South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB) has launched a banking app for Research in Motion’s (RIM’s) new BlackBerry 10 operating system, even though it is yet to launch one for the Windows Phone.
RIM is set to launch the new BlackBerry today (January 30).
The app is available immediately from the BlackBerry App Store. It is already available on Android, iOS and other operating systems – though not Windows Phone – and has 380,000 active clients, with 40,000 new users joining each month.
“The FNB App is currently in the BlackBerry store and is available as a free download,” the bank said in a statement.
BlackBerry’s popularity with app clients is the main reason for the swift launch of BlackBerry 10 compatibility, according to Farren Roper, head of the FNB Connect Internet service provider and the bank’s business operations.
“BlackBerry currently constitutes 29% of our app user base,” he said. “We want to make the app available on as many devices and platforms as possible where it makes sense.”
