29 US Banks ReceiveMobile Banking "Report Card" FromABI Research

NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
It has been two years since mobile banking was introduced in the United States,
and analysts at ABI Research believe it is time to assess its progress, with a
focus on the user-friendliness (or otherwise) of the services on offer. The firm
has published a mobile banking "report card" which assesses 29 banks on the
discoverability and accessibility of their mobile banking services.

Senior analyst Mark Beccue says, "People are asking `Is mobile banking taking
off in the US?` For that to happen, two things are required: the services must
be easy to find, and accessible to a broad range of consumers . So the `grades`
in this report card are not about subscriber numbers or any other measure of
success, but about how consumer-friendly the banks` offerings are."

The results are as follows:

A - Exceptional: BB&T, Eastern Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Northeast Bank, USAA,
Wells Fargo

B+ - Very Good: Bank of America, Chase

B - Good: Capital One, US Bank, Huntington Bank

C - Average: America First, Bancorp South, Citibank, PNC, Wachovia

D - Below Average: Carolina First, 1st Bank, IBC Bank, Mercantile Bank, Regions,
SunTrust, Synovus

F - Failing: M&T, Provident Bank

No mobile banking offering: Citizens Bank, Comerica, HSBC, KeyBank

Of 29 banks examined, 17 are the nation`s largest retail banks. The remaining
dozen banks are a sampling of other community and regional banks.

Summarizing the results, Beccue says, "We have two observations/recommendations.
First, mobile banking`s reach in the US isn`t as good as it could be. If banks
want mobile banking to be ubiquitous and available to as many consumers as
possible, they`ll have to promote text messaging in particular as the method of
choice. Secondly, if you`re in the retail banking business and you don`t have a
link - or at least a list of your mobile banking services - on your website`s
homepage, then you`re undermining your whole effort. Discoverability is
critically important."

"Mobile Banking: US Banks Report Card"
(http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1004348) evaluates and grades 29 US banks
on the reach, breadth of services offered, security, and discoverability of
their mobile banking operations, resulting in a report card which shows the
leaders and laggards of mobile banking in the US.

It forms part of the firm`s Mobile Money Research Service
(http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Mobile_Money_Research_Service).

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of emerging
trends in global connectivity. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia,
ABI Research`s worldwide team of experts advise thousands of decision makers
through 25 research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit
www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.

ABI Research
Christine Gallen, 516-624-2542
pr@abiresearch.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009