Andrew Cave Published: 3:09PM GMT 11 Nov 2009  BT Next Generation Access: Alison Leonard  Next Generation Access to broadband internet (NGA) has the power to change how people in Britain organise their financial affairs, and First Direct is preparing for the opportunities it will bring.  The direct banking pioneer, which is owned by HSBC, is this year celebrating the 20th anniversary of its formation and now employs 3,000 staff in Leeds and in Hamilton, Scotland.  Head of digital solutions, Alison Leonard, says that the pioneering spirit is very much alive within the business, which is ready to adapt its offering as faster internet connections produce new and better ways of interacting with its customers.  “I lead First Direct’s Digital Transformation Programme, which will transform the online channel to our customers,” she says, “and NGA is a big contributor to that programme.”  She believes that NGA will strengthen First Direct’s internet banking proposition, attracting many customers to the world of online banking.  Founded as a telephone bank back in 1989, First Direct now offers internet banking, as well as a “push and pull” service that sends bank account balances by text message to mobile telephones.  However, Ms Leonard says that some areas of the country, such as the part of Yorkshire where she lives, currently struggle to get reliable and fast connections.  “NGA will enable us to access some of those people who we could not reach without it,” she adds. “It will provide opportunities for our offline customers, who at the moment are only using our telephone services. And it’s going to be faster for everyone.  “Two-thirds of our customer base is registered for internet banking. We’re a direct bank but a significant proportion of our business is serving online users.  “We were the first bank to launch an iPhone application and we see mobile banking as an important part of our strategy. But NGA will help enormously because it will make the internet more immediate.”  It will also allow financial services firms to connect with their customers in new ways, and First Direct is aiming to be part of that too. Ms Leonard’s operation has already launched a videocam service for HSBC’s high net worth clients, allowing them to see their banking advisers when they are communicating with them online.  She says a wider rollout of such services is definitely under consideration and NGA may help improve the offering, which is currently one-way only, with HSBC’s operatives unable to see customers.  “It’s quite a basic experience at present,” she explains. “We may soon be able to make it more interactive. We are very innovative in the online as well as offline markets. We’re an innovative bank. It’s part of our DNA, so we’re always looking for new ways to improve life for our customers.  “I see NGA as having that capability, but ours will be a much more robust service too. It will enhance what we do. We also have a web chat facility, which enables our agents to interact with customers on our website.  “NGA will enable us to engage with customers much more fundamentally. It will make the internet both more intuitive and more productive.”  Ms Leonard also believes that NGA will allow First Direct to communicate better between its two major UK offices and the head office of its parent company.  “Internally, we will utilise it too,” she says.  “Our IT department is working on what it will mean for us right now. We constantly look at ways to improve our efficiency. We’re always on the hunt for things that our customers might like, and if we can bring improvements to our services internally, that’s what we’ll do as well.”  'Banking and insurance will be early adopters'  Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business, believes that financial services companies will be at the forefront of the next stage in the call centre revolution.  Banking and insurance were among the first sectors to adapt their distribution models to the telephone and the internet, he notes. He believes that they will also be early adopters of the next wave of online technology, taking advantage of the rollout of Next Generation Access broadband to engage with their customers more effectively online.  “The creation of true multimedia call centres has been on the cards now for about five years, but it has been waiting for people to have broadband and for the arrival of cost-effective web cameras,” he says.  “Companies are going to start to say to customers, ‘Would you like to talk to us over the phone, or would you prefer online or via video?’ You’re going to see that take off, and financial services will probably be one of the first areas.  “Some of this is generational. Will my father, who is in his eighties, want to have a video call with his bank manager? Probably not. But my 18-year-old and my 22-year-old absolutely will. To the Facebook generation, this is a natural way of staying in contact.”
The faster service promised by Next Generation Access to broadband is eagerly    anticipated by First Direct. Andrew Cave reports .