Bank of Ireland Upgrades 365 Online

I invite you to check today's article on finextra.


Bank of Ireland (BoI) has added a range of new functions to its Internet banking service, 365 Online, following a EUR10 million investment in the site.

Please find below the new features BoI added to 365online.com:
* Register new beneficiaries for domestic and international payments
* Make international payments to over 40 countries worldwide
* Top up mobile phones
* Set up, cancel and amend standing orders

I believe the international payments feature is going to be very popular.

In his press coverage Brendan Nevin, Director Strategy & Marketing, says that the main reason that customers don't use internet banking is because they think it is too complicated to use.  I believe Online Security is at least as important if not more important.

And even though I welcome the fact that BoI launched two tutorials in Chinese and Polish, I doubt this will have a big impact and dramatically increase online banking usage. Unless BoI heavily market that new "feature" in branches, by direct mail and online.
Providing two new interfaces in Chinese and Polish would probably be more efficient.


An industry goal: drive more customers online
This initiative demonstrates how important it is for banks to urge their customer to go online and switch to the cost effective Internet Channel. Banks are prepared to spend big budgets: the more people register and use the service, the less traffic to call centers or branches. 
Moreover, you will drive online sales thanks to targeted advertising, shorter application processes with pre-populated forms, and better conversion rates.
 
Most banks in the uk are busy working on the next generation of their online banking service.
Currently, most current online banking services are based on old legacy systems, rigid and not content managed. It is complicated to make any changes within the secure website. Even minor changes (like updating some static text) must be prioritized and can take up to 6, 9 or 12 months to be completed.

The leading banks are usually more ambitious and they are working on projects to make the online banking service "more web 2.0", more user centric and more interactive.
Their goal is to blur the line between the public website and the secure website. Their goal is to have a flexible, content managed, platform which the customer experience, the marketing, or the sales teams can modify quickly and easily.

I believe working on the next generation of online banking is also the perfect oppotunity to provide new services requested by clients such as being able to make international payments online, change your contact details, set up the level of security on your account, or have access to better personal finance management features.

Visible Banking: initial comments on Bank of America small business community site

A couple of hours ago, I found out on finextra the recent announcement from Bank of America: Bank of America launches small business community site.

As you know, I am always very enthusiastic when a bank launches an innovative service leveraging web 2.0 features such as blogging or social networking.

In the last couple of months, I discovered and reviewed many web 2.0 initiatives such as:
* Join2Grow - Fortis initiative in the social networking space (I invite you to check my interview of Catherine Ossemerct, Head of Media-Channels)
* pickuradvisor - ING innovative blogging platform launched first in India then in Hong-Kong
* wtfcollective.com - Today, I met with the Head of Brand at Barclaycard to talk about the blogging/social networking site they recently launched to support their new onepulse card in London. I have scheduled with him a video interview next week.
 
BoA launches an online community for SMB to Learn, Connect & Share 
In that case, BoA's goal is to create a trusted online community for SMB. It is an excellent way to try a new, and fairly inexpensive, communication channel with their key market. Moreover, it will produce great learnings for their Experiential Marketing team.

So first of all, my congratulations to Mark Hogan, President of small business banking for Bank of America, and to his team for this excellent initiative.
Mark, I am very keen to get in touch with you. I would like to interview you or someone from your team asap and find out more about your initiative in the online community space.

UGC: a potential threat, but what a great opportunity for banks 
Usually, User Generated Content is perceived more as a high risk (brand damage) than a great opportunity. Indeed if you do it right, you can not only win back angry customers but occasionally you will even turn them into your best brand ambassadors.

In the web 2.0 era, your client expectations have changed: they won't hesitate to express themselves online, and they want you to show that you listen to them and prove that you care. You need to respond to them.

Even very negative comments are useful as long as you respond and explain the reasons behind your (unpopular) decisions. You may even have to admit your mistakes. People will understand. Honesty pays.
You will create trusted, stronger, relationships with your clients.
Please check my interview with Fergus Hampton, CEO of Millward Brown Precis.

My initial comments
Today (10th October 2007), I have spent an hour on the small business online community platform. Please find below my initial comments.

This initiative sits in the social networking space. It is a good platform, BoA successfully leveraged Web 2.0 features (like blogging, tagging and rss feeds) Overall, the interface is intuitive and it has a lot to offer. There seems to be a lot of activity on the site which counts several active members. And it feels like you are part of a community.

Can't you build your own network and contact directly other members?
But in this first release even if as a registered member you can post, comment or review articles and find other members, it looks like you can't really create a network of contacts nor directly contact the other members via the platform.

For instance, I couldn't find any security settings which would let me display my details on my profile.
As an anecdote, I found the profile of another banker who found a way round that limitation: instead of his website he put his email address "http://johnDoe@hotmail.com". Clever. It shows that many members surely want to contact or be contacted by other members.
 
The goal is to create trusted business relationships, isn't it? It is one of the 3 pillars of the community: Connect, learn and share.

Good example of member engagement: reward your most active contributors
Recruiting new members is not too difficult but engaging them, urging them to visit the site and contribute on regular basis is by experience more complicated. It is more complicated, AND it is critical. You need good UGC on your platform to sustain the growth and the quality of your member base.

To be successful, you need to reward your most active members. Members are giving away some of their spare time because they are seeking new opportunities. Give them more visibility!
 
On the UGC side, BoA do a good job engaging their members. They used good and proven features like questions/answers (Yahoo! Answers or Linkedin Answers, an excellent way to drive regular traffic and motivate/reward your members giving them more visibility)

a few facts and figures
On Wednesday 10th October 07 at 21:30 GMT, it looked like:
* 20 members were online
* they have over 1080 registered members
* they have over 150 threads on their forums, over 20 expert articles, over 15 Success Stories
* the first profile was created on 19th July 07.

LPO / Conversion rate: the BoA logo links to their SMB Homepage. A splash page may help
A discret but visible "powered by Bank of America" is displayed at the top of the screen.

By the way, in terms of branding and presence on their social networking site BoA, Fortis/Join2Grow, HSBC/yourpointofview.com and Barclaycard/wtfcollective.com have adopted very different approaches.

I like BoA's approach. The logo is present to remind you who provides this useful service, and I don't find it intrusive.

I would just challenge the link to the BoA SMB's homepage. I would be curious to find out about the journey from a community member who land on the SMB homepage. I suspect that people could easily get lost and that the conversion rate is probably low. Especially with a small number of registered members (and an even smaller number of active members).

I would probably test a splash page with for instance a few words on the online community, and maybe an option to know more about a specific product, chat online or be contacted by an advisor.
 
In the next couple of days, I will share with you more specific comments on the interface.

Visible Banking News #17

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you comments!

NEWS - 06 July to 12 August 2007

This week, I invite you to share your comments on yourpointofview.com (HSBC).
 
Congratulations to James and Pol for their first innovations forum, and to Jim for the first conference organized by the Online Banking Report, FINOVATE 2007 (I plan to fly to NYC in October to attend this event).

There are two excellent articles you shouldn't miss: one on Social Media by William, and one on Web 2.0 by Tripp.

BLOGGING
* Banktastic! - 09 August 07
* Banks urged to open blogs - 09 August 07
* A three-parter on NetBanker. - 07 August 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Ask Lisa a question - 09 August 07
* The Bank as a “Friend” to your customer - 09 August 07
* You’re Still Internet Explorer Only? - 09 August 07
* More landing pages at ANZ, Commbank - 08 August 07

EVENTS
* Our first Innovations Forum - 07 August 07
* Innovations in Financial Services Conference in NYC. - 07 August 07

FRAUD
* Banks Testing Revolving Online Passwords - 12 August 07
* Lords presses UK government to introduce bank data security law - 10 August 07
* "Are you seeing PDF Spam?" - 10 August 07
* Man-in-the-middle phishing kits circulating freely on the Web - 10 August 07
* Bank changes its name, phishers smell the potential - 09 August 07
* Cybercrime hype - it's all relative - 08 August 07
* MPack Developer: "Just Creating Ammunition" - 07 August 07
* Westpac Trust Centre backs wireless PKI for authentication - 07 August 07
* US consumers lose billions to online scams - 07 August 07
* Co-op Services CU signs up to Cyveillance anti-phishing service - 06 August 07

LAUNCHES
* FriendsClear is launching - 10 August 07
* PayPal Unveils New Homepage (beta) - 09 August 07
* Bank of Hawaii offers banking on the go - 09 August 07
* Free Norton Internet Security for Bank of America Online Accounts - 08 August 07
* ING Direct Launching in Seattle - 07 August 07
* Online Banking Provider Yodlee Launches Mobile Application - 06 August 07

MARKETING
* Chris Barrett shoots commercial for Lending Club's video contest - 10 August 07
* Smash Up Your Bank - 08 August 07
* Citi Mobile Makes the Homepage - 07 August 07

MOBILE BANKING
* SITD? RSN Yr POV on TXT MSG z GONNA B Changed (FWIW) - 10 August 07
* Yet Another Mobile Banking Application Hits the Market - 09 August 07
* New Entrants to the Mobile Foray - 08 August 07
* UnWired Nation - The Voice of Mobile - 06 August 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* This week’s great Groups topics - 11 August 07
* Microsoft Money Plus launches - 08 August 07

REPORTS
* Online banking has "pros and cons" - 10 August 07
* Study: Online Banking’s Environmental Benefits Can Drive Market Growth - 09 August 07
* US consumers quick to take up online credit card services - study - 09 August 07
* One in ten bank branches closed since 2002 - 08 August 07
* Online Banking Comes of Age? - 08 August 07
* Scan and Upload Your Checks: The Next Step in Online Banking? - 06 August 07

REVIEWS
* What's next for HSBC yourpointofview.com? - 08 August 07

SECOND LIFE
* The virtual world of voodoo economics - 10 August 07
* Jitters in Second Life as bank shuts doors - 09 August 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* LendingStats is back - 11 August 07
* Zopa criticism - 09 August 07
* Week 10: New Features! - 09 August 07
* Rolling the Dice with Online Lending at Prosper.com (Part I)... - 08 August 07
* BankServ powers Lending Club payments - 08 August 07
* Prosper forms JV with SBI for Japan launch - 07 August 07
* Zopa hiring for US launch - 07 August 07
* Economy provides opportunity to differentiate between traditional lending and social lending - 06 August 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Banking on the beach has gone to the dogs - 10 August 07

VENDORS
* Tyfone Announces Mike Noble, Retired COO and EVP of Wells Fargo Services Company, to the Advisory Board - 11 August 07
* Amdocs, Bankinter to offer mobile banking services - 10 August 07
* First Data, mFoundry to collect on mobile banking - 10 August 07
* RSA buys data security vendor Tablus - 10 August 07
* S1 moves into profit in Q2; increases full year guidance - 09 August 07
* Sybase 365 extends m-banking services to the Americas - 08 August 07

WEB 2.0
* Key Success Factors for Social Media Projects (part 1) - 07 August 07
* Do Decision Makers Really Care About “Web 2.0”? - 07 August 07
* Web 2.0: It's Not Just for Customers Anymore - 03 August 07

NEWS - 06 July to 12 August 2007

This week, I invite you to share your comments on yourpointofview.com (HSBC).
 
Congratulations to James and Pol for their first innovations forum, and to Jim for the first conference organized by the Online Banking Report, FINOVATE 2007 (I plan to fly to NYC in October to attend this event).

There are two excellent articles you shouldn't miss: one on Social Media by William, and one on Web 2.0 by Tripp.

BLOGGING
* Banktastic! - 09 August 07
* Banks urged to open blogs - 09 August 07
* A three-parter on NetBanker. - 07 August 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Ask Lisa a question - 09 August 07
* The Bank as a “Friend” to your customer - 09 August 07
* You’re Still Internet Explorer Only? - 09 August 07
* More landing pages at ANZ, Commbank - 08 August 07

EVENTS
* Our first Innovations Forum - 07 August 07
* Innovations in Financial Services Conference in NYC. - 07 August 07

FRAUD
* Banks Testing Revolving Online Passwords - 12 August 07
* Lords presses UK government to introduce bank data security law - 10 August 07
* "Are you seeing PDF Spam?" - 10 August 07
* Man-in-the-middle phishing kits circulating freely on the Web - 10 August 07
* Bank changes its name, phishers smell the potential - 09 August 07
* Cybercrime hype - it's all relative - 08 August 07
* MPack Developer: "Just Creating Ammunition" - 07 August 07
* Westpac Trust Centre backs wireless PKI for authentication - 07 August 07
* US consumers lose billions to online scams - 07 August 07
* Co-op Services CU signs up to Cyveillance anti-phishing service - 06 August 07

LAUNCHES
* FriendsClear is launching - 10 August 07
* PayPal Unveils New Homepage (beta) - 09 August 07
* Bank of Hawaii offers banking on the go - 09 August 07
* Free Norton Internet Security for Bank of America Online Accounts - 08 August 07
* ING Direct Launching in Seattle - 07 August 07
* Online Banking Provider Yodlee Launches Mobile Application - 06 August 07

MARKETING
* Chris Barrett shoots commercial for Lending Club's video contest - 10 August 07
* Smash Up Your Bank - 08 August 07
* Citi Mobile Makes the Homepage - 07 August 07

MOBILE BANKING
* SITD? RSN Yr POV on TXT MSG z GONNA B Changed (FWIW) - 10 August 07
* Yet Another Mobile Banking Application Hits the Market - 09 August 07
* New Entrants to the Mobile Foray - 08 August 07
* UnWired Nation - The Voice of Mobile - 06 August 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* This week’s great Groups topics - 11 August 07
* Microsoft Money Plus launches - 08 August 07

REPORTS
* Online banking has "pros and cons" - 10 August 07
* Study: Online Banking’s Environmental Benefits Can Drive Market Growth - 09 August 07
* US consumers quick to take up online credit card services - study - 09 August 07
* One in ten bank branches closed since 2002 - 08 August 07
* Online Banking Comes of Age? - 08 August 07
* Scan and Upload Your Checks: The Next Step in Online Banking? - 06 August 07

REVIEWS
* What's next for HSBC yourpointofview.com? - 08 August 07

SECOND LIFE
* The virtual world of voodoo economics - 10 August 07
* Jitters in Second Life as bank shuts doors - 09 August 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* LendingStats is back - 11 August 07
* Zopa criticism - 09 August 07
* Week 10: New Features! - 09 August 07
* Rolling the Dice with Online Lending at Prosper.com (Part I)... - 08 August 07
* BankServ powers Lending Club payments - 08 August 07
* Prosper forms JV with SBI for Japan launch - 07 August 07
* Zopa hiring for US launch - 07 August 07
* Economy provides opportunity to differentiate between traditional lending and social lending - 06 August 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Banking on the beach has gone to the dogs - 10 August 07

VENDORS
* Tyfone Announces Mike Noble, Retired COO and EVP of Wells Fargo Services Company, to the Advisory Board - 11 August 07
* Amdocs, Bankinter to offer mobile banking services - 10 August 07
* First Data, mFoundry to collect on mobile banking - 10 August 07
* RSA buys data security vendor Tablus - 10 August 07
* S1 moves into profit in Q2; increases full year guidance - 09 August 07
* Sybase 365 extends m-banking services to the Americas - 08 August 07

WEB 2.0
* Key Success Factors for Social Media Projects (part 1) - 07 August 07
* Do Decision Makers Really Care About “Web 2.0”? - 07 August 07
* Web 2.0: It's Not Just for Customers Anymore - 03 August 07

Visible Banking News #16

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you comments!

NEWS - 30 July to 05 July 2007

This week, don't miss my review of ING's "Pick your financial advisors" blog. Please note that the ING team in Asia Pacific responded to my post in a timely manner. Thanks Rob for your post.

Well done to Jim. This week, He welcomed two additional guest bloggers on his two excellent blogs, NetBanker and Mobile Money and Banking. Congratulations to Ron and Brandon.

ADS
* Firms unhappy at BNP Facebook ads - 03 August 2007

AWARDS
* Zopa makes top 10 UK startup list - 30 July 07
* 50 best websites of 2007 - Prosper scores again - 10 July 07

BLOGGING
* ING enhancing their blog activity - 01 August 07
* Welcome Brandon McGee, Industry Insider, Mobile Banking Guru and First Guest Blogger - 01 August 07
* Welcome Ron Shevlin, Marketing ROI Guru and Guest Blogger at NetBanker - 30 July 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* UK Web banks come out top for customer satisfaction - study - 01 August 07
* Why online banking has stalled: Annoying, confusing, frustrating Web design - 01 August 07
* Online Banking Flaws Contribute to Slow Growth - 11 July 07

FRAUD
* IRS audit reveals that the human factor is one the greatest threats to information (computer) security - 04 August 07
* Surge in hack attacks against banks - report - 03 August 07

INTERNATIONAL
* June Online Financial Services Scorecard from Compete - 02 August 07

INTERVIEWS
* Duck9 - p2p lending for college students - 03 August 07
* Susie Lonie, Vodafone - 30 July 07
* Optimising channels in Turkey - 17 July 07
* SLW Authoritative Report #3: Colin Henderson, writer at thebankwatch.com and CMO of CommunityLend - 25 June 07

LAUNCHES
* Amazon Makes Payment Web Application Available to Site Developers - 03 August 07
* Buxfer is First Banking App to Tap Amazon Flexible Payments System - 03 August 07

MARKETING
* Lending Club YouTube video contest enters final week - 05 August 07
* Back to brand rankings - 01 August 07
* Lending Club's YouTube Contest Off to a Slow Start - 30 July 07

MOBILE BANKING
* The WAP Solution - 01 August 07
* Mobile Banking Deployments at the Top-10 U.S. Banks - 01 August 07
* HSBC Pricing of Mobile Banking - 29 July 07

NEWS
* Australian banks hit by tech glitches - 03 August 07
* IT upgrade knocks out IF Web service - 31 July 07

REPORTS
* Break the bank: Go online - 03 August 07
* Strong Online Activity Across All Banking Products in June - 03 August 07
* Symantec Finds Online Banking the #1 Internet Activity That Makes Lives Easier - 01 August 07
* Be a driver, not a passenger - Implications of Web 2.0 for financial institutions - 31 July 07

REVIEWS
*  ING's "Pick your financial advisors" blog - 01 August 07

SECOND LIFE
* ING Asia Pacific Dances into Second Life - 31 July 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* How does Prosper compare to other investments? - 01 August 07
* Prosper Lending Review: July Recap - 01 August 07
* Videos Now Available on SLW - 01 August 07
* Lending Club offers $5 referral bonus - 30 July 07
* Smava affiliate program launch - 30 July 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Sharing the wealth - 05 August 07
* The future of social networks - 30 July 07

VENDORS
* Fiserv agrees to purchase online banking company CheckFree for about $4.22 billion in cash - 02 August 07
* CBD's mobile banking system now offers customers a multitude of services - 31 July 07
* Wing Lung Bank implements Thales SafeSign authentication technology - 30 July 07

WEB 2.0
* Buxfer Adds Payments; Now Perfect For Settling Your Bar Tab - 03 August 07

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you comments!

NEWS - 30 July to 05 July 2007

This week, don't miss my review of ING's "Pick your financial advisors" blog. Please note that the ING team in Asia Pacific responded to my post in a timely manner. Thanks Rob for your post.

Well done to Jim. This week, He welcomed two additional guest bloggers on his two excellent blogs, NetBanker and Mobile Money and Banking. Congratulations to Ron and Brandon.

ADS
* Firms unhappy at BNP Facebook ads - 03 August 2007

AWARDS
* Zopa makes top 10 UK startup list - 30 July 07
* 50 best websites of 2007 - Prosper scores again - 10 July 07

BLOGGING
* ING enhancing their blog activity - 01 August 07
* Welcome Brandon McGee, Industry Insider, Mobile Banking Guru and First Guest Blogger - 01 August 07
* Welcome Ron Shevlin, Marketing ROI Guru and Guest Blogger at NetBanker - 30 July 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* UK Web banks come out top for customer satisfaction - study - 01 August 07
* Why online banking has stalled: Annoying, confusing, frustrating Web design - 01 August 07
* Online Banking Flaws Contribute to Slow Growth - 11 July 07

FRAUD
* IRS audit reveals that the human factor is one the greatest threats to information (computer) security - 04 August 07
* Surge in hack attacks against banks - report - 03 August 07

INTERNATIONAL
* June Online Financial Services Scorecard from Compete - 02 August 07

INTERVIEWS
* Duck9 - p2p lending for college students - 03 August 07
* Susie Lonie, Vodafone - 30 July 07
* Optimising channels in Turkey - 17 July 07
* SLW Authoritative Report #3: Colin Henderson, writer at thebankwatch.com and CMO of CommunityLend - 25 June 07

LAUNCHES
* Amazon Makes Payment Web Application Available to Site Developers - 03 August 07
* Buxfer is First Banking App to Tap Amazon Flexible Payments System - 03 August 07

MARKETING
* Lending Club YouTube video contest enters final week - 05 August 07
* Back to brand rankings - 01 August 07
* Lending Club's YouTube Contest Off to a Slow Start - 30 July 07

MOBILE BANKING
* The WAP Solution - 01 August 07
* Mobile Banking Deployments at the Top-10 U.S. Banks - 01 August 07
* HSBC Pricing of Mobile Banking - 29 July 07

NEWS
* Australian banks hit by tech glitches - 03 August 07
* IT upgrade knocks out IF Web service - 31 July 07

REPORTS
* Break the bank: Go online - 03 August 07
* Strong Online Activity Across All Banking Products in June - 03 August 07
* Symantec Finds Online Banking the #1 Internet Activity That Makes Lives Easier - 01 August 07
* Be a driver, not a passenger - Implications of Web 2.0 for financial institutions - 31 July 07

REVIEWS
*  ING's "Pick your financial advisors" blog - 01 August 07

SECOND LIFE
* ING Asia Pacific Dances into Second Life - 31 July 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* How does Prosper compare to other investments? - 01 August 07
* Prosper Lending Review: July Recap - 01 August 07
* Videos Now Available on SLW - 01 August 07
* Lending Club offers $5 referral bonus - 30 July 07
* Smava affiliate program launch - 30 July 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Sharing the wealth - 05 August 07
* The future of social networks - 30 July 07

VENDORS
* Fiserv agrees to purchase online banking company CheckFree for about $4.22 billion in cash - 02 August 07
* CBD's mobile banking system now offers customers a multitude of services - 31 July 07
* Wing Lung Bank implements Thales SafeSign authentication technology - 30 July 07

WEB 2.0
* Buxfer Adds Payments; Now Perfect For Settling Your Bar Tab - 03 August 07

Visible Banking News #15

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you comments!

NEWS - 23 July to 29 July 2007

ADS
* Bank of America Advertising NSF/Overdraft Protection at TechCrunch - 28 July 07
* LifeLock Buys Full Page in Wall Street Journal - 26 July 07
* Citibank Goes Mobile in National Print Advertising - 23 July 07

AWARDS
* IMRG launches go green, go online campaign - 27 July 07

BLOGGING
* 14 Must-Have Online Banking Features - 11 June 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Genderation gaps | the enjoyability factor - 23 July 07
* Customer inertia is not a retention strategy - 23 July 07
* Why online banking has stalled: Annoying, confusing, frustrating Web design - 11 July 07

EVENTS
* The BarCampBank Takeaways - 25 July 07

FRAUD
* The Argument for Biometrics - 24 July 07
* The Growing Problem of Online Fraud - 26 June 07

INTERNATIONAL
* Internet banking: carrots for Aussies, stick for Kiwis - 16 July 07

LAUNCHES
* Doral to launch Internet bank - 27 July 07
* Capital One Signs Yahoo Sponsorship Deal - 27 July 07
* AOL Relaunches Its Personal Finance Site - 26 July 07
* Wesabe, Billeo Add Image Capture: Is it the Next Must-Have Online Banking Feature? - 25 July 07

MARKETING
* Key Bank Gives Away iPod nanos for Free Checking Accounts - 24 July 07

MOBILE BANKING
* Banking on your phone to do much more than make calls? Now it can - 29 June 07
* Wells Fargo Pushes Mobile Banking on Logout Page - 25 July 07
* Mobile banking in America creates a big debate - 25 July 07
* Wells Fargo launches mobile banking service - 24 July 07

NEWS
* A&L's H1 boosted by Web banking and Internet sales - 27 July 07
* Moneysupermarket slides in market debut - 26 July 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* Wesabe makes the web into a banking platform - 27 July 07
* Wesabe release simple tool that works for any Bank or CU - 25 July 07
* One more thing…. Browser Snapshot and file attachments - 25 July 07
* The Wesabe Firefox Uploader - 25 July 07

REPORTS
* Analyst: online banking could save 17m trees each year - 25 July 07
* Deutsche Bank Research on the state of p2p lending services - 24 July 07
* “Understanding the Decline and Demise of the Banking Industry” - 23 July 07

SECOND LIFE
* If You Advertise in Second Life, Does Anyone Care? - 25 July 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* Prosper secondary market - 27 July 07
* Third mystery Prosper competitor project emerges - 26 July 07
* Globefunder raises 1.5 Mio. in VC - 25 July 07
* Prosper referral program - 24 July 07
* How does Prosper make money? - 23 July 07
* Prosper referral deadline nears - 23 July 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* The big ban on employees accessing Facebook - 28 July 07
* Join2Grow - Phase 2 - 24 July 07
* Beyond social networks | whats the near term destination? - 24 July 07
* Online networking taken over from 'real life' - 22 July 07

VENDORS
* Bank of the West Selects RSA for Strengthened Online Consumer Protection - 25 July 07

WEB 2.0
* Why Banks Aren't Capitalizing On Web 2.0 - 26 July 07
* Not All Banks Reaping Web 2.0’s Potential - 11 July 07

Visible Banking News #14

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you comments!

NEWS - 16 July to 22 July 2007

AWARDS
* PayPal Contest to Award Best New Facebook Application - 20 July 07

BLOGGING
* Welcome William Azaroff, Vancity Social Media Guru, and NetBanker Guest Blogger - 17 July 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Value added services to enhance the customer experience - 19 July 07

EVENTS
* Why BarCampBank? - 22 July 07
* BarCampBankSeattle day one - 21 July 07
* My BarCamp Bank Topic Wish List - 20 July 07

FRAUD
* NZ banks under fire over online fraud liability - 19 July 07
* Anti-Spam: Gateway vs. Desktop - 15 July 07

INTERVIEWS
* “Make it much easier for consumers to find those institutions whose revenue models most meet their needs” | Bankwatch Interviews Marc Hedlund, Wesabe - 18 July 07
* Jerry Dischler, Google - 17 July 07
* Can e-Business Contribute to the Essence of Private Banking? - 12 July 07

LAUNCHES
* Tesco launches online used car checker - 19 July 07
* Deutsche Börse launches mobile information portal - 19 July 07
* Emirates Bank offers international remittances via SMS - 18 July 07
* Everbank's Latest Multi-Currency CD: World Energy Index - 17 July 07
* For Low income Un-banked | Emirates Bank to Launch Global Remittance Services through SMS Technology and Salary Cards - 17 July 07
* WSECU and Fuze Announce Mobile Offering - 17 July 07
* A&L launches expat Internet savings account - 16 July 07

MARKETING
* Lending Club announces $5000 video contest - 18 July 07
* Update on Prosper's referral program - 16 July 07

MOBILE BANKING
* Fundamo as a leading supplier · 21 July 07
* WAP Review - ING DIRECT Mobile Banking - 20 July 07
* Mobile Banking from the Public’s Perspective - 19 July 07
* Review of .mobi · 19 July 07
* Rwanda: Eastern Province Residents Applaud Mobile Banking - 17 July 07

NEWS
* Co-op to cut 1000 jobs as Internet challenges traditional banking model - 20 July 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* Are New Online Personal Finance Sites Safe? - 20 July 07
* Wesabe in Newsweek - 18 July 07
* A challenge to Wesabe · 16 July 07

REPORTS
* Celent measures young adults banking usage - 18 July 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* Lenders united! - 20 July 07
* Student Loan Marketplaces Profiled in Wall Street Journal - 19 July 07
* Wiseclerk featured - Wallstreet Journal article - 18 July 07
* India Gets an Internet Lending Portal - 18 July 07
* What is Loanio? - 18 July 07
* Wall Street Journal: Options grow for investors to lend online - 17 July 07
* Micro-lending regulation in Europe - 16 July 07
* Zopa is not a Social Lender, and why that matters - 16 July 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Jeremiah Owyang | “All your widgets are belong to Facebook” - 22 July 07
* Facebook vs. iPhone  - 21 July 07
* Another ‘web based platform’ | Bebo signals plan to open up to developers - 21 July 07
* Why Facebook is NOT the next Microsoft: Lending Club example - 20 July 07
* You cannot stop social networking ... even when you're dead - 18 July 07
* Social computing/ finance definitions and potential success criteria - 17 July 07

SURVEYS
* Young Adults Bank by Web and Phone - 17 July 07

VENDORS
* Tempo Debit allows institutions to establish debit card relationships with consumers other than their own checking account customers - 20 July 07
* Suriname's Godo CU chooses Comodo for Internet banking security - 20 July 07
* Green Armor unveils m-banking authentication platform - 19 July 07
* Billeo represent an example of dis-aggregated financial services - 16 July 07

VIDEOS
* Mobile Banking - A New Way to Bank - 16 July 07

WEB 2.0
* Atlassian making waves - 22 July 07
* How should Banks react to web based application providers? - 20 July 07
* Prosper.com, Zopa.com, Kiva.org: Towards a Model for Web 2.0 Insurance - 19 July 07

Visible Banking News #13

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you comments!

NEWS - 09 July to 15 July 2007

AWARDS
* Time.com's Best Websites 2007 - 15 July 07

BLOGGING
* Prosper Lending Review - the first month - 15 July 07
* Change is not so fast | understanding the future - 14 July 07
* One Year Anniversary - Call for Funny Videos - 10 July 07
* Social issues drive corporate blogging - 09 July 07
* Lending Club's Blog educates readers - 07 July 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* While GenX/Y lead, Banks should watch their valuable boomer customers - 14 July 07
* Abbey embarrassed by Web banking glitch - 13 July 07
* Korean web design - 10 July 07

EVENTS
* Who Wants to Go to Banking Camp in Seattle? - 12 July 07

FRAUD
* Justice in Cyberland - 16 July 07
* Phishing for dummies - installs in two seconds - 10 July 07
* Nordea to implement Chip and PIN for online shopping - 09 July 07
* Banks enlist customers in $100m fraud war - 09 July 07

INTERNATIONAL
* Bankwest on the expand - will their direct channels come too - 13 July 07
* Compete's May Online Financial Shopping Scorecard - 12 July 07

INTERVIEWS
* Nouvelle plateforme de e-banking pour les gamers chinois - 13 July 07
* Interview: Globefunder to take p2p lending global - 11 July 07

LAUNCHES
* CCB launches mobile banking - 13 July 07
* ING Direct Launches Mobile Banking - 12 July 07
* Intersections Identity Guard Offering Six Months of Free Credit Report Monitoring - 11 July 07
* PSPP Holdings, Inc. Launches New Corporate Website - 10 July 07
* ChipIn, Another PayPal-powered Application Launches on Facebook - 09 July 07
* PayPal Really Launches on Facebook - 09 July 07

MARKETING
* Smart Car: The Next Must-Have Banking Sweeps Prize - 11 July 07
* IBM Wimbledon | “This approach to reaching people is in itself a good lesson” - 10 July 07

MOBILE BANKING
* mPoria's GoMobile! M-commerce Solutions Experiences Explosive Growth - 12 July 07
* Mobile Alerts Can Help Stem the Tide of Overdraft Fee Disclosure Regulation - 11 July 07
* Vodafone offers direct access to bank accounts via MoniLink - 09 July 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* Wesabe does it again | “Your bank has a REST API now (shhh! — don’t tell them)” - 12 July 07

PRICE COMPARISON
* Price comparisons for Banks getting closer - 14 July 07
* Admiral ends Confused sale talks as Tesco eyes price comparison market - 13 July 07
* Royal Bank builds its own glasshouse - 13 July 07

REPORTS
* Why online banking has stalled: Annoying, confusing, frustrating Web design - 11 July 07
* Online Banking Flaws Contribute to Slow Growth - 11 July 07
* Mobile payments set to take off in developing world - Juniper Research - 10 July 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* Equity sharing - Prosper for real estate - 16 July 07
* Boober limits allowed investment sum - 15 July 07
* 50 best websites of 2007 - Prosper scores again - 10 July 07
* Communication approaches of P2P lending services - 09 July 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Advertising acceptance in FaceBook | banner ads need not apply - 14 July 07
* The Aging of Facebook Makes it a More Appealing Platform for Financial-Services Firms - 13 July 07
* Top-10 Facebook Money & Banking Applications - 13 July 07
* Google plan for social networks - 12 July 07
* CrowdSourcing | Creators, Critics, Connectors & Crowds - 10 July 07

VENDORS
* 99Bill, China Merchants Bank to promote online banking - 13 July 07
* 99Bill, China Merchants Bank Deal Sign of Hyper-Growth in China Online Banking - 13 July 07
* Cash America to offer online cash advances in UK - 11 July 07
* SA mobile banking company to go global - 10 July 07
* AllPay and Ukash team on online payments for Poles working abroad - 09 July 07

WEB 2.0
* Social Media Strategy - 13 July 07
* Finding your way to the Social Web - 12 July 07
* By 2012, today's teens will rule - 10 July 07

Visible Banking News #12

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you comments!

NEWS - 02 July to 08 July 2007

BLOGGING
* Financial Advisor Blog - When Global Is Not Just Jargon! - 7 june 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Personalisation the old thinking or new - 2 July 07
* Moneysupermarket.com portends a new front in the provision of banking services - 1 July 07

EVENTS
* Internet Retailing conference - choose your focus - 1 July 07

FRAUD
* Land of Lincoln Credit Union target of Internet phishing - 6 July 07
* UK banks still high on the fraud hit parade - 21 June 07
* Phishing? Wot's that? - 21 June 07

INTERNATIONAL
* Korea lives on the Internet - 6 July 07
* Goulash and Online Banking - 19 june 07

INTERVIEWS
* Interview With Co-Founder of PPdai, The P2P Lending Service - 3 July 07
* Charles Schwab: Gideon Sasson, CIO - 16 Jan 07

LAUNCHES
* HSBC and Barclaycard talk up 'green' initiatives - 2 July 07
* Test drive: Rabobank RaboPlus - 2 july 07

MARKETING
* Alliance & Leicester account in 'Recommend a Friend' bonus - 2 July 07
* Give 'em Something to Talk About - June 07

MOBILE BANKING
* Is the Future of Mobile Banking and Payments in Kenya? - 5 July 07

ONLINE REPUTATION
* New company monitors online reputation - 1 July 07

REPORTS
* Online Banks, Missed Opportunities - 6 July 2007
* Full steam ahead for Internet banking - July 07
* Peer-to-peer lending – An Industry Insight - 21 June 07
* Bank CIOs face legacy systems dilemma - 6 June 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* Lendingclub reaches 250000 dollars in loans - 3 July 07
* The situation of social lending in France - 2 July 07
* Boober plans to finance mortgages via p2p lending - 30 Jun 07
* Cash in an hour - Wonga - 28 June 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Is social networking influencing retail sales? - 4 July 07
* Waitrose turns Facebook - 1 July 07

VENDORS
* eBillme - 5 July 07

VIDEOS
* New fl2.0 App - CellRemit - mobile banking - video - 5 July 07

WEB 2.0
* Building the Bank of the Future - 2 - 5 July 07
* FIs -- Look to Amazon and Google for Web 2.0 Best Practices -- Tim O'Reilly - 9 May 2007

Visible Banking News #11

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you remarks, or with any article I missed!

NEWS - 18 June 2007 to 01 July 2007

BLOGGING
* Comparasites - 28 June 07
* Can banks ever be cool - 27 June 07
* Entertainment Access Spotlight | American Express blog - 25 June 07
* Particpating in online blog conversations is not useful #@ - 25 June 07
* My Fave Five Banking Industry Blogs (B2B) - 25 June 07
* In blogs we trust - 22 June 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Lack of a clear customer experience strategy forms largest obstacle! - 25 June 07
* Turning Customer Experience Into A Competitive Weapon - 25 June 07
* “Don’t Let Someone Else Take the Chance to Educate Your Customers” - 22 June 07

EVENTS
* Conference Notebook: SourceMedia's Mobile Commerce Summit - 20 June 07

FRAUD
* Banks should have their own secure domain - 01 July 07
* Unparalleled onslaught against online banking taking place - 01 July 07
* First National Bank of South Africa goes two-factor with Vanguard - 26 June 07
* China UnionPay and Arcot form Internet fraud prevention partnership - 27 June 07
* First National Bank of South Africa goes two-factor with Vanguard - 26 June 07
* Mobile Identity Theft Protection from Intersections - 21 June 07
* The sign of the Black Horse - 15 June 07

INTERNATIONAL
* Holland | 54 % of the customers do not visit their bank branch - 20 June 07

LAUNCHES
* Northwest Airlines Lets Customers Pay With PayPal - 29 June 07
* New Direct Bank: Element Financial from Irwin Union Bank - 28 June 07
* Top Banks Plan to Introduce Expedited Bill Payments - 21 June 07

MARKETING
* US adult opinions about advertising methods - 28 June 07
* Brand matters |Sapient - 26 June 07

MOBILE BANKING
* CNBC Explores the Growing Mobile Banking Space - 29 June 07
* Wells Fargo, Visa Test Pay-by-Phone - 28 June 07
* Upwardly Mobile in Vietnam - 28 June 07
* Citi Goes Mass Market With Its Mobile Banking Application - 22 June 07
* Verizon Rolls Out Obopay's Mobile Payment System to 60 Million Subscribers - 20 June 07
* Do You Know the Mobey Forum? - 18 June 07

NEWS
* Financial Web Site Considering $2 Bllion IPO - 29 June 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* Wesabe closes $4m financing - 20 June 07
* Why Union Square picked Wesabe - 21 June 07
* Venture Funding Flows to Wesabe and Prosper; Wesabe Launches on Facebook - 20 June 07
* Wesabe announces that the company closed a $4 million Series A round - 20 June 07

REPORTS
* Understanding the real impact of online financial services - 26 June 07
* US financial firms failing online customers - study - 26 June 07
* Forrester | ‘Experience Based Differentiation’ - 25 June 07
* Online account opening is difficult to automate - 23 June 07

RESOURCES
* Direct Banks born from retail part 1 - 28 June 07

SECOND LIFE
* BNP Paribas recruit staff in Second Life - 18 June 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* FaceBooks Lendingclub surpasses $100K loans in first two weeks - 20 June 07
* Prosper raises another $20 million - 20 June 07

SOCIAL NETWORKING
* Why Banks are vulnerable in the long run, to social networking - 28 June 07
* Friends Reunited adds Paypal - 27 June 07
* Thoughts on Social Network evolution - 22 june 07
* PayPal Launches on Facebook: Who Wants to be the First Bank? - 22 June 07

SURVEYS
* Benchmark globally, diferentiate locally - 26 June 07
* 71% in the UK saying they do not trust their banks (Unisys) - 21 June 07

VENDORS
* MFoundry adds support for Apple's iPhone - 28 June 07
* Tyfone Launches Harmony, a Secure Mobile Financial Services Communications Platform - 27 June 07
* A&L looks to Verticalnet for procurement savings - 27 June 07
* TriCipher enhances online protection package - 27 June 07
* ViVOtech and mFoundry team on mobile banking - 25 June 07
* Proformance unveils e-signature technology - 25 June 07
* Tyfone releases mobile financial services communications platform - 26 June 07
* KeyBank to Deploy Web Analytics Software - 20 June 07
* Fifth Third implements Fiserv Imagesoft Nautilus for mortgage processing - 20 June 07

VIDEOS
* ING Direct's Man on a Mission - 26 June 07
* Technology Credit Union's YouTube Page - 20 June 07
* Citi Mobile on National Television - 20 June 07

WEB 2.0
* China embracing the web and 2.0 - 19 June 07

Visible Banking News #10

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you remarks, or with any article I missed!

I would like to thank Debbie from Wesabe, one of the most exciting web 2.0 startups, who sent me their press release a day before distributing it.

NEWS - 11 June 2007 to 17 June 2007

AWARDS
* Computerworld Awards - 14 June 07

BLOGGING
* Private Banking Innovation - a new blog - 12 June 07
* Financial Advisor Blog - When Global Is Not Just Jargon! - 07 June 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Online banking now norm for industry - 14 June 07
* Customers often prefer branches, but for the wrong reasons - 13 June 07
* Will banking ever become an industry embraced by its customers? - 13 June 07
* Is there a new Commbank site coming? - 15 June 07
* Bank of America focus on customer is disturbed by growth, or is it something else? - 12 June 07

FRAUD
* Banks warned on IT security - 14 June 07
* Arcot launches Flash-based two-factor authentication system - 11 June 07

LAUNCHES
* GE Money, EBay Introduce MasterCard Rewards Card - 15 June 07
* NatWest introduces direct-only mortgage - 14 June 07
* Zimbabwe: FBC Launches Virtual Service - 14 June 07
* There's no such thing as a free insurance quote - 13 June 07

MARKETING
* Online incentives attract customers - 17 June 07
* WHICH BANKS CHARGE THE MOST IN FEES? WHEN DOES MONEY BUY HAPPINESS? CHECK
WESABE AND ITS HALF-BILLION DOLLAR DATABASE - 14 June 07

MOBILE BANKING
* mPoria and PayPal Partner to Create Mobile Commerce and Payments Powerhouse - 15 June 07
* T-Online Germany launches mobile banking service - 14 June 07
* Update on iPhone Banking - 14 June 07
* Wells Fargo Confirms Tests of ClairMail's SMS Banking System - 14 June 07
* SMS Notification was always coming - 13 June 07
* A&L lures younger customers to m-banking with £10 sweetener - 12 June 07
* You can now bank by cell phone, and although few do so, the industry sees huge growth ahead - 12 June 07
* Pak Oman micro-finance bank launches mobile banking in Pakistan - 11 June 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* Wesabe Database helps Members Make Better Financial Decisions - 14 June 07
* Wall Street Journal Publishes Roundup of Social Personal Finance Sites - 13 June 07
* MySpace Meets Quicken: What's Happening in Social Personal Finance - 12 June 07
* Wesabe finds meaning in its database - 14 June 07

REPORTS
* Online Banking: an application or a platform capability? - 14 June 07
* First get the strategy figured out … - 14 June 07
* Retail Banks Fail To Make the Most of Sales Opportunities, Says New Global Study - 13 June 07
* The delicate yet unstoppable channel mix conundrum - 13 June 07
* Channel management big challenge for banks - Booz Allen Hamilton - 13 June 07
* Mobile banking popular with young - 13 June 07

SECOND LIFE
* Why Wells Fargo left Second Life - 13 June 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* Boober p2p lending service to reach 1 million Euro loan volume - 14 June 07
* Advertorial on CircleLending - 12 June 07

VENDORS
* Laurentian Bank selects Emergis for electronic mortgage processing - 13 June 07
* PaymentOne adds mobile payments to PhoneBill service - 12 June 07

WEB 2.0
* Amplify FCU's MoneyTracker Features Personal RSS Feeds - 11 June 07

On regular basis (ideally weekly), I will post a list of key news on web 2.0 & Banking.
As usual, please do not hesitate to get back to me with you remarks, or with any article I missed!

I would like to thank Debbie from Wesabe, one of the most exciting web 2.0 startups, who sent me their press release a day before distributing it.

NEWS - 11 June 2007 to 17 June 2007

AWARDS
* Computerworld Awards - 14 June 07

BLOGGING
* Private Banking Innovation - a new blog - 12 June 07
* Financial Advisor Blog - When Global Is Not Just Jargon! - 07 June 07

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
* Online banking now norm for industry - 14 June 07
* Customers often prefer branches, but for the wrong reasons - 13 June 07
* Will banking ever become an industry embraced by its customers? - 13 June 07
* Is there a new Commbank site coming? - 15 June 07
* Bank of America focus on customer is disturbed by growth, or is it something else? - 12 June 07

FRAUD
* Banks warned on IT security - 14 June 07
* Arcot launches Flash-based two-factor authentication system - 11 June 07

LAUNCHES
* GE Money, EBay Introduce MasterCard Rewards Card - 15 June 07
* NatWest introduces direct-only mortgage - 14 June 07
* Zimbabwe: FBC Launches Virtual Service - 14 June 07
* There's no such thing as a free insurance quote - 13 June 07

MARKETING
* Online incentives attract customers - 17 June 07
* WHICH BANKS CHARGE THE MOST IN FEES? WHEN DOES MONEY BUY HAPPINESS? CHECK
WESABE AND ITS HALF-BILLION DOLLAR DATABASE - 14 June 07

MOBILE BANKING
* mPoria and PayPal Partner to Create Mobile Commerce and Payments Powerhouse - 15 June 07
* T-Online Germany launches mobile banking service - 14 June 07
* Update on iPhone Banking - 14 June 07
* Wells Fargo Confirms Tests of ClairMail's SMS Banking System - 14 June 07
* SMS Notification was always coming - 13 June 07
* A&L lures younger customers to m-banking with £10 sweetener - 12 June 07
* You can now bank by cell phone, and although few do so, the industry sees huge growth ahead - 12 June 07
* Pak Oman micro-finance bank launches mobile banking in Pakistan - 11 June 07

PERSONAL FINANCE
* Wesabe Database helps Members Make Better Financial Decisions - 14 June 07
* Wall Street Journal Publishes Roundup of Social Personal Finance Sites - 13 June 07
* MySpace Meets Quicken: What's Happening in Social Personal Finance - 12 June 07
* Wesabe finds meaning in its database - 14 June 07

REPORTS
* Online Banking: an application or a platform capability? - 14 June 07
* First get the strategy figured out … - 14 June 07
* Retail Banks Fail To Make the Most of Sales Opportunities, Says New Global Study - 13 June 07
* The delicate yet unstoppable channel mix conundrum - 13 June 07
* Channel management big challenge for banks - Booz Allen Hamilton - 13 June 07
* Mobile banking popular with young - 13 June 07

SECOND LIFE
* Why Wells Fargo left Second Life - 13 June 07

SOCIAL LENDING
* Boober p2p lending service to reach 1 million Euro loan volume - 14 June 07
* Advertorial on CircleLending - 12 June 07

VENDORS
* Laurentian Bank selects Emergis for electronic mortgage processing - 13 June 07
* PaymentOne adds mobile payments to PhoneBill service - 12 June 07

WEB 2.0
* Amplify FCU's MoneyTracker Features Personal RSS Feeds - 11 June 07