Cc image courtesy of theonecarl on Flickr
Kenya’s NIC Bank has introduced a mobile banking platform, NIC NOW, a convergence of solutions offering banking services and lifestyle information via mobile.
NIC said the new product will enable customers to enjoy speedier transactions on handheld devices running on Android, iOS, Windows, and BlackBerry platforms.
According to the bank’s group managing director Jihn Gachora the rapid growth of mobile phone transactions has made it necessary for the banking sector to take advantage of the technology.
“The phenomenal growth in mobile phone use has created a whole new customer channel. Mobile transactions have grown rapidly in the last five years making it necessary for banks to develop innovative solutions that tap into the advantages brought about by mobile technology,” he said.
Gachora further said the application will also deliver informative and fun features including news, cinema guides and verses from the Bible and Quran.
NIC hopes to transfer the majority of its transactions to mobile devices.
“This adoption to new age banking, innovative and personalized multi-channel banking experience on ATM, Internet, and now the Mobile app and social media interface will help drive NIC Bank’s new media strategy”, Gachora said.
The new product is an advancement of the *488# system that has been running on the mobile banking platform, which NIC says has increased the level of interactivity with bank accounts and speedier transactions.
The new platform is powered by Elma and created by local software solutions provider Craft Silicon, and unlike other mobile services in the market is not attached to a particular network.
One amazing feature of the app is the heightened speed of transactions, with M-Pesa taking less than 60 seconds and RTGS taking just minutes via USSD.
Owners of other smartphones can also access the app on their devices through an activation key and start PIN.
