Kiwibank, a New Zealand bank known for its innovative approach to banking, has won the Financial Innovation Award for Best Direct Channels Initiative – Mobile Phone category awarded by the ifs School of Finance. The award was presented at the Financial Innovation Awards Ceremony in London last week.  Fronde Anywhere, which provides mobile products for the financial services and corporate sectors, partnered with Kiwibank to provide the technology behind the mobile banking solution. The Kiwibank mobile banking facility enables a customer to use a mobile phone for virtually all banking services that are available on the Internet. This includes viewing account balances and transactions, transferring funds between accounts, and making payments to other parties.
The development of Kiwibanks Mobile Banking solution was a considerable and highly complex technical achievement and involved Kiwibank and mobile network providers working together. This has subsequently led and shifted the market, according to Fronde Anywhere, which adds that every bank in New Zealand is now in the process of incorporating mobile banking services into their offerings.
Kiwibank saw off competition from Alliance & Leicester, Banco Sabadell, Barclays Bank and Fortis, to win the award.
The ifs Financial Innovation Awards are now firmly established as one of the most prestigious in the financial services industry, says Gary Millner, Director of Corporate Relations and Communications at the ifs School of Finance. Entries from organisations across the globe combined with a rigorous judging process mean that those who win one of the award categories, such as Kiwibank, can take pride in having truly excelled in the industry.
Fronde Anywhere Executive Vice President, Products and Marketing, Caroline Dewe, collected the award on Kiwibanks behalf. She says:
Were absolutely delighted to be recognised internationally alongside Kiwibank at these prestigious awards. It reinforces Kiwibanks strong growth and commitment to mobile banking as a key part of its multichannel strategy.
For Kiwibank, CEO Sam Knowles adds:
It is incredibly exciting for a small bank like Kiwibank, in partnership with Fronde Anywhere, to get this kind of international recognition. At Kiwibank, we see mobile banking as the way of the future, and we are continually committed to being at the forefront of technical innovation.”