Monitise, the UK firm at the forefront of global mobile banking and payments, has increased its potential customer base in announcing today that over 2,000 different types of mobile phone handsets now support its services.
The news means that Monitise's robust and flexible software can be used on almost all of the different types of mobile handsets available to people in its UK and North American markets, making it a clear leader in its field.
Using Monitise's services, people can manage their money closely without the need to visit a branch, phone a call centre or log on to the internet.
Instead they can use their mobile phones to check their bank balance and recent transactions, move money between accounts and set up text alerts to warn against unexpected overdrafts, for example.
Different levels of mobile banking services are available to reflect peoples' various needs, ranging from text-based SMS alerts and information requests, such as balance and transaction enquiries, to increasingly more sophisticated downloadable applications or browser access to enable transfers and payments - giving customers full money management on the move.
Alastair Lukies, chief executive officer of Monitise, said: "It is important that as many people as possible can use our services to manage their money in these times and we have been working hard to support as many different handsets as we can.
"Today's announcement means our banking and financial institution partners in the UK and North America can supply mobile money management options to more of their customers, which in turn means Monitise becomes a more attractive partner to them and the mobile network operators."
Monitise's platform is already used by HSBC, LloydsTSB, RBS Group, Alliance & Leicester and more than 100 banks and financial institutions in North America.
In June this year Monitise signed a deal to supply its Mobile Money Manager platform to Visa Inc. which has 1.7 billion card-holders across the world.
Monitise also has agreements in place in Africa and the Middle East, and has announced plans to expand into India and the Asia-Pacific region in the near future.
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Notes to Editors
1. Monitise's rapid growth means it is on target to reach a total of one million customers by the end of 2009.
2. Monitise signed a five year agreement in June worth a minimum of US $13 million to be Visa Inc's global development partner for mobile services.
3. Monitise plc (LSE: MONI.L) has created the world's first mobile money networks, which allow customers of multiple banks and mobile operators to perform banking and payment transactions directly from their mobile handset. With live services in the UK and in the USA, where it is in partnership with FIS, the company is currently working with international partners to deliver similar safe, secure mobile banking and payment services in territories worldwide. Current key partners include VocaLink, FIS, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, first direct, Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Ulster, Visa, Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and 3.
4 Monitise provides mobile banking services to UK banks with in excess of 55% of current accounts.
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