Over 1bn mobile users will have taken part in banking activities on their device by the end of 2017, according to a report from Juniper Research. By comparison, Juniper expects to see that number hit just over 590m this year.

1bn is, of course, a encouragingly large figure, but its still only 15 per cent of the total number of mobile subscriber base. Juniper points out that around half of all mobile subscribers remain unbanked, with limited access to traditional financial services.

The report, Mobile Banking: Handset & Tablet Market Strategies 2013-2017, also looks at precisely what mobile offering banks currently have, whether messaging, mobile browser or an app-based service. In countries with high smartphone penetration, its increasingly common for banks to offer two or three of these.

“From the banks’ perspective, the triple-play platform is advantageous as it avoids them having to switch suppliers for different approaches as well as maximising client reach,” said report author Nitin Bhas. “While messaging remains highly popular and relevant in the financial sector, apps will be the dominant access mode in developed markets with banks reporting an increased number of visits per month on their mobile apps.”