banks - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Startup wants to be Australia's Mint.com

  Pocketbook, a Sydney-based startup, seeks to build a simpler and more useful service for managing spending than current offerings in Australia.

• PayPal predicts imminent demise for NFC, but analysts are split

  The end is nigh for near field communications (NFC) mobile payments, if PayPal president, David Marcus, is correct in his predictions. However, Australian industry analysts we contacted had differing views on the fate of NFC.

• Bank of Queensland to use social media, overhaul IT

  The Bank of Queensland seeks to use social media and other forms of online engagement to serve customers across more channels, according to the bank’s CEO, Stuart Grimshaw.

• NAB launches system for social media customer support

  National Australia Bank has launched a “social media command centre” to help further support its customer service, the bank announced today.

• CommBank announces Facebook payments, move to AWS cloud

  Commonwealth Bank revealed a slew of tech announcements today, including Facebook payments, a redesigned Kaching app for Android devices and new business banking products.

• NAB uses voice recognition to authenticate banking customers

  National Australia Bank (NAB) has deployed biometrics technology to allow customers to access their bank accounts using their voice.

• F5 moves beyond load balancing, into security

  F5 plans to bear down on the security and cloud markets in Australia and New Zealand, F5 officials said at the F5 Agility Forum on the Sunshine Coast.

• DDoS attacks against banks raise question: Is this cyberwar?

  It's been a month of crippling denial-of-service attacks on websites operated by U.S. banks and financial services firms. A terrorist organization called Al-Qassam takes credit online, but now the attacks are being blamed on Iran.

• NCR to speed ATM deposits for ANZ

  ANZ bank has tapped long-time partner NCR to help build the bank’s “next-generation” cash machines. NCR announced a five-year agreement with the bank to build ATM machines that can handle complex deposits more quickly.

• Westpac enables mobile banking on Android and Blackberry

  Westpac has stepped up its mobile banking capabilities, enabling customers with Blackberry and Android-based smartphones to access its banking services.

• Former CIO urges enterprises towards PCI compliance

  Australian banks may have been working through their own Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance issues, but that won’t stop them from fining business merchants from failing to meet the terms of the security initiative, according to an industry specialist.

• Fake Westpac customer emails doing the rounds

  Westpac has reported that fake emails claiming to be from the bank and including a malicious link are in circulation.

• Shared banking cloud possible, not practical: Westpac CIO

  Pooling infrastructure and applications into a common public cloud for Australia’s banks is not a far-fetched idea, but the practicality of getting all parties to agree will prevent its reality, according to the head of IT at Westpac bank.
  

• Suncorp Bank offers online budgeting app

  Suncorp Bank’s Internet banking suite now has an integrated online financial management application that allows people to set budgets and monitor spending patterns.

• Suncorp inks three-year mobility contract with Telstra

  Financial services group Suncorp has announced a three-year contract with Telstra to deliver all the company’s mobile voice and data services.