Beyond Stock Quotes

A funny thing is happening on the way to wireless financial services - U.S. providers may be primed to take the lead.

U.S. wireless-service providers are behind the rest of the world's providers in many areas. But wireless financial transactions and services may be one area where we can lead, said Alan Kieter, Wireless Internet & Mobile Computing president, at a CTIA Wireless I.T. panel discussion.

Although no one has won the race, NTT DoCoMo seems to be leading so far with more than 400 financial service companies over i-mode. You can, though, count on seeing a lot more happening with wireless banking in 2001. For starters, U.S. financial companies are more excited about the wireless Internet than they were about the desktop-based Internet.

"We no longer have a brick-and-mortar mentality," said Michael Breault, Citicorp e-Citi vice president of access devices and technology. "Now, `authenticate' yourself and Citicorp will deliver to you anywhere, anytime and on any device."

E-Citi, for example, is building wireless applications now. One example is Citi alerts, which are account-specific and can warn wireless users when there's a danger of a check bouncing or credit-card fraud. Other applications include on-demand transactions and mobile payment systems.

According to Brian Church, Bell Mobility associate director of data services, 50% of the provider's users go to portal sites, and financial is the second most-visited portal segment. Financial services via wireless devices lure 16% of that traffic. Bell Mobility's financial partners include Fidelity Investments, Schwab, Scotiabank and TD Waterhouse.

Church said business drivers for financial services include a high level of customer satisfaction, regardless of access channel; a strong focus on core business vs. technology; cost-effective delivery channels for services; a goal to improve communications and workflow in the enterprise; and to exploit alternative ways to increase shareholder value.

The keys to wireless financial success include open platforms, security, personalization, quick access and push and pull capabilities.

"The operator, bank and customer have to win," Breault said.

There's a new "I" in CTIA. To encompass the speeding development of the wireless Internet, the industry association has changed its name to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. The revision also follows CTIA's merger with the Wireless Data Forum (WDF). WDF board chairman David Sutcliffe called the merger "a natural evolutionary step forward for the WDF, CTIA and the broader mobile computing industry."

CTIA president Tom Wheeler said the WDF has succeeded in promoting the wireless Internet, an area CTIA is moving closer to every year. CTIA's membership has grown in the past 16 years to include cellular, PCS, equipment vendors and Internet developers and providers.

Four 3G licenses will go up for auction in Singapore in February. Singapore will gain at least one new service provider as there are only three incumbent providers. Bidding will start at $85 million but some of the revenue will return in the form of industry grants and incentives.

Entries for the 2001 GSM Association Awards are now being accepted. The awards will be presented the evening before the beginning of the 3GSM World Congress in February. The six award categories include the GSM in the Community Award, Best GSM TV Commercial and the GSM Association Roll of Honour. The deadline is January 5, 2001; entry forms can be obtained at www.gsmworld.com.