Internet Banking
Internet Banking
Internet Banking
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction of the topic
Internet banking or online banking is a generic term
for the delivery of banking services and products through the
electronic channels such as the telephone, the internet, the cell
phone etc. The concept and scope of Internet banking is still
evolving. It facilitates an effective payment and accounting
system thereby enhancing the speed of delivery of banking
services considerably.
Banks have traditionally been in the forefront of
harnessing technology to improve their products, services and
efficiency. They have, over a long time, been using electronic and
telecommunication networks for delivering a wide range of value
added products and services. The delivery channels include direct
dial-up connections, private networks, public networks etc and
the devices include telephone, personal computers including the
Automated Teller Machines,etc.With the popularity of PC s,easy
access to Internet and World Wide Web(WWW),Internet is
increasingly used by banks as a channel for receiving instructions
and delivering their products and services to their customers. This
form of banking is generally referred to as Internet Banking,
although the range of products and services offered by different
banks vary widely both in their content and sophistication.
Broadly, the levels of banking services offered through
INTERNET BANKING can be categorized in to three types:
(i)
The Basic Level Service is the bankswebsites which
disseminate information on different products and services
offered to customers of public in general. It may receive and reply
to customers queries through e-mail,
(ii)
In the next level are Simple Transactional Websites which
allow customers to submit their instructions, applications for
different services, queries on their account balances, etc, but do
not permit any fund-based transactions on their accounts,
(iii) The third level of Internet banking services are offered by
Fully Transactional Websites which allow the customer to operate
on their accounts for transfer of funds, payment of different bills,
subscribing to other products of the banks and to transact and
sale of securities, etc.
ADVANTAGES OF E-BANKING: Convenience- Unlike your corner bank, online banking sites
never close;
theyre available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and theyre
only a mouse
click away. With pressures on time and longer travelling periods,
more and
more people find it tiresome waiting in queues. People want
flexibility, and
Internet banking offers just that.
Ubiquity- If youre out of state or even out of the country when
a money
problem arises, you can log on instantly to your online bank and
take care of
business, 24\7.
Transaction speed- Online bank sites generally execute and
confirm
transactions at or quicker than ATM processing speeds.
Efficiency-You can access and manage all of your bank
accounts, including
IRAs, CDs, even securities, from one secure site.
Effectiveness- Many online banking sites now offer
sophisticated tools,
including account aggregation, stock quotes, rate alert and
portfolio managing
program to help you manage all of your assets more effectively.
Most are also
compatible with money managing programs such as quicken and
Microsoft
money.
Cheaper alternative: - With increasing competition, it seems
to be the cost
factor that is driving banks to offer the facility. The Internet is still
a very
cheap alternative to opening a physical branch, and most of the
push seems to
be coming from the supply side. The costs of a banking service
through the
Internet form a fraction of costs through conventional methods
.
From snob value to necessity:- A couple of years ago, there
was a belief even
among bankers that customers opening new accounts wanted the
online
banking facility, just to "feel good" and very few of them actually
used the
Services. Today, bankers believe that the trend from `nice to
have' is changing
to `need to have'. The "snob value" of banking with an
organization that could
offer service on the Internet has given way to a genuine
necessity, he feels. "It
all depends on how busy a person is."
DISADVANTAGES OF INTERNET BANKING
Start-up may take time-In order to register
online program,
you will probably have to provide ID and sign a
branch. If you
and your spouse wish to view and manage their
online, one of
you may have to sign a durable power of attorney
will display
all of your holdings together.
LITRATURE REVIEW
INTERNET BANKING-A NEW MEDIUM
1. Security of Internet banking transactions is one of the
most important areas of concerns to the regulators. Security
issues include question of adopting internationally accepted state
of the art minimum technology standards for access control,
encryption/decryption (minimum key length etc), firewalls,
verification of digital signature, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) etc.
The regulator is equally concerned about the security policy for
the banking industry, security awareness and education.
2. The supervisory and operational issues include risk control
measures, advance warning system, Information technology audit
and re-engineering of operational procedures. The regulator
would also be concerned with whether the nature of products and
services offered are within the regulatory framework and weather
the transaction do not camouflage money-laundering operations.
3. The Central Bank may have its concern about the impact of
Internet banking on its monetary and credit policies. As long as
Internet is used only as a medium for delivery of banking services
and facilitator of normal payment transactions, perhaps, it may
not impact monetary policy. However, when it assumes a stage
where private sector initiative produces electronic substitution of
money like e-cheque, account based cards and digital coins, its
likely impact on monetary system cant be overlooked. Even
countries where Internet banking has been quite developed, its
impact on monetary policy has not been significant. In India, such
concern, for the present is not addressed as the Internet banking
is still in its in its formative stage.