Standard Chartered has announced that it will be introducing a series of digital services and solutions including mobile and online banking to the UAE market this year.

The bank also inaugurated its fifth Electronic Banking Unit (EBU), which is located at its new Dubai headquarters in Downtown Burj Khalifa.

It also launched Breeze, its award-winning mobile banking application, making the UAE the first market in the region where this application is available. Breeze is designed to provide customers with a superior, convenient, personalised banking experience.

The application will eventually be developed into a “virtual branch”, where customers can place requests as well as apply for products and services. Breeze’s introduction to the UAE follows launches in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and China.

Raheel Ahmed, regional head of Consumer Banking, Middle East, Pakistan and Africa at Standard Chartered Bank said: “Today’s consumers are tech-savvy and mobile. They want banking that not only meets their financial needs but anticipates them. At Standard Chartered our focus on digitisation revolves around the customer; we believe that technology has to be useful, intuitive and most importantly seamless.”

“We believe that digitisation goes beyond online and mobile banking services; we continue to transform our business and invest for long-term growth, with a focus on digital technologies that we believe will shape the future of banking.”

Khalid El Gibaly, regional head of Consumer Banking, UAE and Middle East, Standard Chartered said: “The launch of Breeze follows extensive research into the banking behavior of individuals and aims to provide customers with an easy, secure, and user-friendly banking channel. By adopting a digitisation strategy and providing our customers with digital banking tools, products and services, we aim to extend the customer’s digital lifestyle into banking and enhance the way our customers interact with us.”

Breeze is available for iPad, iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. For iPad and iPhone users, customers can download the ‘Breeze UAE’ application from the App store. Android and Blackberry users can use Breeze by accessing m.sc.com/ae through their mobile phone browsers. The application uses robust security features similar to those used for online banking.

Customers can login using only their online banking user ID and password. The bank also ensures that no personal information is stored on the phone, according to a statement.

Following the launch of Breeze, the bank plans to introduce an enhanced version of its ‘Offers Locator’ application. This enhanced app will allow customers not only to search for offers but also to receive and redeem mobile coupons. The bank will also utilise augmented reality technology to provide customers with a superior banking experience on the move. – TradeArabia News Service