[RyanGermann]

One of the more surprising, common, and "showstopping" complaints I see against BlackBerry 10 is "no native banking app for XXX bank". A lot of people are really miffed that they don't have their native banking apps (or the app isn't full featured) and it's one more major thing (not just a minor thing) that's keeping them from fully embracing BB10.

As someone who does most of my banking at the only national Canadian bank that still hasn't released a BB10 native banking app (I'm looking at YOU BMO!) I get that it's an irritant, but it's not life-or-death for me... but for some people, clearly it is.

It seems to me that BlackBerry could develop a set of frameworks that are specifically suitable for secure banking transactions between BB10 devices and all banks that have Android or iOS apps, and fast track it so that every bank in the world that has an iOS or Android native app could also have a BB10 app available, relatively quickly.

Does anyone have a sense of what outreach SPECIFICALLY to banks / financial institutions that BlackBerry Developer Relations (Marty Malick's team, I believe) has done? Because it seems like you can't give Facebook or Netflix enough money to bring their apps to BB10, but for banks, for whom the apps being platform-exclusives aren't a 'key strategy' (I don't imagine that they are, I could be wrong) it should be an easy hurdle of the many that remain to get over.

[OldSkoolVWLover]

I hear the complaint and can understand... but I don't understand the mass amount of people that require a mobile banking app. The browser works well enough, and I personally feel more secure entering my credentials directly into the same interface I do from my PC vs using an app. Maybe it's just me, but it feels more comfortable, and in general I prefer to only use my mobile when I have to to access financial data of any kind.

[EchoTango]

If Blackberry is going to gain the "prosumer" market, finacial apps have to be top of the list.

I've always wondered why Blackberry hasn't produced a financial application suite to adress this obvious need for this target market.

[Troy Tiscareno]

but I don't understand the mass amount of people that require a mobile banking app. The browser works well enough, and I personally feel more secure entering my credentials directly into the same interface I do from my PC vs using an app.

Banking apps allow you to deposit checks right from the phone, saving a trip to the bank. They also give you instant notifications of things like your account being low, service charges, transfers, overdrafts, etc. Finally, there's no zooming in to try to read a webpage (for those banks without a dedicated mobile site).

Those are BIG DEALS to a lot of people, especially when they are non-issues for people on other platforms. Being able to deposit a check the minute you get it, instead of after work, can get you access to that money several days earlier (especially if it's a Friday), and many people don't have a bank just down the street.

Yes, the other things can be done, but most people have either done things things with a superior app interface before or have friends/family who have, and they know what they're missing without an app. Minimizing their pain on that point is pure denial IMO, as so many people are saying outright that banking apps missing are one of the big factors keeping them away from the platform. That's not even speculation: they are TELLING us that that's a reason.

[ibpluto]

show stopping? I call that a hyperbole. Most banks have a kick *** mobile sites, that can easily work in a pinch. As a matter of fact, before Scotia came up with an app I used their mobile site with the browser, I created an icon on my app grid and the icon looked like an official app to boot. The mobile site was almost as good as the app as well.....didn't see a big benifit once we final got the "official" app to be perfectly honest.

With that said, I agree, the apps need to be there, as many users don't even know how to use a mobile site and create an icon on their screen (sad isn't it?)....but as far as banking apps go, I won't call it show stopping.

[heymaggie]

If you've used one of these apps on a regular basis then it is usually a show-stopper, especially the mobile deposit function. Isn't the whole idea to "get this done?" I call getting that little check deposited getting things done so that I can move on with the day.

I don't think any BB10 framework would suffice because most banks expect to customize their apps to highlight their strengths. They also want a uniform set of features so that when they advertise that their mobile apps do something that it applies to all of their devices.

[heymaggie]

Aren't there different protocols for different countries? Is Blackberry going to make frameworks for Canada only or the US, UK, and EU, too? How about China? How about India? I'd hate to be a customer in Indonesia waiting for the Blackberry team to come up with the framework that will work there.

Most frameworks, these days, arise from apps and ideas that third party developers created. Even Siri was an app first before it was bought by Apple. The same goes for Twitter and Facebook. I'm sure Blackberry may get around to developing a framework, eventually, but only after customers on other platforms have been using the functionality for years.

[Troy Tiscareno]

While I think needing an app to do that on a phone is silly, Apple has done a masterful job of indoctrinating people and companies to believe it. Of course that's because Apple does not want to bother creating a good browser when they can offload all that work to thousands of other companies. Since the mindset is in place, Android had to follow along.

Another example of "if BB has it, it's important and proves that BB leads the pack, but if BB doesn't have it, anyone who wants it must be sheep who aren't smart enough to think for themselves. At least, until BB finally gets it too, and then you are no longer a sheep for wanting that function."

Apple doesn't have to convince anyone that an app that has important capabilities that a mobile website doesn't, such as depositing checks via your phone, is desirable. It's OBVIOUS to anyone that this is an important advantage, which is why even most Crackberry users want mobile banking apps.

You like to accuse people of being "mindless fanboys", but that's exactly what you are showing yourself to be.

It's possible to be a BB fan and still recognize that they are missing things that are important to most people without trying to disparage those people for wanting them.

[RyanGermann]

Suggesting that people shouldn't want these apps because they can make do with the banks mobile browser site misses the point entirely. For some, Instagram is THE app that it's absence is keeping them from going BB10... for others, Google maps... But if you reread the first post, you will see that it's about people other than us, people already using BB10... And relative to the totally impossible (until it happens) task of getting Instagram or Netflix or Google's app suite onto BB10, getting the banking apps on board should be "relatively" easy, no?

Learning that most banking apps are developed by a handful of development houses is interesting... So, BlackBerry developer relations / Marty Malick... This sounds like an easy win for you!

[milo53]

I work in Banking IT for local and regional banks. I can tell you there are a few companies that do all those apps for the banking industry. The banks don't develop any apps at all. If BlackBerry could get the mobile banking service companies to write the app for BB, they would have apps for most banks right away.

While I think needing an app to do that on a phone is silly, Apple has done a masterful job of indoctrinating people and companies to believe it. Of course that's because Apple does not want to bother creating a good browser when they can offload all that work to thousands of other companies. Since the mindset is in place, Android had to follow along.

I don't understand why BB has not developed a relationship with the "Mobil App. Company". A prosumer/business professional handset/services/security world leader, has not made the effort to develope specific Banking apps?

[milo53]

Suggesting that people shouldn't want these apps because they can make do with the banks mobile browser site misses the point entirely. For some, Instagram is THE app that it's absence is keeping them from going BB10... for others, Google maps... But if you reread the first post, you will see that it's about people other than us, people already using BB10... And relative to the totally impossible (until it happens) task of getting Instagram or Netflix or Google's app suite onto BB10, getting the banking apps on board should be "relatively" easy, no?

Learning that most banking apps are developed by a handful of development houses is interesting... So, BlackBerry developer relations / Marty Malick... This sounds like an easy win for you!

Marty Malik........should have been an easy win. 1 year ago!

[app_Developer]

I hear the complaint and can understand... but I don't understand the mass amount of people that require a mobile banking app. The browser works well enough, and I personally feel more secure entering my credentials directly into the same interface I do from my PC vs using an app. Maybe it's just me, but it feels more comfortable, and in general I prefer to only use my mobile when I have to to access financial data of any kind.

Most of the large banks now use better auth and encryption standards in our apps than we can on our sites. We just have much options available to use in apps. It's one of the reasons we prefer app usage over the mobile web where possible. This is not the only reason of course.

[app_Developer]

I work in Banking IT for local and regional banks. I can tell you there are a few companies that do all those apps for the banking industry. The banks don't develop any apps at all. If BlackBerry could get the mobile banking service companies to write the app for BB, they would have apps for most banks right away.

That may be true for smaller regional banks, I don't know. But it's definitely not true for the top 5 US banks. Each of us have in-house mobile teams or multiple in-house mobile teams. I'm pretty sure that's true for 6-8 at least also.

While I think needing an app to do that on a phone is silly, Apple has done a masterful job of indoctrinating people and companies to believe it. Of course that's because Apple does not want to bother creating a good browser when they can offload all that work to thousands of other companies. Since the mindset is in place, Android had to follow along.

RDC in the browser is a horrible user experience and a much higher failure rate. The browser gives us very limited options for location, often giving us more granular location than we need or want. We can't do enhanced ATM interactions very well through the browser.

Our security options are limited in the browser. Passbook and push notifications are clunky at best coming from the browser. Obviously how we react to NFC purchases on Android is impossible in the browser.

Our Android and iOS customers have a choice to use either, and we see them spread across both. Engagement, transaction volume, satisfaction, failure rates, customer service incidents, every single metric we measure is much, much better on the apps. And in our case, better as we roll out more purely native apps (less HTML5).

The early banking apps were nothing more than the websites packaged in a paper thin shell, but that is changing, and you'll see more of that in 2014 certainly. Apps just give us many, many more options than are feasible or tolerable in the browser.

I suppose Benz and Ford brainwashed everyone into thinking they needed cars when they could reach the store perfectly well on horse.

[app_Developer]

It seems to me that BlackBerry could develop a set of frameworks that are specifically suitable for secure banking transactions between BB10 devices and all banks that have Android or iOS apps, and fast track it so that every bank in the world that has an iOS or Android native app could also have a BB10 app available, relatively quickly.

The biggest issues, at least for US and European banks, is the numbers are too small still. Most, actually almost all, of our BB users are on BB6 or BB7. Very few are on BB10. So that's the most important impediment.

If anything, we should be more worried about what we can do on BB7 because that would impact a much larger group of customers.

But I am interested in the frameworks you're thinking about. I think there are some opportunities there to make BB10 APIs that are better than what we have on iOS and Android. What specifically were you thinking of?



Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk

[RyanGermann]

But I am interested in the frameworks you're thinking about. I think there are some opportunities there to make BB10 APIs that are better than what we have on iOS and Android. What specifically were you thinking of?

I am not an encryption expert but if nothing else, a set of Cascades code files that has hooks into the platform APIS for geolocation etc. and provides all the standard banking app forms templates, with lots of inlinedocumentation and clear instructions for where to insert the specific communication / encryption algorithms as used on the android and iOS versions... but all having BB10 native look and feel. I also think BlackBerry would have to provide a specially trained team of development support personnel and help on server side implementations, too.

[lnichols]

Mallick's team has failed across the board. The game guy has been awesome, Alec has done OK with the small time devs given the epic failures of the BB10 rollout, but Mallick's group has produced NOTHING that I can see.

Posted via CB10

[nyplaya610]

How does BlackBerry expect to get businesses on board with no file apps available?

Posted via CB10

[sinsin07]

I work in Banking IT for local and regional banks. I can tell you there are a few companies that do all those apps for the banking industry. The banks don't develop any apps at all. If BlackBerry could get the mobile banking service companies to write the app for BB, they would have apps for most banks right away.

You have any proof of this claim, or is this just your anecdotal experience?

While I think needing an app to do that on a phone is silly, Apple has done a masterful job of indoctrinating people and companies to believe it.

Or maybe you just deluded yourself to think the oposite.

Of course that's because Apple does not want to bother creating a good browser when they can offload all that work to thousands of other companies. Since the mindset is in place, Android had to follow along.

You often see this kind of comment with users on platforms with no traction. They rail against the app because the browser is all they have. Seen it on WebOS and history repeats itself here.

[rai187]

I am pissed that there are literally no banking apps at all for BB10. This is a complete fail.

Posted via CB10

[sinsin07]

That may be true for smaller regional banks, I don't know. But it's definitely not true for the top 5 US banks. Each of us have in-house mobile teams or multiple in-house mobile teams. I'm pretty sure that's true for 6-8 at least also.



RDC in the browser is a horrible user experience and a much higher failure rate. The browser gives us very limited options for location, often giving us more granular location than we need or want. We can't do enhanced ATM interactions very well through the browser.

Our security options are limited in the browser. Passbook and push notifications are clunky at best coming from the browser. Obviously how we react to NFC purchases on Android is impossible in the browser.

Our Android and iOS customers have a choice to use either, and we see them spread across both. Engagement, transaction volume, satisfaction, failure rates, customer service incidents, every single metric we measure is much, much better on the apps. And in our case, better as we roll out more purely native apps (less HTML5).

The early banking apps were nothing more than the websites packaged in a paper thin shell, but that is changing, and you'll see more of that in 2014 certainly. Apps just give us many, many more options than are feasible or tolerable in the browser.

I suppose Benz and Ford brainwashed everyone into thinking they needed cars when they could reach the store perfectly well on horse.

Thank you.

By the way, did the horse have HTML5? LOL

[tobingchn]

Most of the banks in China have their apps in both iOS and Android. Yet, their web-based internet banking are still widely used. They use this feature to attract more customers. Providing convenient way to do banking transaction.
In short, Blackberry should seriously consider this issue.