Canada has really been getting all the goodies recently! This time, that other North American country will be getting software-free, text-based mobile banking – another first for the continent. Telus, a leading telecom in the land of the maple leaf, is hooking up with Novato, California-based ClairMail for some mobile-banking bliss.
Mobile banking recently broke ground on US soil, but it’s a half-baked application, at best. Cingular and FireThorn are teaming up for a stumbling attempt at software-based mobile bank account management. Visa and VeriSign seem to have more of a clue as they set off to bring a text-based payment system to the Yankee masses. But, both offerings fail to live up to the promise of true wireless banking.
Cingular and Visa are getting a serious shoulder check from the north, as ClairMail and Telus bring software-free integration “with a financial institution’s back-end systems” – giving Canadians wireless access to their bank accounts as well text-based payments.
ClairMail’s head honcho, Joseph Salesky, brags that only his company can offer mobile banking and payment solutions on any device, on any wireless carrier, that is text-enabled and has email and web-browsing capability. And, to rub our collective nose in it, ClairMail serves up their delicious recipe of wireless account management and payment “with no new software required.â€
So, Canadians on Telus’ network can celebrate the fact that, once again, they have managed to one-up the US’s pathetic wireless industry. Go and spend a few text-messaged Looneys on a bowl of poutine you lucky Canadians you.