Allied Irish Banks, plc (AIB) 1/8NYSE: AIB;AIBPR:FMBPR 3/8 today announced that it is to rollout a new mobile phone banking service to customers from next month. Using Eircell's text messaging, 24 hour mobile will enable AIB personal customers to view updated bank and credit card balances, as well as recent transaction details. This new service, developed by AIB and Eircell, will operate on any compatible GSM mobile phone and the latest WAP handsets. Eircell, the mobile communications subsidiary of Eircom, the incumbent telecom company in Ireland, has about two thirds of the Irish mobile subscriber base.
Billy Andrews, AIB General Manager Electronic Banking said; "AIB believes that the mobile phone will continue to be an important delivery channel into the future, and complements our other customer channels such as the internet and traditional branch banking. Our research indicates that people like using mobile phones and I am delighted that AIB can offer a new and secure `lifestyle' banking service for our customers on the move."
24 hour mobile is the latest development in the implementation of AIB`s strategy for `mobile' commerce. Subsequent phases will see the availability of a range of transaction based financial services utilising the latest WAP technology. This will include a share dealing service by the end of this year. AIB business customers can already use text messaging to monitor the latest share and currency prices with the recently unveiled FX3 treasury service.
Customers will be able to use this new banking information service for the price of an Eircell text message. "AIB will continue to provide this text messaging service in addition to the introduction of WAP based services later this year. We will also extend this service to compatible prepaid phones by mid-2000. This will facilitate our many customers who may prefer not to move immediately to WAP phones" confirmed Billy Andrews.
"Eircell, Ireland's largest mobile operator, is delighted to be at the forefront of advancing mobile banking in Ireland in partnership with AIB. A key element in persuading customers to engage in mobile commerce is through secure transmissions. Eircell is proud to be a key partner in enabling this new 24 hour mobile banking service" said Ciaran Carey, Head of eCommerce, Eircell.
With 24 hour mobile, customers use a registration number and personal access code to generate a text `request' message to AIB. After authentication by the bank, a `response' message containing the requested information is sent for viewing on the screen of the customer's phone.
24 hour mobile will complement AIB's Internet banking service (www.24hour-online.ie), which currently has 40,000 customers and is expected to grow to 100,000 by the end of this year.
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