Internet Banking Report - Final

Executive Summary Purpose: This study is an attempt to show the extent and quality of services and products offered on and off the internet by various banks in India. Particularly, it seeks to examine the area of electronic banking (popularly known as e-banking) and its influence on the population of a developing country like India. Approach: The data for this study primarily consists of annual reports and the ratios to show the strength of banks in different sectors of the banking industry such as private, public, foreign, regional rural and cooperative. Data for e-banking analysis is collected from the banks’ respective websites. Findings: The results show that internet banking is still not very popular in India and is in the development stage. The Quantitative Evaluation Method (QEM) has helped evaluate the presence of e-banking in India. Some banks have still not provided their customers with internet banking facilities while there are other banks that are excelling in the field of internet banking.

Limitations: One of the main limitations of this research is its scope and size which may have an affect on the strength of conclusions that can be drawn. But, any conclusions in this research are proved fully with statistical evidence. Originality/Value: The knowledge and understanding of the subject of ‘e-banking’ is necessary for the ‘modern individual’ to survive in this generation-X. E-banking also provides banks to further their grip in their respective target markets and provide extensive services in the dawn of the e-banking age in India. Keywords: Banking, services, quality, e-banking, influence, statistical evidence, India.

Literature Review Who

Topic

When

Method

Results

Links

Quantitative Evaluation

Quantitati

of the Internet Banking Yazan

Service Encounter's

K.A

Quality: Comparative

Migdadi

Study between Jordan

ve

August

descriptive

, 2008

survey methodolo

and the UK Retail

gy

Banks.

UK – Developed and Jordan – Developing. Results were the same (not much of a difference in quality).

http://www. arraydev.co m/commerc e/jibc/200808/Yazan_1. pdf

Regulation and

Himani

Online Banking

June, 2008

Contingenc y Analysis Method

supervision required for

http://www.

the smooth working of e-

oppapers.co

banking.

m/essays/O

Solution – Setting up of

nline-

EBG (Electronic Banking Banking/15 Group) for risk

2188

management.

The above mentioned research papers are fairly new and in tune with the needs of this research. Researchers as Evans and King (1999), Olisna et al. (1999), Mateos et al. (2001) and Miranda et al. (2006) used the web site quantitative evaluation method (QEM) as a powerful approach to assess the artefact quality, the process of (QEM) is; categorizing, identifying factors, identifying weights, rating the factors, and identifying the total quality indices. The same process of QEM has been used for this research where, the categories are identified and rated quantitatively and final indices are assigned. This helps in surveying the services with a range of criteria in hand and obtaining standard results.

Introduction: The Indian banking industry is passing through a phase of customers market. The customers have more choices in choosing their banks. A competition has been established within the banks

operating in India. Now, banks are also adding services to their customers. With stiff competition and advancement of technology, the services provided by banks have become more easy and convenient. Gone are those days when long lines had to be formed to apply for a new cheque book or to transfer money to another account or to get a bank pass book updated. Welcome to the era of internet banking or electronic banking or e-banking. Whatever the name, it serves the same purpose. Banks are ready to incur costs of around INR400,000 – INR500,000 for setting up the basic services and for the high end, sophisticated services, INR4 million – INR5 million are spent. These are investments of negligible value as compared to the expenditure on physical infrastructure of these banks and their operations. Electronic Banking is conducting ones banking or bank account online through a computer and an internet connection. Through e-banking one can check the status of his/her account, place queries and also can be facilitated with a wide range of transaction services simultaneously. These days, a range of services is provided by banks making it a very wide spectrum, from the very basic services such as fixed deposit enquiries, cheque book application, account statements, etc., to the high end services such as bill payments, fund transfers, payment of credit card dues and much more. The current statistics show that hardly 10 per cent of Indian customers use the internet for banking. Among all the facilities provided, the maximum of them uses only for checking balance or requesting for a cheque book. Very few customers use the advance interactive services provided by the banks. According to statistics provided by banks, 17 per cent of ICICI bank customers use the Internet for banking and 10 per cent of HDFC bank customers prefer it. Advantages of Net Banking The Banks’ Perspective The hindrance of geographical barriers is removed with the help of internet banking, banks can reach out to a much wider base of customers as compared to the traditional way. Internet banking has enabled the local banks to operate in the global scenario.

This is a very efficient and cost effective technique of banking. It has provided the banks with the challenge of developing and catching up with the fast pace of the industry and banks failing to adopt this technique prove to be lagging behind and underdeveloped. The Customers’ Perspective Electronic banking has come to be developed as a host of a wide bouquet of services ranging from queries to real time transactions. It offers the customers the flexibility of banking from any part of the world which has narrowed the physical gap between the banks and their customers. Banking in India In India the banks are segregated in different groups. Each group has their own benefits and limitations in operating in India. Each has their own dedicated target market. Few of them only work in rural sector while others in both rural as well as urban. Many even are only catering in cities. Some are of Indian origin and some are foreign players. This research includes the following categories: •

Reserve Bank

•

Private Sector ➢ HDFC Bank ➢ ICICI Bank

•

Regional Rural ➢ United Bank of India (UBI) ➢ Sindhanur Urban Souharda Co-operative Bank (SUCO Bank)

•

Foreign Banks ➢ CITI Bank ➢ HSBC Bank

•

Public Sector ➢ Bank of Baroda ➢ Canara Bank

More shall be discussed about these banks in the course of this report.

ICICI Bank The webpage of ICICI Bank clearly mentions about the banks general information and history. The financial results are clearly given in figures and well explained, annual reports are well updated and employment information is also mentioned in the website which provides links for career opportunities, campus recruitment and careers counseling. A separate section for updated news is maintained which is a good feature for a bank webpage. Rates for senior citizens are mentioned separately. Net banking is easy to access, which makes transfer of money from different places and account transfers are made simple. Calculators are a comprehensive feature of the homepage. Bill payment service is the best online service provided by ICICI Bank. Drawbacks are numerous. Links to financial information, community information, local and nonlocal business are difficult to search. The website also needs to improve on its search function. Though being one of the top banks in India, Hindi language facility is not provided. The aesthetics of the webpage are not very pleasing.

Bank of Baroda

The webpage of Bank of Baroda has very extensive information on the bank profile. It has an accurate annual report which shows all the financial educational information. Interest rates on different products and services are updated regularly. It also provides calculators on various transactions. There is an added feature to the calculators – the EMI calculator. With all the basic facilities being provided, Bank of Baroda has fallen short on some important features i.e. account information access and access to various online services such as online insurance, online brokerage and online trusts. The does not even provide information on wireless capabilities such as phone banking, SMS banking, etc. The website is quite easy to access and has the shades of the Indian national flag which is very aesthetically appealing. Canara Bank It has the details of general banking and history provided with accurate annual reports along with an auditors report addressing the President of India. Interest information is very well updated and the bank has provided its customers with a view of the external market as well. Canara Bank has not filled the homepage with its own information only. Financial calculators are easily accessible, applications for various services and account information accessibility are well explained. The employment information seems to be left on its own as the clicks resulted in very outdated and useless databases. Does not have a very wide range of internet banking services and corporate services and does not have a Hindi language facility which makes it very inconvenient for Hindi literate customers to access various services. The aesthetics though are very pleasing, search functions, community information, local and non-local business links are very ideally placed on the website.

HSBC Bank General banking information and the profile of the bank are very well put up on the webpage. The annual reports are well updated along with many other review reports. Employment information such as career opportunities, campus recruitment and career counseling are a very integral part of HSBC Bank. It also hosts the CV builder which makes it very easy for

prospective employees to build their CVs according to the needs of the various sectors of the bank. The interest rates and financial calculators are available on the homepage. Account information access and applications for services are well defined. All the services that can be linked with e-banking are found under one single canopy of the webpage of HSBC bank. Corporate services, online insurance, bill payments are some of the very best services provided by the bank. Links to financial information, community information, local and non-local business are very easily available. The bank is proud to host a webpage of this kind which is extremely user friendly with all the possible services provided. Just one drawback of this webpage is that Hindi language facility is not provided which makes it very difficult for the Hindi literate customers to access any part of the webpage.

CITI Bank The general banking information and history is not very up to the mark. Financial educational information is very well set up for the customers accessing this webpage. Financial calculators and interest rates as in the case of all other banks, are provided. Account information access and applications for services are not on the homepage but have a separate link which leads to their access. All internet banking services are very quickly accessible. CITI bank guarantees that no money is held in ‘cyber-space’ and that all transactions are quickly processed. The portal is linked to all the essential information such as financial information, community information, local and non-local businesses. Wireless capabilities, search functions are found on the webpage. The drawbacks of the webpage are that the aesthetics are not very pleasing and Hindi language facility is not provided.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Total Score

Level (0) Informational 1. General Bank info. & Hitory 2. Financial Educational Info. 3. Employment Info. 4. Interest/Murabaha 5. Financial Calculator

8 7 6 7 8

8 9 6 5 5

10 7 8 5 -

4 4 5 -

4 4 5 -

8 7 7 6 6

6 7 7 8 7.

9 6 4 8 7

8 8 7 8 8

7.2 5.6 5.8 6.3 4.6

5 Level (1) Administrative 6. Accounts info. Access 7. Application for services Level (2) Transactional 8. Personal Finance and Software

9 9

8 8

7 8

2

2

7 9

8 7

6 6

6 7

5.7 6.4

-

-

-

-

-

7

-

7

5

2.1

Application 9. Account Transfer Capabilities

-

9

8

-

-

8

7

7.

5

4.9

10. Bill-Pay Services 11. Corporate Services 12. Online Insurance 13. Insurance Brokerage 14. Online Trust

-

9 9 9 6 5

5 7 8 7 7.

-

-

6 9 5 -

6 5 5 -

5 5 7 5 6 5.

5 6 5 4 4

4 4.7 4.1 2.5 2.4

5 Level (3) Portal 15. Links to Financial Info. 16. Links to Community Info. 17. Links to Local Business 18. Links to non-local Business

5

1

10

8

5

5

8

7

8

8

7.6

0 9

8

7

5

6

6

7

6.

7

6.8

8 6

5 7 8.

7 6

6.3 5.7

4.3 7.5 3.6

8 5

8 7

7 6

6 6

-

6 7

5 Level (4) Others 19. Wireless Capabilities 20. Search Function 21. Provide Hindi Language Facilities

6 9 8

7 10 10

7 -

-

7 -

8 8 -

5 9 -

7 9 9

6 9 6

Overall Score

8

8.

8

5

5

8

7

7

6

Presence Percentage (%)

9

5 95

93

6

6

9

91

84

7

Ranking

7 1

6

5

0 9

3 8

6 2

4

3

2 7

Average of Presence (%)

8

85

92

8

5

6

8

5

0

9

75

76

6 9

Add-ons?????

1

6

6

-

3

-

4

6

5

Ease/Difficulty to access Website 1-10 Aesthetics of Website 1-10 Ease to Read & Understand 1-10

0 7 8 9

9 8 10

8 7 8

9 4 5

7 6 7

9 9 9

9 8 9

8 9 9

8 6 7 66/100