More than half of U.S. banks to launch mobile banking soon

Nearly one-third of the major financial organizations worldwide are planning to launch mobile banking services within the next two years, according to a new survey commissioned by Sybase 365, a subsidiary of mobile messaging services company Sybase Inc.
About two-thirds of banks consider mobile banking an excellent opportunity to enhance existing customer service efforts, according to the survey, which included responses from 92 institutions in Europe, the United States and Asia-Pacific. Mobile banking services are more advanced in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region today, according to the report, but the United States is expected to show the strongest growth, with more than half of U.S. banks indicating they plan to launch mobile banking services in the next two years.
“Key factors for financial institutions offering mobile banking are not solely commercial, such as reducing costs or generating revenue,” said Matthew Talbot, VP of m-commerce for Sybase 365. “Mobile banking provides unique opportunities for customer interaction and retention.”
The Sybase study also gauged consumer interest in mobile banking services. The study found about one-third of consumers would like to deal with finances while mobile, but there is a general lack of awareness of such services in the mass market. About two-thirds of banks that currently offer mobile services said they will spend marketing dollars this year to raise awareness of those services.
The most common mobile banking services on the market today included balance on demand, transaction alerts, money transfers and balance alerts, said Sybase.
Mobile banking in the United States has so far run the gamut: Operators from AT&T to Cellular South have been offering the service, while financial institutions including Wells Fargo and Citi have been active on the scene.