FNB banking app nominated for World Summit Award

[R.B]

The FNB banking app will vie for the 2012 World Summit Award
First National Bank (FNB) of South Africa announced on Wednesday that its banking application had been nominated for the World Summit Award (WSA) to compete among the world’s best mobile contents.

The FNB Banking App was preselected at national level as the best m-Content example in m-Business & Commerce.
Farren Roper, Head of FNB Connect ISP and Business Operations, says the bank is proud to be nominated for such an esteemed global award, which emphasises the importance of bridging the digital divide to offer convenient and simple banking to South African consumers.
“With the introduction of the FNB Banking App, the retail bank App landscape in South Africa has changed. The FNB App created demand for Apps in Banking with most of our competitors having launched their own versions of an App, confirming the need for mobile App technology in the banking industry,” Roper says.
“The key to future success is not to be complacent and to continue to deliver firsts on the App platform which add value to our clients.”
An international panel of renowned IT experts and industry leaders with backgrounds in the creative industries, telecommunication, advertising, journalism and research will evaluate the nominated products later this month.
The judges, who were drawn from all continents, will assess the apps based on the value of the content as well as the product’s design and technical realisation. Each nominee’s contribution will also be evaluated on its effectiveness to bridging the digital divide.
The Chairman of World Summit Award board says the goal of the award is to find out “what works in different markets and in different parts of the world and what really makes a difference for the people in remote villages and global megacities. We want to show to decision makers what can be done to foster mobile’s potential to create a true information society.”
The FNB Banking App was launched in July 2011 on Apple, BlackBerry and Android devices. Over 250 000 active clients are currently using the app, with about 40,000 new users joining every month, according to the group.
During the MTN App awards held last month, the FNB Banking App won in the following categories: Best iOS (Apple) App, Best BlackBerry App, Best Android App and the best Overall App.
Winners of the WSA-mobile awards will be invited to an event next February in Abu Dhabi.