HSBC best for internet banking

HSBC has won the Best Consumer Internet Bank award at the World's Best Internet Bank 2008 awards ceremony held by Global Finance magazine in New York.

The HSBC Group's internet sites also carried off a total of eight other regional and global category awards - an improvement over the five won last year.

This year, 207 banks from around the world entered the competition. Judges included representatives from Celent, Infosys Technologies Limited, Wipro Technologies and WNS. Global Finance's editors made the final selection based on the judges' evaluations.

The selection of winners was based on strength of strategy for attracting and servicing online customers, success in getting clients to use web offerings, growth of online customer base, the breadth of products offered, evidence of tangible benefits gained from internet initiatives, and website design and functionality.

HSBC's CEO Alan Richards said: "More and more customers in Malta are using our world class internet banking service for routine transactions, through to account opening and online bill paying. Customers tell us they like the control and speed that the internet service provides."