Technology

The recent explosion of new mobile-payment initiatives, from new startups backed by heavy venture capital to formidable players such as PayPal Inc. is enough to give the average banker heartburn.

Given the relative lack of cash-management innovation for businesses, there’s a burgeoning tech war among payments firms selling automated views of current and future cash positions in an attempt to win white-label partnerships with banks or contracts with new business clients.

Cryptomathic LLC has launched a cloud-based encryption-management service targeting banks and government agencies that handle large amounts of data and secure software applications in their networks, the company announced Feb. 29.

Visa Inc. and Intel have struck a strategic agreement to develop mobile commerce services for consumers, the companies announced this week.

Smartcard technology security provider Oberthur Technologies has started negotiations to acquire financial services software provider MoreMagic Solutions Inc., the companies announced Feb. 28.

Opera Software ASA doesn’t hold back in its pitch to provide more opportunities for mobile payments worldwide.

HDFC Bank Ltd.’s new mobile service could be a game-changer in India’s mobile-payments market, making such services cheaper and more widely accepted.

Bankers generally accept that providing mobile access to financial services is an inevitable part of their future. But when it comes to actually using the devices to communicate with customers about the bank, financial institutions are surprisingly behind the curve.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has chosen digital security provider Gemalto NV to protect and support delivery of data in Chase’s mobile-payment program, Chase announced Feb. 27.

Smartphones and social media remain relative new frontiers for consumer banking, and they pose new risks.