First Tennessee Bank has introduced mobile services that let consumers execute daily banking and treasury management tasks via their smartphones.

The company tapped Sybase 365 to power its mobile banking product. First Tennessee Bank believes that the new mobile banking product shows its commitment to helping consumers evolve with the ever-changing technology.

“Using Sybase mBanking technology, First Tennessee Bank is able to mobilize key banking functionality that was previously tied to the cash manager’s desktop for a business,” said Andrew Mikesell, mcommerce product director at Sybase 365.

“This includes common account management activities, such as balance and reporting information, but also includes mobilizing decisions within a business workflow,” he said. “Now a business manager can approve payment and funds movement requests for transactions like ACH, Wire, and Positive Payment from their mobile device.

“Making these traditional desk-bound transactions available on the mobile device not only creates a more convenient user experience, but allows the business operations to continue smoothly when key decision-making personnel are not in the office.”

Banking features
In addition to the traditional mobile features of viewing account balances, paying bills and transferring funds, this business mobile banking product enables business-specific capabilities such as approving the release of ACH files and making pay decisions.

“In the end, it’s about customer care, satisfaction, and retention,” Mr. Mikesell said. “Customers today expect and demand mobile services from their bank.

“Users want to be able to immediately access their accounts when notified of a bank transaction via SMS, such as payment due, or approval required,” he said. “If the bank is only informing a customer of events, but not providing the pathway to action upon those events, then the mobile experience is incomplete.

“For First Tennessee Bank that user demand for action decision was strong as this condition occurs most often in their business bank product, when a line employee requires manager approval for fund movement.”

Consumer needs
By providing notification and a pathway for decision making, First Tennessee is meeting the mobilization demands some of their most important customers – fee generating businesses, per Sybase.

“Now each business user of the bank has the ability to define their own portal pages for wide range of cash management activities, tailored by the users for themselves,” Mr. Mikesell said.

“Banks no longer have to try to determine what the ebanking pages should look like to address most of their users need,” he said. “Now the users can define the views, optimized for their own banking needs.”