DUBLIN, Ireland — Banks will now be able to reach customers on any mobile phone without the customer having to download special software, according to Ireland-based Kinzna Ltd., which specializes in mobile-Internet solutions.
Kinzna has launched a product that allows bank customers to view statements and account histories, receive alerts on account activities and overdrafts, monitor deposits, access loan statements, transfer funds and pay bills. Other value-added services include a branch and ATM locator, currency rates and mobile-phone top-up.
The product, called mobileBank, does not use WAP (wireless application protocol), nor it is restricted to a certain set of customers who use a specific mobile device or subscribe to a certain mobile operator. MobileBank conforms to industry best practice in the area of secure transmission of private customer data. It protects users' data in three ways. Each time customers access mobileBank, they must authenticate themselves. No personal data, including account numbers, are ever stored on the phone or the mobileBank system. And all data exchanged between the phone and the bank has 128-bit encryption.
"With mobileBank, there is no need for client-software download," said Isam Khalaf, Kinzna's managing director. "Banks can offer mobile-banking services to all customers, and customers can enjoy the service, irrespective of whether they are using a mobile phone, PDA, XDA, Black Berry or any other device."
MobileBank also can be interfaced with an already operational ATM-management system over ISO 8583 interface and act as an ATM.
