Bank of China Opens 'Smart Branch'

The Bank of China today announced it has completed it's first "smart branch," which is designed to provide an enhanced customer experience through the use of big data and analytics, mobile, and social business tools.  

The bank consulted with its technology partner, IBM, on industry insight and consulting expertise to help create the bank's new smart branch, according to Bank of China.

Among the features the new smart branch will incorporate include a "sales area" where customers can use the bank’s services and products through various terminals, including one for mobile banking, the bank said. Also, the new branch will monitor the flow of customers in surrounding branches, in real-time, to proactively divert customers into nearby, unoccupied branches.

Additionally, customers can carry out real-time communications with a remote bank teller for simple, standard transactions, Bank of China said.

Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio