Below are interesting stories the Banking.com staff has been reading over the past week. What have you been reading? Let us know in the comments section below or Tweet @bankingdotcom.
U.S. Bank Pushes Voice Biometrics to Replace Clunky Passwords
American Banker
When U.S. Bank announced Wednesday that it’s testing voice biometrics for possible use by customers to access account information, it joined a line of banks that have been testing this technology, including Wells Fargo (WF) and Barclays. Voice biometric software users log in to an application or website by speaking a word or phrase. That word or phrase is compared to a previous recording the customer has made, to verify it’s the same user. Many industry observers have been saying for at least a year that the password is dead and more secure alternatives to authentication, such as voice biometrics and iris scans are needed to verify a user’s identity when banking online or via a mobile device. Some press accounts Wednesday stated that the goal for U.S. Bank’s pilot is to improve customer data security.
Read more
Mobile Photo Bill Pay Continues Shaky Start
Credit Union Times
Major players are investing in mobile photo bill pay as a natural next step to mobile deposit checking but the tool may have a long way to go to catch up with taking pictures of checks with smartphones. In the past year, 600 to 1,000 banks have installed mobile RDC and less than a dozen have done the same with mobile photo bill pay, said Bob Meara, an Atlanta-based senior analyst for the New York-based research firm Celent. “Mobile RDC is this wonderfully convenient invention and it scores highly on all the consumer surveys, but if you ask the same question about mobile photo bill pay, people just don’t get as excited about it, for a variety of reasons,” Meara said. “It’s just not as compelling.”
Read more
It’s Time to Rise Above the Risk and Compliance Whining
Gonzo Banker
According to The Cornerstone Report, 7th Edition, bank assets per enterprise risk management FTE decreased from $147 million in 2010 to $55 million in 2012. Furthermore, the gap between median and 75th percentile performers was much wider than the gap between 25th percentile and median performers.
Read more
MCX and Paydiant Mobile Wallet – and Capturing the Consumer
Javelin Strategy & Research Blog
MCX announced it would be adopting the Paydiant mobile wallet, a cloud-based, white label platform. MCX is a consortium of 70 prominent brands with 110,000 locations representing over $1 Trillion in annual payments volume and 700,000 loyalty cards. MCX includes companies like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, CVS, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Exxon, Southwest, and today it extended to QSRs like Wendy’s. FIS, rated Javelin’s Best in Class Mobile Banking Vendor provides MCX with payment processing, routing and settlement for mobile commerce transactions.
Read more
Study finds small business mobile banking services lacking in US
Mobile Payments Today
U.S. banks need to make a greater effort to capitalize on their small business customers’ appetite for mobile banking services, according to research by Aite Group. This will involve providing their clients with business-specific mobile banking offerings instead of rebranded consumer mobile banking services, the U.S. consultancy says. In September 2013, Aite Group surveyed 1,003 U.S. companies with revenues of under $20 million for two reports: “Monetizing the Small-Business Opportunity” and “Why Banks Should Offer Mobile Banking to Small Businesses.” The survey found that about 32 percent of those businesses bank via mobile devices, according to Christine Barry, research director for Aite Group’s Wholesale Banking practice.
Read more
Banks See More Confidence But Face Threat From New Providers
Wall Street Journal Blog
After a period of sharp decline coming out of the financial crisis, the banking industry has seen a rise in consumer confidence for two years in a row, according to a new survey of 32,000 banking customers in 43 countries. The study, by Ernst & Young, showed that globally, one-third of customers reported an increase in confidence in the banking industry compared to a year ago. This marks a rise from Ernst & Young’s prior survey in June 2012, when just 22% reported an increase in optimism. In 2011, only 13% percent reported an increase in confidence in the banking industry, compared with 44% who reported a decrease.
Read more