Singapore's DBS bank has launched DBS ME, a mobile shopping service that allows customers to pay for purchases via sms text message, and Realty-Easy, an online property portal that enables customers to post and access information on properties for sale and apply for home loans.
The bank says it DBS ME (mobile e-commerce) service has been designed to appeal to younger customers.
Customers can register to receive information of products and services - such as holidays, cinema tickets and gym memberships - over their mobile phones. They can buy the offer by replying to the information with a text message. Purchases are debited to a customer's credit card.
The Realty-Easy service allows customers to post notices and to search a database of properties currently on the market. Customers can also use the service to apply for home loans.
The new services are part of the bank's upgraded Web banking system, iBanking. The bank teamed with IBM to implement the new J2EE-based banking platform, which is running the Siebel Retail Finance system.
DBS says its new Web banking system is expected to handle more than 800,000 online customers by end of next year, up 45% from the current 550,000 users.
New features will be added over the next two years, including third-party funds transfer, bill payments and share dealing services.
Steve Ingram, group chief information officer and head of technology and operations, DBS Bank says: "This regional iBanking platform is in line with our vision to build an interconnected Pan-Asian financial franchise. With Siebel Retail Finance's greater scalability and capacity, DBS can consolidate its iBanking services in Singapore and Hong Kong on the same platform."