Wednesday, December 19, 2007
18-12-2007: Maybank targets more smartphone users for e-banking
KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd wants more smartphone users to carry out e-banking transactions with the bank, said vice president and head of virtual banking, Ahmad Shareza Abdul Rahman.
The bank is now carrying out research to ensure the usability and security of e-banking using smartphones.
Ahmad said testing and research so far had shown that consumers could use their smartphones to perform transactions but it was not fully certified or fully supported by Maybank. Areas to be researched included the usability, ensuring transactions happen, and security elements as well, he said.
One of the phone models being tested by Maybank is the Dopod series of PDA phones.
“In certain models, it (e-banking on Maybank2u.com) works, and in certain models it does not,” he said, adding that work on the backend and website were needed to achieve compatibility.
However, mobile banking would not surpass online banking due to limitations in space. “You are just working with a small screen and a (certain) speed of transaction. It is good for certain transactions and it may not be good for others. It will not replace, it will just complement,” he added.
Speaking at the official opening of Maybank Bandar Utama branch, Ahmad said the ability to do online banking on a smartphone would also not render its current Mobile Financial Services and M2U Mobile obsolete as not everyone could afford a smartphone.
The Maybank Bandar Utama branch, which features a lifestyle theme and is the first to house a Gloria Jeans Coffee outlet in addition to banking facilities, is the Maybank’s 421st branch.
Maybank head of consumer banking Spencer Lee said another two such branches would be introduced in the Klang Valley within the next six months. The outlet offers retail shoppers the services of a full fledged bank branch, private banking services, a credit card centre, electronic banking channels and Internet banking services.
“The centre serves high net worth customers in the neighbourhood and offers differentiated services for this segment as well as attracts new customers among the mass affluent community to enjoy the personalised and exclusive services available,” he said.
Lee said Maybank planned to set up another four private banking centres and would bolster its current network of over 3,800 ATMs, self-service terminals as well as phone banking, Internet and mobile financial services.
The bank is now carrying out research to ensure the usability and security of e-banking using smartphones.
Ahmad said testing and research so far had shown that consumers could use their smartphones to perform transactions but it was not fully certified or fully supported by Maybank. Areas to be researched included the usability, ensuring transactions happen, and security elements as well, he said.
One of the phone models being tested by Maybank is the Dopod series of PDA phones.
“In certain models, it (e-banking on Maybank2u.com) works, and in certain models it does not,” he said, adding that work on the backend and website were needed to achieve compatibility.
However, mobile banking would not surpass online banking due to limitations in space. “You are just working with a small screen and a (certain) speed of transaction. It is good for certain transactions and it may not be good for others. It will not replace, it will just complement,” he added.
Speaking at the official opening of Maybank Bandar Utama branch, Ahmad said the ability to do online banking on a smartphone would also not render its current Mobile Financial Services and M2U Mobile obsolete as not everyone could afford a smartphone.
The Maybank Bandar Utama branch, which features a lifestyle theme and is the first to house a Gloria Jeans Coffee outlet in addition to banking facilities, is the Maybank’s 421st branch.
Maybank head of consumer banking Spencer Lee said another two such branches would be introduced in the Klang Valley within the next six months. The outlet offers retail shoppers the services of a full fledged bank branch, private banking services, a credit card centre, electronic banking channels and Internet banking services.
“The centre serves high net worth customers in the neighbourhood and offers differentiated services for this segment as well as attracts new customers among the mass affluent community to enjoy the personalised and exclusive services available,” he said.
Lee said Maybank planned to set up another four private banking centres and would bolster its current network of over 3,800 ATMs, self-service terminals as well as phone banking, Internet and mobile financial services.
Labels: Maybank
