NEW YORK – A Citi executive at Mobile Commerce Daily’s Mcommerce Summit conference yesterday said that tablets are driving a much deeper level of engagement with customers than smartphones.

Citibank found that 77 percent of its tablet application users interacted with three or more screens inside the app, pointing to the increased usage of tablets for mobile banking.

Citibank is playing up the iPad’s tablet-specific features with a new user interface that simplifies the banking process for consumers and enhances the company’s goal to be on every platform.

With Google, MasterCard and Citi reportedly teaming up to go head-to-head with the U.S. carriers’ Isis joint venture with Discover Card and Barclaycard, a war in the near field communication space is on the horizon.

ORLANDO, FL – While mobile banking tends to be a consumer engagement tool, new features such as remote deposit capture provide financial institutions with the opportunity to generate profits, according to a panel at CTIA Wireless 2011.

Citigroup Inc.’s Citibank is placing mobile at the center of its customer engagement strategy, with cost-cutting and revenue-generation significant fringe benefits.

Citigroup responded quickly to correct a security flaw in its mobile banking app for iPhone, and the problem seems to be an isolated incident, not an alarming trend.

Fidelity Investments has enhanced its mobile financial planning application to let retirement plan holders view their account information on the go.

Citibank has introduced an SMS banking service that delivers account updates on demand to bank and credit card customers.

Citibank has expanded its iPhone application to help customers stay connected to their finances in real-time.