National Bank Named the Best Mobile Banking Service Provider in Canada

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 17, 2013) - National Bank is the new industry leader in Canadian mobile banking services with a #1 ranking in Surviscor's 2013 Canadian Mobile Banking scorCard™. The Canadian Mobile Banking scorCard, now in its 2^nd year, is a simulated usage study that generates a comprehensive assessment of features and functionality offered through Canada's big six banks. National Bank was closely followed by last year's winner, CIBC, with RBC Royal Bank rounding out the top three.

"With mobile devices now the fastest growing channel for consumer e-banking, National Bank has worked diligently to ensure that key online features available on traditional computers can also be accessible while on the go", said Glenn LaCoste, President of Surviscor Inc.

National Bank secured first place in the study without a leading device-specific ranking, but was a strong performer in all criteria categories, including a top ranking for both Application Design and Mobile Transactions. CIBC was the leader in tablet-based mobile services while RBC Royal Bank led the way with iPhone and Android phone-based services. Scotiabank scored highest for BlackBerry phone-based mobile services.

"This year the Bank launched a banking application for Android phones to complement our iPhone and iPod Touch offering. We also launched a device for BlackBerry phones. In addition, on iPad, we now feature Investment Track, an easy-to-use tool, that helps clients understand the scope and importance of retirement planning. We are committed to providing clients with a variety of mobile services to improve their consumer experience", said David Furlong, Vice President E-channels, at National Bank.

Multiple smartphone and tablet devices were assessed for each banking institution, including Apple, Android and Blackberry devices. Objective criteria was assessed in four main categories (Getting Connected, Application Design, Mobile Transactions, Customer Support), each weighted according to industry-defined importance. The study was powered by CorbinPartners Inc., a leading provider of business intelligence and forensic market research in Canada.

Numerous improvements were noted this year, including the introduction of mobile cheque deposits, quick balance features, mobile wallets and tablet-specific applications. While each bank in the study had their individual strengths, the Mobile Banking scorCard highlighted numerous opportunities to improve the mobile customer experience. "Ongoing development, whether via applications or mobilized designs", LaCoste added, "will be essential to retain and attract mobile customers."

The Mobile Banking scorCard was conducted between November and December 2013. The full results are available at http://www.surviscor.com/ScorView/Reviews/MobileBanking/2013/. Surviscor is now preparing a complementary study, its 6^th annual edition of the Online Banking scorCard ™, with results expected early in 2014.

About Surviscor Inc.

Surviscor Inc. is a Canadian leader in the analysis and ranking of Canadian online services offered to retail consumers. Surviscor produces seasonal feature and functionality scorCards, including its prominent Online Banking scorCard and Online Brokerage scorCard.

About CorbinPartners Inc.

CorbinPartners Inc. is an established provider of corporate business intelligence and forensic market research. It has Canada's leading specialty practice in research support for intellectual property matters, including risk analysis, regulatory assessment, mediation and litigation.