NOVATO, Calif. - Winston-Salem-based BB&T Corp. ($127.6 billion in assets) has partnered with two California-based mobile banking and payments providers to offer a comprehensive mobile-banking service.
According to a news release, BB&T's three-phase rollout of the new service is set to begin next month and should be completed during the first quarter of 2008, when a full menu of mobile banking options will be available to BB&T clients. The services include two-way mobile messaging, mobile Web access and mobile banking applications
To facilitate the new services, BB&T has signed with ClairMail Inc. and mFoundry. BB&T is reported the first to sign with the two companies' newly formed partnership.
"We selected ClairMail and mFoundry because their integrated approach will allow BB&T to use mobile messaging, mobile Web and application solutions at the same time," said BB&T's Barbara Duck. "We are passionate about providing our clients with better value through rational innovation in a highly profitable manner."
The ClairMail-mFoundry service will allow BB&T to offer banking services using a mobile phone and integrated messaging. It will enable BB&T to provide a broad set of two-way services - including account management, fraud mitigation and direct customer service.
BB&T clients who sign up for the new service will be eligible to receive low-balance, overdraft or cleared-check alerts on their phones in real time. They can be notified when withdrawals or deposits exceed a specified amount and can automatically receive balance information at the end of the day or week.
Clients also will be able to respond to alerts using their phones. If a low balance alert comes in, for example, a client can use their phone to transfer funds from another account. Clients can also check balances, view transactions and locate BB&T branches or ATMs.
Future plans would allow clients to pay bills using their mobile phones.
