Running treasury operations through mobile devices hardly sweptthrough the industry like wildfire when it was introduced fouryears ago by banks like Wells Fargo. But the number of banks withmobile offerings has now reached critical mass, and strategies areshifting.

“The initial focus of banks and treasury management systems wastransaction review and approval by mobile device,” says LaurieMcCulley, a managing director at consultancy Treasury Strategieswho regularly works with corporate technology installations. “Butwhat treasury users really want and what the vendors are nowintroducing is reporting from the treasury management system—adashboard that is readable on a mobile device and shows liquiditypositions and risk exposures.”

Bank of America Merrill Lynch makes its mobile debut this yearwith select features that fit mobile devices and the executives whouse them, rather than opening a mobile connection to its onlinebanking platform, reports Cindy Murray, B of A's head of globaltreasury product infrastructure, platforms and ecommerce. The bankplans three 2011 releases, which will all be compatible with Apple,Google and BlackBerry tablets and smaller mobile devices. Userswant a select menu that is tailored to workflows, Murray says. B ofA's program is organized around the decisions that mobile usersmake—such as unlocking users, resetting passwords, changingentitlements and receiving positive pay alerts—and exactly whatthey need to execute those decisions with just a couple of clicks,she explains.

At Citigroup, two top treasury tech projects involve mobile. Oneis the extension of CitiDirect to mobile users. The bank ispiloting an arrangement that lets mobile users approve paymentsthat have been entered in CitiDirect and get notification of theirbalances, reports Hubert J.P. Jolly, managing director for channeland enterprise services for Citi Global Transaction Services.

“It won't be a separate platform,” Jolly says. “The user namesand passwords will be the same as CitiDirect. What you can log inand approve today, you will be able to do with an Android, iPhoneor BlackBerry.” Citi's move comes as browsers have become morefunctionally adept and as security has improved, he adds.

The second Citi initiative uses mobile devices, instead ofchecks or currency, to make payments when a driver dropsoff merchandise—delivering soft drinks to a convenience store, forexample. The driver uses his or her mobile device to generate adebit to a bank account or stored-value source, and the storemanager approves the charge using his or her mobile. “This willallow us to compete for business in regions where we don't havebranches,” Jolly notes.