Westpac Goes Wireless

[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Westpac Banking Corporation and
Telstra have launched a joint Wireless
Application Protocol (WAP) Internet banking service.

Westpac expects the service to revolutionize banking, allowing customers
to view their account list, check account balances and transfer funds over
their WAP enabled mobile phone.

Westpac’s head of eStrategy Harry Wendt said the initiative was the first
working model in the Australian marketplace and one of the first
worldwide.

“It clearly signals the future direction of banking,” he said. “With 82
percent of our Internet customer base telling us they are interested in
using the WAP service for Internet banking, we are looking forward to
fulfilling the pent up demand,” said Wendt.

Westpac has successfully trialed the WAP service over the first half of
2000 and has co-developed a security server with Telstra to ensure a channel
of security between the bank’s 335,000 online banking customers and the
Telstra WAP gateway.

“Customers expect timely and relevant applications and our association
with Westpac helps us to deliver this to our customers, bringing the concept
of ‘accessing their world any time anywhere’ closer to reality,” said
Telstra’s general manager of wireless multimedia programs Greg van
Mourik.

Westpac said in the future the bank was planning customized notification
services as a value-added service to banking.

“The range of WAP devices and services offered is expanding dramatically,
increasing access and control for our customers,” said Wendt. “WAP is the
emerging global standard, it supports a range of devices other than just
mobile phones, plus it is carrier and network independent.”

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