According to the research from the UBS investment bank, smartphones could lead to widespread closures.
As a growing number of people start to use mobile banking as a regular part of their interactions with their accounts, it is now being predicted that hundreds of bank branches across Australia may be forced to close.
A survey was conducted by the UBS investment bank and it predicted more than 600 closures.
Analysts from UBS in New York, London, Japan, and Hong Kong partnered up with KPMG in order to produce a massive 54-page report that it has now published and released. Within it, 67 different bank management teams were surveyed across 18 different countries. Among them, there was an average expectation of a branch reduction of 5.6 percent as a direct result of the rise of mobile banking use.
That said, in Australia, that figure is predicted to be about twice the average of closures from mobile banking strategies.
The report showed that despite the fact that Australia has seen a steady number of bank branches for quite a long time, the survey respondents feel that the country will be facing an 11 percent closure rate as a result of banking over smartphones and other mobile devices.
Based on June 2014 data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, there were 5483 bank branches in the country at that time. Should the predictions of 11 percent be accurate, that would mean that there would be an estimated 603 branch closures across the country.
Because of this fear, many bank branches across the country have worked hard to reconfigure themselves in order to create a much more drop-in style environment and by reducing or removing tellers. This makes it possible for customers to be sold more types of products at their own convenience.
According to the UBS statistics over the span of the next three years, it could easily be that a cumulative reduction of costs by about 10 percent, as well as a boost of 6 percent rise in bank revenues. Over that same span of time, it is anticipated that there will reach the point that 46 percent of mobile related transactions, which Is an increase over the current 25 percent, and the 13 percent from 2013.
Mobile banking is taking hold in Australia. The Market Intelligence Strategy Center, a financial services consultancy, has released new information concerning the state of mobile banking and mobile commerce within the country. More consumers are finding it easier to manage their finances through their mobile devices. This includes paying for products, managing investments, and accessing their bank accounts. These are all aspects of mobile commerce, a phenomenon that is growing in popularity around the world.
Analysis shows mobile banking reaches 6 million users
According to the Market Intelligence Strategy Center, mobile banking in Australia has exceeded 6 million users. The firm notes that it took nearly four years for Internet banking to reach the same milestone, but mobile banking has reached it in just over three. This data is based off of figures released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which notes that the adult population using smart phones is at 8.7 million strong throughout the country.
Banks begin embracing mobile consumers
The nation’s banks have been embracing mobile technology aggressively. Over the past year, nearly all Australian banks have made changes to their services in order to be more accommodating of mobile consumers. Many of these banks have seen the majority of their traffic come from Android devices, with iOS devices coming close behind. These banks have also found the mobile technology is a great way to sell products to consumers, as they enjoy a nearly constant connection with customers through a variety of mobile banking applications.
Focus on mobile may be good for banks
Mobile banking is expected to become more popular as mobile Internet speeds increase. 4G connections are becoming more common, but have yet to become universally available to all consumers. As Internet speeds increase, consumers are more likely to increase their reliance on the mobile devices they have come to love. This may be good news for Australia’s banks, as well as the country’s various mobile commerce initiatives that are working to attract the interest of mobile consumers.
