Handelsbanken in the lead for new Internet services

Handelsbanken in the lead for new Internet services At a seminar held by Handelsbanken today, entitled "Internet development in a branch-driven organisation", Lars O Grönstedt, Executive Vice President and Head of the Bank's IT Business Development reported on the Bank's IT development in general and Internet development in particular. The seminar also included demonstrations of new services, particularly in the Internet field. Handelsbanken has developed a tool which will enable all the Bank's branches to create their own home pages and thus use the Internet in a more efficient way as a tool for their local marketing. At Handelsbanken, the branch is the Bank and the Internet is one way of visiting the branch. This new tool makes it easier for each branch to have a higher profile and will also serve as a local portal. Handelsbanken announced that it is launching a new product - Handelsbanken's Betalpanel - for simplifying payments over the Internet. Using Handelsbanken's Betalpanel (Payments panel), companies who wish to charge for their products/services via the Internet can link up to all the Bank's payment solutions. For the selling company, the Betalpanel allows it to choose the payment method which its customers will use. The Betalpanel offers the company a simpler method of linking up to a number of payment methods via the Internet. Initially it will comprise direct payments, SET payments and normal card payments. E-giro will be included at a later stage. Companies which buy this service will be able to refer to it on their web sites which should give the payment system a quality stamp. The product will be launched this autumn. Handelsbanken Finans demonstrated its new service called NetPay, where web shops can offer their customers simple and advantageous financing of their purchases. NetPay also offers secure payments for purchases made over the Internet. The conclusion of the seminar was that Sweden is in the front line where banking services on the Internet are concerned and that Handelsbanken is right at the top both in terms of Internet penetration among its own customers and in developing new services such as WAP. For further information please contact: Lars Lindmark, Head of Corporate Communications, mobile 070-595 8580 or Bengt Ragnå, Head of Investor Relations, mobile: 070-567 1216 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/08/20000608BIT00730/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/06/08/20000608BIT00730/bit0002.pdf