Lots of players in the mobile banking derby

While the big banks and telephone companies generate most of the headlines when it comes to mobile banking, there are lots of aspirants in the field. It's way too early to say they'll be locked out. Consider Metavante, which offers banking and payments technology. It has teamed with Monitise Americas to launch a text message banking service.

The service will allow customers to obtain account information via text messages. It also offers alerts when, for example, a paycheck has been deposited or when their balance falls to a certain level. A lot banks beyond the top tier face some interesting choices over the next few years. Most agree that they'll have to offer some sort of mobile offering, but building it out can be really tricky and expensive. So a lot will have to fall back on third-party solutions and that inchoate market is still wide open. We'll see who steps up to this role. 

For more:
- here's a release on the Metavante And Monitise Americas news

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