Hdfc Bank To Spread Mobile Services
HDFC Bank plans to extend its mobilephone banking services introduced in select metros to mobilephone broking when it introduces its Internet on-line trading in July.
According to Neeraj Swaroop, country head, marketing and retail assets, HDFC Bank, plans to get into tie-ups with local cellular operators in all major cities to provide its mobilephone banking services free of cost. HDFC Bank
is already in tie-up with BPL Mobile to provide mobilephone banking service. In Pune, HDFC Bank has entered into a tie-up with BPL Mobile to provide its account holders access their accounts anytime over the mobilephone in the city on Friday.
This service under "MobileInternet" is being provided by BPL Mobile free of cost in the initial stage and later it may levy a fee for the service.
Soon, BPL Mobile and HDFC Bank plan to extend its services to Kerala and Tamil Nadu where BPL Mobile has its cellular operations.
The subscribers of BPL Mobile can access information and avail services of HDFC Bank, pertaining to balance enquiry, stop payment, statement request for current period, cheque book request, statement request, cheque status, change operative account, fixed deposit status, bill presentation and bill payment.
In the near future, subscribers will also be able to undertake more complex transactions like fund transfer throughout the country on their mobile phones, officials of both HDFC Bank and BPL Mobile said.
"The future of business is moving more and more towards convergence as customers look at one device for communication and organising," Vinay Agarwal, chief operating office, BPL Mobile (Maharashtra and Goa circle) said.
According to Agarwal, BPL is looking at getting into convergence of broadband, wireless, Internet and infotech where it has already taken several steps to reach this goal.
Under MobileInternet, the company plans to introduce a range of services that will address value added services and customer services, Agarwal said.
Besides enabling banking services, BPL Mobile has also provided its customers free e-mail.