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Millions of Wachovia and SunTrust Customers Can Check Balances, Pay Bills
and Transfer Funds Over AT&T Wireless Network
Nation’s Wireless Leader to Pre-Load Mobile Banking Solution on Select Handsets and
Make It Easy for Consumers to Start Using the Service
SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 13, 2007 — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced the launch of a
comprehensive, easy-to-use mobile banking platform that will enable consumers to view
account balances and history, transfer funds and pay bills from their AT&T mobile handsets.
Through an innovative relationship, AT&T, Wachovia Corp. (NYSE:WB), SunTrust
Banks Inc. (NYSE:STI) and mobile banking and payment enabler Firethorn Holdings LLC —
and Firethorn’s strategic partner, CheckFree Corp. (Nasdaq: CKFR) — are providing a mobile
banking solution that is accessible to millions of Wachovia and SunTrust customers.
“The ability to perform banking functions using a wireless handset is attractive for people
who need to make financial decisions on the go — business travelers, college students and
anyone who desires the flexibility that wireless delivers,” said Mark Collins, vice president,
Consumer Data, for AT&T’s wireless unit. “Value-added services such as mobile banking and
payments to the mobile device are part of our ongoing strategy to enrich the customer
experience.”
The mobile banking application will be pre-loaded on future AT&T handsets beginning
later this year. Because the mobile solution is embedded on the handsets, it is easy for users to
locate the mobile banking icon in the applications folder on the device and access the service.
The mobile banking application is also available for download on more than 30 of AT&T’s most
popular handsets — representing approximately 30 million devices in the market today.
Enrolling in mobile banking on AT&T is simple, secure and similar to today’s online
banking experience for most consumers. Customers first sign up at their financial institution’s
online banking Web site and are issued a one-time initialization code. After accessing mobile
banking on the AT&T handset, customers use the code to link their account to the mobile
application on their device. Customers then create their own personal identification number
(PIN) to provide secure access to the application.
All data is encrypted, and customers can deactivate the service immediately if handsets
are misplaced. For additional security, new bill payees can only be added from customers’
online banking accounts.
AT&T customers pay no additional fee to access mobile banking and, because the
application resides on the handset, the service is optimized to reduce the number of new page
views necessary to complete a transaction. Minimal data usage charges apply and vary based
on individual use. AT&T recommends a data plan (starting as low as $9.99 a month) for
customers who plan to use mobile banking and other data services frequently.
“The innovative and unique partnership between AT&T, Wachovia, SunTrust and
Firethorn may be the tipping point to widespread adoption of mobile banking solutions by
consumers,” said Jeff Kagan, noted telecommunications industry analyst.
According to Celent, a research and consulting firm focused on the application of
information technology in the global financial services industry, approximately 46 million
households currently bank online. By 2010, 17 million households will use mobile banking for
similar functions.
“This is the year that mobile banking is moving into the mainstream,” said Red Gillen,
senior analyst, Celent. “We expect consumer adoption rates to mirror those of online banking
and for mobile banking functionality to expand as consumers become increasingly comfortable
with this entirely new banking channel.”
Service Differentiator for Banks
Early signs are promising.
BancorpSouth was the first bank in the United States to go live with mobile banking on
AT&T handsets earlier this year. Adoption rates have been higher than expected and have
resulted in a 15 percent traffic increase to the bank’s Web site.
Wachovia expects similar acceptance as it continues to position itself at the forefront of
the mobile banking industry.
“From our experience as the first major U.S. bank to offer a mobile banking solution —
Wachovia Mobile — the demand for mobile capabilities is clear; people want to bank when and
where it is convenient for them,” said Ilieva Ageenko, director of Emerging Applications,
Wachovia. “AT&T takes mobile financial solutions to the next level by extending the capabilities
to a much broader base and provides Wachovia customers with an innovative new method of
ubiquitous access to their financial information.”
SunTrust Bank believes that mobile banking capabilities will soon be a standard
expectation for the increasingly tech-savvy population.
“The first adopters of online banking were innovators, but now it is a part of standard
operating procedures for many customers who depend on the flexibility to access banking
capabilities after hours,” said Gene Kirby, executive vice president and head of Retail and
Commercial Lines of Business, SunTrust. “Mobile banking will follow a similar path, and we are
pleased to be one of the pioneering top 10 banks to partner with AT&T to deliver this application
to customers across the U.S.”
FirstBank, based in Lakewood, Colo., is also offering mobile banking on AT&T’s network
to its customers, and Synovus (NYSE:SNV) has started implementing the service within its 37-
bank network in the Southeast. Additional financial institutions that have signed mobile banking
agreements with AT&T include Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), America First Credit
Union and Arvest Bank Group.
Wachovia, SunTrust and the other banks use CheckFree for online banking, bill payment
and presentment, giving consumers the same functionality online on their mobile devices.
Carrier Innovation
When several financial institutions were designing their own mobile banking applications
to run on carrier networks, AT&T intentionally chose a different path.
“One of AT&T’s core strengths is discovering great applications and driving mass
adoption,” said Collins. “AT&T works closely with the development community and content
providers to wirelessly enable applications that provide convenience, enhanced communication
and richer entertainment options for customers. With mobile banking, we quickly realized that
we had an opportunity to help develop the market, if executed properly.”
AT&T and Firethorn announced a partnership last year to launch the Firethorn
application, which provides a secure, easy-to-use interface that performs well on wireless
networks and a broad group of mobile handsets. Financial institutions quickly realized the value
in the strategy of adopting an application that was carrier-certified yet flexible enough to brand
and customize to their requirements. This approach also reduces the internal development and
application-management time for the banks.
“Mobile banking is the first step in introducing mobile financial applications to
customers,” said Tripp Rackley, chairman and chief executive officer, Firethorn. “We have
already begun working with carriers and financial institutions to develop future applications that
equip customers with a fully functional mobile wallet — everything from gift card and coupon
redemption to contactless payment capabilities.”
Mobile banking is supported on AT&T’s third-generation (3G) network in more than 200
markets for supercharged access to this and other feature-rich data applications. The service
also runs effectively on AT&T’s nationwide1 EDGE network, the largest high speed national
wireless data network in the U.S., with availability in more than 13,000 cities and towns and
along some 40,000 miles of major highways.
About Wachovia
Wachovia Corporation (NYSE:WB) is one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services companies,
with assets of $754.2 billion and market capitalization of $95.3 billion at September 30, 2007. Wachovia
provides a broad range of retail banking and brokerage, asset and wealth management, and corporate and investment banking products and services to 13 million household and business customers.
Wachovia has 3,400 retail financial centers in 21 states from Connecticut to Florida and west to Texas
and California, and nationwide retail brokerage, mortgage lending and auto finance businesses. Globally,
clients are served in selected corporate and institutional sectors and through more than 40 international
offices. Our retail brokerage operations under the Wachovia Securities brand name manage more than
$800 billion in client assets through 11,400 registered representatives in 786 offices nationwide. The
acquisition of A.G. Edwards, Inc., following the end of the third quarter, added approximately 740 offices,
6,300 financial consultants and $384 billion in brokerage client assets. Online banking is available at
wachovia.com; online brokerage products and services at wachoviasec.com; and investment products
and services at evergreeninvestments.com.
About SunTrust
SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations,
serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. As of September 30,
2007, SunTrust had total assets of $175.9 billion and total deposits of $115.9 billion. The Company
operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The Company also serves
customers in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and
investment services. Through various subsidiaries the Company provides mortgage banking, insurance,
brokerage, equipment leasing and capital markets services. SunTrust’s Internet address is suntrust.com
About Firethorn
Firethorn is the mobile banking and payments enabler supported by the nation’s leading financial
institutions and wireless carriers. The Firethorn solution is a single, secure, certified application
embedded on select wireless handsets, which allows users to view account balances and history, transfer
funds and receive and pay bills. Firethorn connects financial institutions to wireless carriers, and then
manages the complex ecosystem of standards, interfaces and platforms, as well as the training,
consumer marketing and customer service necessary to deliver seamless, secure mobile banking and
payments. Firethorn enables financial institutions to deliver branded services to consumers via the mobile
device, wireless carriers to deliver consumer-convenient, mass-market applications to subscribers, and
mobile device users to access and add multiple financial relationships with one password. Firethorn
network partners gain the ability to improve customer retention, generate revenue and enhance brand
equity. Firethorn is among IDC Research’s “Emerging Mobile Players to Watch” and one of Georgia’s
Most Innovative Technology Companies. For more information on Firethorn, visit
www.firethornmobile.com or call 678.507.2500.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T
operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world.
Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and
the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T
is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and
YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as
communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV
entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided
by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.
© 2007 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks
contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other
marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. For more information
and detailed disclaimer information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom
at http://www.att.com/newsroom.
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