Monitise Regulatory News (MONI)

7 Apr 2008 07:00

Monitise PLC07 April 2008 7 April, 2008 ALLIANCE & LEICESTER TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEIR FINANCES Business customers to be offered new mobile phone banking services through MONILINK* Monitise plc (MONI.L) welcomes the news that Alliance & Leicester CommercialBank has announced the launch of a mobile phone banking service for businesscustomers provided by MONILINK. The new mobile phone banking service will enable small business customers tocheck the balance of their accounts, request mini-statements and even top-uppre-pay mobile phones directly from their bank accounts, safely and securely -whenever they want and wherever they are in the world. The expansion of the MONILINK service, which was rolled out to Alliance &Leicester's personal current account customers in January 2007, illustrates thebank's commitment to customer service innovation for all its customers. Inparticular, it will provide business customers, especially those who don't workfrom a fixed location, with the ability always to know if they have been paid,when a cheque has cleared, or if an upcoming payment is due. This secure service is protected by a personal passcode and any informationdisplayed on the phone is automatically deleted. No personal details are storedon the handset itself, ensuring that information remains completely secure, evenif the handset is lost or stolen. Steve Jennings, Director of Business Banking at Alliance & Leicester CommercialBank said: "Our new mobile phone banking service is the natural next step,complementing our award winning business current account products perfectly.Small business owners are understandably focused on building their businesses,and therefore, convenience is key to helping them to manage their finances." Jennings adds: "Our customers will have the facility of being able to access thenew service and receive up to date information on their business account at atime which suits them and the needs of their business. Alliance & LeicesterCommercial Bank already offers internet and telephone banking and our customersare able to carry out their everyday banking transactions at any of our branchesor via the 14,000 UK Post Offices(c)." The service is available immediately and will be free for Alliance & LeicesterCommercial Bank customers until 31 August 2008. From 1 September 2008 a setmonthly fee of just £1.50 will apply, allowing customers access to the serviceas many times they wish each month. To start using this service, existingcustomers simply register their details viawww.alliance-leicestercommercialbank.co.uk/mobile. John Milliken, Managing Director, MONILINK added: "Most business people are outand about running their businesses during the day, which can sometimes make itdifficult to keep track of their accounts. However, the mobile phone is the onething that is always with them, making it the perfect device for them to keep upto date with their money, from seeing if that cheque has gone out, to checkingif that last customer invoice has been paid. "Alliance & Leicester was one of the first banks in the UK to offer mobilebanking, extending the service to their business customers is an example oftheir dedication to customer service. In the near future, I firmly believethat, all banks will follow Alliance & Leicester in offering mobile phonebanking as an essential feature to all their customers." Steve Jennings continues: "Since its launch in January 2007, the MONILINKservice has proved to be very popular with Alliance & Leicester's personalcurrent account customers. This extension of the service to our businessbanking customers is partly due to the popularity and feedback that we havereceived from our customers who already use the service." For further information on Alliance & Leicester's Commercial Banking servicesand details of the MONILINK service, business owners should call 0800 587 0800,or visit www.alliance-leicestercommercialbank.co.uk. -ENDS- Notes for Editors: *MONILINK is a mobile banking service provider. The company is a joint venturebetween Monitise plc, the mobile banking and payments specialists and VocaLink,the operator of the UK ATM network. Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank is the A+Lternative business bank offeringbetter value products than the traditional business banks. It offers businessesof all sizes very competitively priced banking, lending and specialist financialservices, credit/debit card processing and bill payment facilities, along withmarket-leading rates for deposit accounts. Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank offers a range of very competitive depositand current accounts and was recently awarded 'Best Business Current AccountProvider' by leading independent finance guide Business Moneyfacts for a recordsixth consecutive year. MONILINK, the UK's mobile banking network, provides consumers with a greaterlevel of control over their finances, allowing them to securely access theircard-based accounts via the mobile handset. The service is currently availableto customers of Alliance & Leicester, first direct, HSBC, Royal Bank ofScotland, NatWest and Ulster Bank. It has been developed over the past threeyears by VocaLink, the UK's ATM interchange network and Monitise, the mobilebanking and payments specialists. The service was awarded 'Technology Pioneer'status by the World Economic Forum, in recognition of its potential to create a'life changing impact on a global scale'. The company uses the trusted technology and operational capability of VocaLinkwhich is connected with 37 of the UK's leading retail banks and buildingsocieties. This allows VocaLink's portfolio of services, such as balanceenquiries and mobile prepay 'top ups' to be delivered to the broadest group ofbanking consumers. Contacts: Monitise Group Tel: 020 7868 5200Duncan McIntyre, ChairmanAlastair Lukies, CEOBen Evetts, Head of Communications Financial Dynamics Tel: 020 7831 3113Harriet KeenHaya ChelhotErwan Gouraud About Monitise plc Monitise plc (MONI.L) is a specialist in mobile banking, payments and commercetechnology. It has engineered the world's first mobile banking ecosystems, whichallow customers of multiple banks and mobile operators to perform banking andpayment transactions directly from their mobile handset. With live services in the UK and the USA, where it has delivered the MONILINKand Monitise networks in partnership with VocaLink and Metavante Corporationrespectively, the Company is currently working with international partners todeliver similar safe, secure mobile banking & payment services in territoriesworldwide. Current key partners include VocaLink, Metavante, BT Global Services,T-Systems, HSBC, first direct, Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland,NatWest, Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Hutchison 3G. Monitise was recognised as a 'Technology Pioneer' by the World Economic Forum in2006; 'Mobile Innovation of the Year' by The Banker Magazine in 2007 and awardedthe Innovation in Messaging Award 2007 by the Mobile Messaging Association. www.monitisegroup.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange