Mobile banking has generated a lot of hype. In some cases it was warranted--when it comes to serving the unbanked around the globe, for example. And in other areas, notably Asia, the ramp-up seems to indeed be progressing rapidly.

When it comes to the U.S. market, mobile banking is making in-roads, even though it's not an overnight revolution. The reason is likely the success of online banking. "The appeal of mobile banking simply isn't strong enough to influence the mass migration of bank customers away from existing channels, such as online banking (OLB). If customers have grown comfortable with one low-cost, self-service mechanism, it doesn't make particular sense for a bank to drive them to use another one," notes an analyst at Ovum IT.

This has kept large banks from making more aggressive bets, a stance that seems reasonable. What would goose usage? Well, a killer application of some sort might work, or some sort of person to person application, or a point-of-sale applications, maybe. But I don't really see one out there. You have to wonder if there's a way to synergize the online offering and the mobile offering. 

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