Community banks prioritise mobile

Only 27% of community banks offer mobile banking services today, but many institutions are planning to offer or expand the service over the next year-and-a-half, according to survey data from Banc Investment Group, says Cellular-News.

Some 89% of the community bankers polled in a nationwide survey said they are considering some form of enhancement to their existing platform. That includes 54% looking to design a mobile application for a smartphone, such as an iPhone, and 35% planning to add some type of functionality to their existing platform.

"For community bankers, mobile banking is a way to get closer to the customer in an efficient manner - like ATMs and home banking," said Chris Nichols, CEO of Banc Investment Group.

Aiming to bridge the technology gap and upgrade the units in the micro and small enterprise sector, Jammu and Kashmir Bank (JK Bank) has introduced the Technology Upgradation Scheme, reports Rising Kashmir.

It also introduced a Web-based electronic no-objection certificate to make the sanctioning of loans hassle free.

Minister for Industries and Commerce, S S Salathia, unveiled the schemes in the presence of JK Bank chairman and chief executive, Dr Haseeb A Drabu. Speaking on the occasion, Drabu said the technology in the state is old and obsolete, which needed to be upgraded for more efficiency.

IT development staff are once again in demand by banks for their technology teams, it has been claimed, states Astbury Marsden.

This is the assertion of eFinancialCareers, which predicted 2010 will see recruitment of such specialists rise sharply as IT projects restart in the wake of the downturn and budgets increase.

In an article for the Web site, Paul Clarke suggested 2009 saw high levels of demand for business analysts and project analysts to fill technology jobs in banking in London.