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Conclusion: -

Technology innovation and fierce competition among existing banks have enable a wide array of banking products and services, being made available to retail and wholesale customer through an electronic distribution channel, collectively referred to as e-banking. The integration of e-banking application with legacy system implies an integrated risk management approach for all banking activities of a banking institution. Latest recommendations of Basel Committee recognize that each bank’s risk profile is different and requires a tailored risk mitigation approach appropriate for the scale of e-banking operations, the materiality of the risks present and the willingness and ability of the institution to manage their risks. This implies that a “one size fits all” approach to e-banking risk management issues may not be appropriate.

Banks have traditionally been in the forefront of harnessing technology to improve product and efficiency. Technology is altering the relationships between banks and its internal and external customers. Technology has also eroded the entry barriers faced by many industries. With one time investment, technology has brought about superior products and channel management with a special focus on customer relationship. The incremental costs incurred for expansion and diversification are also more beneficial.
The major driving force behind the rapid spread of e-banking is its acceptance as an extremely cost effective delivery channel. But on the flipside, it is associated with risks such as reputation risk, security risk, cross-border risk and strategic risk, which are unique to e-banking. Banks need to have an effective disaster recovery plan along with comprehensive risk management tool is significant not only to the bank but also to the banking system as a whole. All these issues underscore the importance of sound supervisory policies and high level of international co-operation among the bank regulators. The Basel Committee on banking Supervision has taken the lead in this area through the creation of its Electronic Banking Group – a group comprising 17 central banks and bank supervisory agencies in the late 1999. The main focus of this group has been to develop sound risk management practices.

Internet has created plenty of opportunities for players in the banking sector. While the new entrants have the advantage of latest technology, the good-will of the established banks gives them a special opportunity to lead the online world. By merely putting existing service online won’t help the banks in holding their customer close. Instead, banks must learn to capitalize their customer’s different online financial-services relationships. The article “Will Banks Control Online Banking?” focuses on how banks have to reinvent their role to remain as their customers’ preferred bank.

Coming home, India is on threshold of a major banking revolution with the invasion of net banking. With the concept of payment gateway coming in, banks are vying with one another for the lion’s share in the market. Highlighting the benefits of payment gateway over the open-loop payment mechanism, the article “Banking in the Cyber worlds” gives a brief report of the tug of war between the two major Indian e-banking players.