NYCE Corp. said it plans to introduce an Internet version of its home banking product at its annual meeting in Boston on May 1.
Last year the regional automated teller machine network snagged the business of Marine Midland Banks Inc. and Bank of New York Co. with the non-Internet version, proving it could compete with software giants like Microsoft Corp., Intuit Inc., CheckFree Corp., and others.
"We had a big splash last year at our annual conference with the rollout of our remote banking package," said Steve Rathgaber, executive vice president of sales for the Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based company. "We want to keep adding value onto that."
He said an Internet prototype will be demonstrated at the conference to gauge customer interest. NYCE's Internet package is being developed through a partnership with Edify Corp.
"We haven't rushed to the Internet because it made us nervous," said Mr. Rathgaber. Even so, he said the time has come to get ready, but "we'll let customers drive us there."
Mr. Rathgaber noted that Edify's experience developing such programs is a rare commodity in the nascent industry. NYCE's home banking platform will be integrated with Edify's Web-based electronic banking system.
Banking on the Web allows customers to access account information and pay bills. The open system will eliminate the need for floppy disks by providing instant software upgrades. Financial institutions will not have to pay for phone charges, as customers will connect through their Internet service providers.
Pulse EFT Association, the Houston-based ATM network, also plans to offer an Internet banking application to its members.
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Cash Station Inc. announced that Firstar Corp. will use the Chicago- based ATM network's home banking and bill payment platform, provided by Electronic Data Systems Corp.
The platform supports transactions over banking networks and the Internet. Firstar vice president Gary Messing said the Internet is "a channel which we believe offers the most convenience to our customers and the best growth opportunities for our products."
Other deciding factors included on-line, real-time processing and flexible customer service support. Milwaukee-based Firstar, which has $19.9 billion of assets, plans to make the service available by June.
