Report shows that US financial institutions are showing great interest in mobile commerce
First Annapolis Consulting, an investment banking and financial services consulting firm, has released its third annual Mobile Banking and Payments Study. The study highlights the changes that are being seen in the U.S. financial services industry and how banks are adapting to the growing popularity of mobile commerce. Mobile commerce is beginning to grow quite large in the U.S., especially where banking is concerned. The study suggests that the growth of mobile commerce has yet to show any signs of slowing down.
81 of top 100 financial groups offer mobile banking services
According to the report, 81 of the top 100 financial institutions in the U.S. offer some sort of mobile banking service. This is an 11% increase from the number of institutions that offered such services in 2011. Many of these services provide consumers with access to their accounts and finances through smart phones and other such mobile devices. Many of these financial institutions are also leveraging consumers’ constant connection to the Internet to provide them with warnings if suspicious activity on their accounts is recorded.
Study shows banks becoming more accommodating of mobile consumers
The study finds that many banks and financial institutions are beginning to take mobile commerce more seriously. Banks, in particular, are warming to the idea of accepting mobile payments from consumers and have implemented bill payment features. These banks are also finding that the rewards programs they offer to consumers are becoming more popular. With banks becoming more accommodating to mobile consumers, these rewards programs are seeing more use and praise from these consumers.
Mobile commerce continues to gain traction in the US
Mobile commerce is on the rise in the U.S. and has been on the rise for some time around the world. The concept of making payments using nothing more than a mobile device has proven popular amongst tech-savvy consumers. Now that the largest U.S. banks and financial institutions are embracing mobile commerce, more consumers may soon be exposed to the innovative concept.
NFC technology to be part of new service from Communication Federal Credit Union
With more than 50,000 members across Oklahoma and Kansas, the Communication Federal Credit Union is looking to adopt new technology to provide better service to customers. The organization has announced its partnership with Tyfone, a mobile financial service provider. Through this partnership, the Communication Federal Credit Union will now be able to offer customers new mobile banking solutions that are based on NFC technology. This technology is expected to help streamline banking and provide consumers with a way to make transactions using their mobile devices.
Tyfone platform leverages capabilities of NFC
Tyfone has developed a multi-mode mobile banking service that leverages the strengths of NFC technology. The service includes everything that consumers have come to expect from online banking products, but also acts as a mobile wallet. A mobile wallet is an application that stores a consumer’s financial information for use by a mobile device. This information is used alongside NFC technology to facilitate payments from a mobile device. The Communication Federal Credit Union believes that the Tyfone service will help it deliver new mobile banking technology to consumers.
NFC surrounded by controversy
Though NFC technology has been getting a great deal of attention for its uses in commerce, it has also been shrouded in controversy. Security experts have warned that NFC technology is susceptible to exploitation. Normally, this would not come as a surprise considering most technologies are often targeted by hackers. NFC technology is most commonly used in commerce, however, thus creating a significant problem for consumers and potentially putting their money at risk.
Companies favor infrastructure over security measures
Mobile commerce is an industry that is growing at a rapid pace, but there have yet to be any measures taken to ensure the complete protection of a consumer’s financial information. The companies investing in NFC technology have made efforts to bolster the security of mobile payment platforms, but their efforts have been limited. Many of these companies have chosen instead to embolden the mobile commerce infrastructure in order to allow more consumers to participate in mobile payments.
