National Australia Bank
Service: National Web Channel, and National Australia Bank National Internet Banking.
Technology: Browser based 128-bit encryption. Web site runs the world's leading content management application--Vignette--and is managing a distributed content management model that enables more efficient content management. National.com.au leads the financial community in page download speed.
Balances/transaction updates: Balances are updated in real time.
Average downtime for 2002: National.com.au has been available 100 percent of the time over the past three months and 99.97 percent of the time over the past nine months. Average availability over the past 12 months has been 99.43 percent.
Average transaction time: Depends on the connection to the Internet. Based on a 56k modem approx 15 to 20 seconds per transaction on a broadband connection such as ADSL approx 4 to 5 seconds per transaction (eg. account details, transaction history).
Account integration: The National is currently exploring options around aggregating account information. You can view all linked (National) account balances from the same screen. No access to accounts from other financial institutions. Integrated access to National Online Trading will be provided by April, 2003.
Consumer services:
- View account balances and transaction histories
- Consolidated position of linked accounts
- View account details, including overdraft limits, interest rates and interest details
- Export your account and transaction information into accounting software such as MYOB, Money, Quicken and Excel
- Create one-off or periodic funds transfers between National accounts and other banking institutions as well as one-off or periodic BPAY payments
- Term deposit applications and rates
- Secure messaging to the Internet Banking Support team
The Web site also provides pre-sale information to customers such as product and service information, interest rates, financial exchange rates, unit prices, access to the National via e-mail, secure access for shareholders and the media, live and archived Web casts, annual report and National group information, online applications, calculators and tools, specialist sections for segments of the Australian customer base--Personal, Business, Agri-business, Community, About Us, Online Services.
Company services: As well as having access to the appropriate customer services, national.com.au provides specialist business product and service information and tools such as online business applications, lease quoter, business scenario tester, business calculators and other services.
Extras: national.com.au provides online applications for home loans, personal loans, credit cards, term deposits, business loans, agri-business loans.
National Online Trading also offers National Bank Secure Internet Payment Service (NSIPS) for credit card transactions, access to nabmarkets.com.au, wholesale information, payments information, live archived Web casts and shareholder information--secure share registry information and other, press releases, annual reports online and information pertaining to the bank's annual general meetings. However, most of these services are available at national.com.au but not through National Internet Banking.
Unfortunately, the reviews only give the features of the banking sites. I have an HSBC, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and UK based First Direct bank account.
I can say for a fact that the HSBC online banking facility is very poor in comparison to the others with possibly the worst most cryptic transaction list of all the institutions I know of! Looking at the transaction list is totally cryptic and users have to click on every transaction to see what it is - even an ATM withdrawal!!! Not only that but HSBC is extremely slow. However, their online savings account is excellent and offers me the most attractive interest rates.
My favourite is Commonwealth Bank Netbank for it's simplicity and speed. ANZ is also good but has far more clutter on the screen.