Bank technology

Lots of banks and nonbanks are trying to bring automation to the decidedly unautomated small business sector. Western Union's the latest to try with a new online payments engine.

Nonprofit organization has accused Verizon of using its leverage over business partners to restrict the ability of Verizon Wireless subscribers to download, install, and operate end user mobile phone software.

About 80 million mobile phones are expected to ship with built-in near-field communication technology that can be used to transmit payment information between devices.

The bank's core overhaul touches almost every area of the bank, from security to CRM to mobile.

Banks have been much maligned for nickel-and-diming their customers, but in another area — cardholder fraud protections — they are being praised as consumer champions.

VeriFone has defied the headlines decrying gloom over the European debt crisis by enjoying continued growth in the region while continuing to expand payment-terminal installations rapidly in Latin America.

Someday there may no longer be such a thing as an alternative payment.This year, there have been several acquisitions or product changes that take alternatives and combined them with a company or product that handles payments in person.

Big banks shifting position from fast followers to aggressive adopters, according to Forrester research sponsored by Fiserv.

PNC now offers a mobile app that uses "augmented reality" to help customers locate branches and automated teller machines.

The Australian institution's IdeaBank uses a Salesforce.com crowdsourcing engine to aggregate ideas for products and new innovation. It's a model that's not getting used a lot by banks, but shows promise.

Visa may be preparing to debut its ties to Google's mobile wallet in London at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, sources say.

Eduardo Perez, Visa's global head of payment system security, explains how new payment forms can help thwart fraud.

Online payment company hopes to avoid the mobile coupon mistakes of daily-deal leaders Groupon and Living Social.

California Bank and Trust in San Diego said Wednesday that customers are now able to open additional deposit accounts and apply for credit cards and certain consumer loans online through its DirectNET Consumer Online Banking.

Visa Inc.'s chairman and chief executive Joseph Saunders received $11.8 million in compensation for fiscal 2011 as the payments processor grew revenue and transaction volume in the face of new debit-card regulations.

Data concerns appear to be making a return to the C suite.

Zions has selected Fiserv to support multi-channel digital payments for retail and business customers.

The Office of Financial Research, established by the Dodd-Frank Act to help regulators identify and thwart systemic risk events, faces a daunting task.

The G-20 held its summit in Cannes on managing risk in the global economy in early November. The group of heads of state covered the broad policy and political issues, financial ministers spoke on the difficulty of legislating rules and preventing unintended consequences.

Plans to reduce paper use 20% by 2015.