LONDON, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A poll appearing on touchpoints ( www.self-service-touchpoints.com ), an on-line community for the self- service industry sponsored by NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), has questioned whether the future of banking will be "Clicks and No Mortar." How do banks and other commentators view the concept of the branchless "cyber bank?" The result of the poll was a split decision, reflecting a divergence of views regarding the future direction of the banking industry.
Of the 1,000 registered users eligible to vote, 38 percent either agreed or agreed strongly that the future could be branchless, compared with 48 percent who disagreed or disagreed strongly. The remainder were undecided.
The recent rise of Internet banks raises the issue of whether a physical presence is necessary to the successful operation of a retail banking facility. The introduction of sophisticated Self-Service-TouchPoints(TM) means that a branch presence is no longer a pre-requisite to offering customers services such as cash and check deposit and bill payment. This is highlighted in two articles on the touchpoints site.
Paul Sweeney, author of touchpoints article, "Clicks vs. Bricks and Mortar," states that "Across the US, large banks are up against a new breed -- the branchless 'cyber bank' whose chief weapon is dramatically lower costs."
A separate touchpoints article written by Nick Kirby, "The Cost of Being Effective," concludes that "The main hurdle facing Internet-only banking is the availability of a suitable deposit mechanism. Once that is overcome, some believe 'bricks and mortar' banks are in danger of being totally left out in the cold."
Meanwhile, more traditional banks have acted in response to the competitive threat, quickly adopting the new technology. The touchpoints site highlights the case of Caja Madrid, which adopted the latest developments in transaction automation to free up tellers and improve customer services.
Commenting on the poll, Christophe Primault, vice president of global marketing and communications for NCR's Financial Solutions Division, said, "Whichever way we look at it, Self-Service TouchPoints will play an important role as the banking market evolves. Touchpoints provide more convenience to consumers, enable cost control and generate new revenue streams for financial institutions. We witnessed this trend in 2000 when we shipped a record number of ATMs and experienced a surge in demand for value added services. This trend is set to continue."
The touchpoints site has grown rapidly since its launch in November 2000. Sponsored NCR Corporation, the world's leading provider of ATMs or Self- Service TouchPoints, the site is run by Forward Group's digital arm, Realsubstance. As well as being a repository of ideas, the site is a forum where individuals from all industries can exchange views and information on self-service issues.
Free online registration is available at www.self-service-touchpoints.com to receive regular updates on touchpoints.
About the Forward Group
Forward is a multi-disciplinary marketing agency group focused on building and enriching customer relationships in the new economy. Through an integrated offering of print, advertising sales, interactive media, direct marketing and data management expertise, Forward helps leading brands turn marketing opportunities into profitable customer behavior. In addition to NCR, clients include Tesco, Egg, Nasdaq, British Airways Holidays and BT.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in providing Relationship Technology(TM) solutions to customers worldwide in the retail, financial, communications, manufacturing, travel and transportation, and insurance markets. NCR's Relationship Technology solutions include privacy-enabled Teradata(R) warehouses and customer relationship management (CRM) applications, store automation and automated teller machines (ATMs). The company's business solutions are built on the foundation of its long- established industry knowledge and consulting expertise, value-adding software, global customer support services, a complete line of consumable and media products, and leading edge hardware technology. NCR employs 32,900 in more than 100 countries, and is a component stock of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. More information about NCR and its solutions may be found at www.ncr.com .
NCR and Teradata are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. SOURCE NCR Corporation
CONTACT: Wynne Evans of NCR Corporation - London, 00-44-20-7725-8997, or wynne.evans@ncr.com; or Lorraine Russell of NCR Corporation - Dayton, OH, 937-445-3784, or lorraine.russell@ncr.com/
