Digital Insight, an NCR company and leader in digital banking solutions, announced it has released Android smartwatch functionality with Wright-Patt Credit Union.
Wright-Patt Credit Union (WPCU) members who own an Android Wear™ watch can now seamlessly check account balances with a flick of the wrist, without the hassle of logging-in to the mobile app.
“We are committed to offering banking solutions that are both easy to use and offer a great experience for our members. Today’s technological innovations open up the possibilities,” said Joel Huxley, Director, Retail Support at Wright-Patt Credit Union. “We have a close eye on market adoption and are strategically making decisions based on member behaviors. In the case of wearable technology, it allows our members quick access to low-risk information. It is truly a benefit for WPCU members.”
The smartwatch app will automatically sync to a user’s Android Wear device after the user has upgraded to the updated version of the Wright-Patt Credit Union mobile app. Using their voice, users can initiate viewing their account balances without logging in on the phone.
“Now more than ever, technology is beginning to develop a new role within the financial services industry,” said Mary Monahan, EVP and Research Director of Mobile, Javelin Strategy & Research. “It is transitioning from serving a purely functional use to creating enhanced experiences for end users. With the introduction of wearable devices, the way consumers bank, save, invest, and manage their money will radically change.”
Digital Insight continues to foster innovative solutions for its bank and credit union customers and created an innovation lab in 2014 to help financial institution customers experiment and implement emerging technologies such as wearables, biometrics, and location-based services. Dubbed DI Labs, the Silicon Valley incubator is focused on developing and bringing to market next-generation tools and solutions that enable financial institutions to remain competitive, delight their customers and grow as a business.
“This first release on Android Wear is just an initial step as we learn how to utilize rapidly evolving wearable technologies to help our financial institution customers personalize, engage and connect with their consumers,” said Marshall Yuan, Senior Product Manager at DI Labs. “Rethinking banking experiences from the opportunities provided by a smartwatch will ultimately help our financial institution customers deliver the same personalized service to digital consumers that their offline consumers have come to expect at a branch.”
The Android Wear App is in limited availability for Digital Insight financial institution customers with plans to expand throughout the year. Digital Insight also plans to launch the same banking capabilities designed for Apple Watch™ in Spring 2015 when the device becomes available in the U.S. market.