PC BANKING: SMALL BANKS WARY OF ESCALATING COSTS

banking via personal financial management software from Microsoft, Intuit, or both. But the list has been short of community banks. A reason why was evident at the American Bankers Association's annual convention in San Francisco last month. At one session, a panel of bankers, consultants, and vendors said community banks could begin to offer PC banking to their customers for less than $25,000. The skepticism in the room was palpable. At least two community bankers noted that they have been burned by technology initiatives before when an initially small investment snowballed into a much larger one. But these bankers also recognize that they must keep an eye on developments in self-service banking. In an informal "instant" poll taken at a convention session, 84% of the respondents believed their customers were at least somewhat interested in electronic banking.