Absa mobile banking a hit
Banking group Absa says it has 3.6 million customers registered for mobile banking.
The group says that growth patterns in the use of its mobile website have exceeded expectations seeing over 1.3 million page views each month.
The bank has also seen year-on-year growth of 450% in mobile traffic, largely due to the portal’s redefined user experience, optimised for mobile visitors, it said.
Absa, which boasts 12.2 million customers, expects to launch its long-awaited application in Q1 2013, but the bank promises a more integrated and broader approach to mobile banking than other platforms in the market currently offer.
“Clearly the mobile channel has reached a tipping point – with users now using their cellphones for far more than just simple banking transactions or SMS alerts,” said Absa’s head of retail markets, Arrie Rautenbach.
“Smartphones and feature phones are increasingly popular in the local market; data costs are declining; and users are generally becoming more comfortable using the mobile apps,” he added.
Absa’s range of services on its mobi site includes ‘find a product’ tools that serve up appropriate package offerings based on simple information, instant credit bureau checks, ATM, branch locators and calculators.
The portal also contains a suite of information on current promotions, product offerings, and the latest news from financial markets globally. Absa.mobi is also the doorway to the secure WAP-based mobile banking platform.
Rautenbach says that the growth in the mobile portal usage mirrors the bank’s strong play in other areas of the mobile channel.
“We now have over seven million people subscribed for SMS transactional alerts via our NotifyMe service – receiving almost a billion SMSes annually. We are also seeing over 3.6 million customers registered for mobile banking.”
Absa’s mobile banking services are delivered across three technology bearers (USSD, WIG and WAP) to cater for a variety of handset capabilities and user requirements.
“Added to this, we are leading the way in mobile payments and mobile wallets with our launch of South Africa’s first live trial of true Near-Field Communications via cellphones,” said Rautenbach.
Absa’s mobile portal is supported by other properties such as MegaU.mobi (student-focused content and information, as well as music downloads, games and wallpapers), and AbsaPremiership.mobi – encompassing fixtures, news, results, team profiles and supporter wallpaper downloads.
“Our strategy is to provide customers and prospective customers with an enriched mobile experience that adds value and allows people to keep control of their financial world, whenever and wherever they may be,” concluded Rautenbach.
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