on hand of offering mobile payments and mobile banking services with all security and personal touch of the non-mobile payments and banking experience to the end users."

Bank of America CEO's Desperate Mobile Banking Pitch
"Is Bank of America (BAC_) CEO Brian Moynihan really excited about mobile banking--or is that just the best he can do to try and change the conversation from lawsuits, fees and regulations? Inevitably, Moynihan was asked about fees during an appearance on CNBC Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal had reported on its front page Sunday that the bank was backing away from fees in a bid to get customers to hate the bank a bit less."

Research and Markets: Mobile Banking Gains 10 Million Users As Smartphone And Tablet Adoption Soars
"The ability to securely manage banking transactions, especially on smartphones and tablets, has become extremely appealing. Mobile banking gained 10 million new users in 2012 and currently reaches one-third of the mobile adult U.S. population. As smartphones outnumber feature phones and tablets surge, Android and Apple delivered and defined the market in 2012. Consumer adoption of mobile banking at small, medium, and giant institutions and credit unions varies by the quality of mobile services offered. This report contains an annual roundup of five-year forecasts for the U.S. consumer market for mobile banking adoption, mobile phone usage, smartphone adoption, smartphone adoption by operating system, tablet adoption, and tablet adoption by operating system."

For These 4 Banks, the Future Is Now
"For banks looking for innovative ways to serve customers without incurring costs to themselves, mobile banking is the perfect area in which to grow. Overall, banks have been somewhat slow to develop and promote these services. Here are four that are actively pushing mobile offerings, placing them ahead of their more sluggish competitors."

U.S. Bank Partners with Mitek for Mobile Photo Bill Pay; Will Launch to Consumers in Early 2013
"U.S. Bank, fifth-largest bank in the United States and lead bank of U.S. Bancorp (NYS: USB) , and Mitek Systems (NAS: MITK) , a leading mobile imaging software solutions provider and the pioneer of Mobile Deposit® technology, have entered into a strategic mobile technology partnership to offer Mitek's Mobile Photo Bill Pay™ product to U.S. Bank customers."

Javelin Research: It’s a Mobile World
"The newly issued 2012 Mobile Banking Financial Institution Scorecard: from Javelin Strategy & Research hammers home one point, loudly: Financial services have become a mobile world. Mobile banking now is used by 33% of mobile consumers, per Javelin, a jump from the 24% who used it in 2011. Of the top 25 financial institutions in the U.S., half now offer mobile person-to-person payments as well as mobile remote deposit capture, numbers that have “more than doubled” since the 2011 report."

U.S. Bank Unveils Windows Phone Mobile Banking App
"U.S. Bank today became the latest bank to offer mobile banking apps for the Windows Phone. The Minneapolis-based bank said it has developed two apps for the phone -- one through U.S. Bank's Wealth Management division and the other through U.S. Bank Retail Payment Solutions. The apps, featured in the Windows Phone Store, are free and provide consumers with access to market and economic insights, as well as access to an instant credit application for the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card."

Wincor Nixdorf Introduces Software to Bridge Mobile Banking and ATMs
"ATM manufacturer Wincor Nixdorf has joined competitors Diebold and NCR in producing a smartphone app meant to help consumers to save time at the ATM. The company, which is based in Austin, Tex., said Wednesday users can download the application, dubbed PC/EMobile Cash, to their smartphones, where it will allow them to find nearby ATMs and stage cash withdrawals and other transactions in advance."

Mobile Capture Comes To Small CUs
"The hot must-have technology in banking today has to be mobile remote-deposit capture, software that lets members take a photo of a check with a smartphone camera and, presto, it’s deposited into their account. The big rub thus far is that smaller credit unions have complained that mobile RDC is priced out of their budgets. But the news is that, suddenly, prices are getting pushed down, and an upshot is that a growing number of smaller financial institutions can now woo their members with the latest technology."

IS MOBILE BANKING TRULY MOBILE?
"There has been a transition in acceptance pertaining to mobile banking, but is it mainstream? Mainstream implies ubiquitous acceptance. In addition, mobile banking apps, from a technology standpoint are standalone, meaning that mobile banking is a separate and independent product interfaced only with the core banking application using a real-time interface."

A Shot in the Arm from Mobile Remote Deposit Capture
"Numerica Credit Union recently held what amounts to a happy hour at its branches, except instead of cocktails, people were given 5ドル checks and shown how to use phones to deposit those checks. The Spokane Valley, Wash., credit union was demonstrating mobile remote deposit capture (RDC), and has found that via marketing and education, the new tech can have a quick impact on business. Nearly 500 members used the service in the first month. These users deposited 928 items that came to a total of 303,000ドル."

Mobile banking white paper offers strategies
"A new white paper offers consumers and businesses--including credit unions--information to support a mobile banking strategy, along with key trends, mobile banking best practices, and how to confront the biggest developmental challenges. "For a variety of reasons mobile banking has moved way beyond simple balance inquiries to include money transfers, both domestic and international; peer-to-peer payments; and even commercial payment processing," said the paper, "The Promise of Mobility: A Bank in Every Pocket." The paper is from Backbase, a New York-based mobile banking provider."

2012 in Mobile Banking
"The year is half over, and already banks and payment companies have made big advances in their use of mobile devices."

Online and Mobile Banking are Gaining Adoption
"ComScore, Inc, a company that measures the digital world, recently released its annual State of Online and Mobile Banking report for 2011. This report provides key online and mobile banking trends in the U.S. in 2011. More than 2,000 U.S. Internet users were surveyed and the research was supplemented by other data from a behavioral panel of over one million U.S. Internet users. There was an upward trend in customer satisfaction with financial institutions and their banking websites early in 2011, compared to a decline in previous years. Online banking increased and mobile banking gained adoption, especially in app usage."

Mainstreet, Sterling, others partner Glo on Mobile Banking
"Mainstreet Bank Limited and five other banks have sealed up a partnership with Glo to lend greater depth to the on-going campaign for a cashless society through the provision of seamless mobile banking services to their customers. The six banks banded with telecoms giants, Glo, to roll out the Quick Teller Mobile Banking product (QTM) last Thursday, at the corporate head office of Glo in Victoria Island, Lagos."

US Bank extends mobile strategy
"In its latest move to leverage mobile to enable customers to access and manage their finances whenever and wherever they choose, US Bank has released a new mobile banking application designed specifically for iPad users, reports Mobile Commerce Daily. The US Bank app for iPad comes with all of the mobile banking features found in the bank's smartphone apps. However, the experience has been optimised for the tablet's larger screen and offers a more interactive user experience."

Breaking the Mobile Banking Glass Ceiling
"Financial institutions recognize the benefits the mobile channel offers – a lower cost to serve, increased customer satisfaction, retention and a higher return on investment – but for many, breaking through the mobile banking adoption glass ceiling has been challenging. This paper discusses how financial institutions can move beyond the initial wave of early adopters and reach more customers by promoting mainstream consumer acceptance of mobile banking. It also highlights the five key success factors financial institutions need to address in order to accelerate mobile banking adoption."

KPMG Survey: Banking Execs Focused on Increasing Operational Efficiency as Regulatory Reform Continues to Hamper Growth
"Platform simplification (IT infrastructure, applications) was identified by 58 percent of the banking executives as the most important IT-related project for their bank in the next year, followed by mobile payments (39 percent), leveraging data more effectively for regulatory requirements (38 percent), and creating an integrated view of customer accounts (37 percent). When asked to identify the channels commanding the most capital investment from their bank, KPMG survey respondents cited investing in mobile banking / payment platforms for mobile devices (38 percent), purchasing more branches (24 percent), and investing in online banking platforms for laptops / desktops (23 percent)."

Bank of America Taking Mobile Banking By Storm
"Bank of America has slowly and steadily become a major force to be reckoned with in mobile banking. More customers, the financial titan said Thursday, now choose Bank of America to bank on-the-go more than any other bank. Over 10 million Bank of America customers are now using mobile banking, representing growth of nearly 3 million active users over the last 12 months."

Wells Fargo Launches Simplified Person-to-Person Money Transfer Service Nationwide
"Wells Fargo & Company WFC +0.16% today announced the launch of Send & Receive Money, a new service that simplifies Wells Fargo customers' payments to other Wells Fargo and Bank of America customers through online and mobile banking using an email address or mobile phone number. Wells Fargo customers no longer need to know their recipient's account number at Wells Fargo or Bank of America. Wells Fargo is the first bank to roll out nationally the clearXchange service for person-to-person payments."

San Antonio Federal Credit Union taps WRG and Vertifi for mobile banking
"The mobile solution, branded as GOTM from SACU, allows members to access their accounts anywhere and anytime with many enhanced functions including the ability to pay bills, transfer money, and deposit checks using the embedded camera on the smart phone. The check deposit feature, GoDeposit, is powered by Vertifi's DeposZip Mobile service, the leading household and business remote deposit service in the credit union industry."

U.S. Bank Tablet Banking App Built on Mobiliti from Fiserv
"The app is built on the Mobiliti Enterprise platform, which the bank also uses to support mobile banking, enabling integrated channel management and analytics. Fiserv, Inc., a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced that U.S. Bank's online banking customers now have access to an iPad(R) banking application (app) built on the Mobiliti Enterprise(TM) mobile banking and payments platform from Fiserv. The U.S. Bank app serves consumers' growing interest in tablet banking. According to the 2011 Fiserv Consumer Trends Survey, 45 percent of current and prospective tablet owners use or would like to use them for banking."

Nokia Dreams of NFC Image Sharing, Mobile Banking for its 808 PureView
"Nokia wants to enable image sharing on its 808 PureView using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Say that tens time fast. Speaking with Engadget, the company expressed interest in the idea and said “picture sharing would be possible across devices.” Devices, meaning the feature won’t be exclusive to 808 PureView users. Who wouldn’t want to share their 41-megapixel mirror shots with friends using NFC? We’re guessing you’ll only be able to share low-res images, since those 41-megapixel shots exceed 100MB."

Corporate Mobile Banking: A Look at J.P. Morgan ACCESS Mobile
"A new report from Aite Group analyzes the importance of corporate mobile banking as a critical component of any bank’s corporate-banking-technology strategy. The report highlights the current state of corporate mobile technology, and analyzes the key strengths and planned roadmap for J.P. Morgan ACCESS Mobile."

U.S. Bank Customers Get Mobile Banking Upgrade
"U.S. Bank recently released a new mobile banking application that significantly upgrades the mobile banking experience for all customers. The upgrade offers improved features and customer experience for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. The new app, available in app stores now, begins a series of upgrades planned for U.S. Bank mobile banking over the next several months."

6 Ways To Make Mobile Banking Work For You
"Banking via mobile phones has skyrocketed in recent years, says Mary Monahan, executive vice president and research director for mobile at Javelin Strategy and Research in Pleasanton, Calif. A Javelin report released in October found that in the preceding 12 months, the percentage of mobile phone users conducting banking rose from 19 percent to 30 percent."

Mobile Tech and Advisors, Part 1: Its Place in the Business
"In a June 2011 report, the Yankee Group predicted that there will be 500 million mobile-banking users globally in less than four years. And while it is true that some people may never choose to bank or manage their investments using their mobile phones due to security, privacy or technology concerns, within a few years these people will be a small minority."

Global Online Money Transfer Company, Xoom, Launches Mobile Optimized Site to Reach Users on the Go
"Xoom.com, the fastest growing online money transfer company, today announced the launch of its fully optimized mobile site that enables users to send money worldwide, right from their mobile device."