The contemporary trends in Banking operations and services with the help of computers are quite cheering for customer. As we find information technology invading the banking sector, only banks, which used the right technology, could come out with success. Banks are required to ‘restructure’, re-invent and reengineer themselves go meet the necessary performance improvement and get the competitive edge due to the introduction of information technology (Internet Baking) being an imperative one
Application of Information Technology
Phone banking:
- Bank on phone, provides easy access for customers to have large businesses through telephones. Data are exchanged over the phone regarding any queries, to issue instructions on balance transfer, statement of account, cheque- book, stop payments, new schemes, interest rates etc. at any convenient time and place. Tele banking has gone a long way in providing maximum customer satisfaction within the limited infrastructure.
Automatic Teller Machines: (ATM)
- Now, the banks provide this facility in a more sophisticated way that a customer of one bank and branch can withdraw from any other banks, at any other branch, nation wide. In developed countries, this service is provided to their blue chip client globally. This is possible only through worldwide networking and communication system.
Credit cards:
These plastic cards enable customers to spend whenever he/she wants within the prescribed limits and pay later. Debit card is a prepaid card with stored value, whereas credit card is post paid with fixed limits. It is seen that spending is higher through debit cards than with credit cards currently CITY Bank and time bank have started with Debit cards and now other banks are also following these to launch their own cards.
Electronic Funds Transfer: (EFT)
Electronic funds transfer is a system of processing and communication of payment through electronic methods. EFT assumes greater significance in the banking system as the RBI also encourages the commercial banks to adopt this technique. Normally, payments are made through cash, cheques, drafts and credit cards. The latest in this process are the debit card system, charge, digital cash, and electronic purse and so on.
SPNS- (Shared payment network system):
SPNS installed by the IBA in the city of Mumbai, enables electronic banking service like cash transactions, extended hours of banking, utility payments, cheques, point of sale facilities by the SPNS can go to any ATM linked to SPNS.
Electronic Clearing Services [ECS]:
Electronic clearing of funds from one centre to another for handling bulk transactions like salary, interest, dividend, commission etc., has dispensed the cheques. A part of electronic clearing service is computerized clearing of cheques at metropolitan centers and linking with international communication system of SWIFT. These services have contributed in a great way towards improving the customer’s services globally. ECS was introduced in India in 1996. It has made it possible for customers to get the funds next day itself.
Point of sale [POS] terminal:
Payment card at a retail location for electronic transfer of fund is called POS. The client enters his personal identification number [PIN] and confirms the amount due. Customer’s account is automatically debited with the amount of purchases and it credits the retailers account POS installed at petrol stations and large retail houses are linked to banks network.
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