MADISON, Wis. — Credit unions that aim to meet members’ needs for electronic account access must keep pace with the emergence of the mobile lifestyle, according to a new CUNA Technology Council White Paper.
The Future of Electronic Account Access: Adapting to the Mobile Lifestyle is based on information gathered from technology leaders at four credit unions as well as five experts from companies that provide financial services for credit unions.
The white paper explores the mobile lifestyle that enables members to shift from one electronic device to another as they move from place to place and task to task. Industry experts say credit unions who fail to meet the needs of these members may risk losing their relationship with the member.
“You either have to engage them on their terms or they’ll look elsewhere,” said John Flora, Director of Mobile Solutions Product Management for Intuit Financial Services, Mountain View, Calif.
The report identifies account access options that credit unions should be prepared to offer now and in the near future. Online banking is already an essential service, for example, while mobile banking is likely to become a necessity soon.
The experts who shared their opinions and research in the white paper predict that game-changing technology will continue to emerge, which means credit unions cannot afford to become complacent.
“No one would have known three years ago that tablets would take the country by storm and smartphones would be everywhere,” said Nicholas Mathiowetz, Information Technology Manager at Northern Communities Credit Union, Duluth, Minn., and a CUNA Technology Council Communications Committee member. “We had an inkling it was there, but the ferocity was scary.”
CUNA Council members are entitled to complimentary copies of this and more than 300 white papers; non-members may purchase the white papers for a price of $50 per copy.
The paper is available online in the white paper section of www.cunacouncils.org – select the “Tech” tab.
CUNA Technology Council
Established in 1995, the CUNA Technology Council is a member-led organization made up of more than 600 credit union technology experts across the United States. The Council’s goal is to shape the advancement of credit union technology by leveraging collective peer strength through the sharing of information and fostering of professional development. The CUNA Technology Council is one of the six organizations that make up the CUNA Councils, a network of more than 5,200 credit union professionals. For more information, visit www.cunatechnologycouncil.org or www.cunacouncils.org.