Habib ends the WAP hype H abib bank AG Zurich has become the first in the region to launch a WAP banking service - a move that ends months of industry hype about wireless technology and its potential benefits for the region. This will allow Habib Bank's UAE customers to receive account information via their mobile phone, and encompass a great deal more. While many people have heen merely talking about the poten-tial of wireless, Habib Bank's IT team has spent the last two years perfecting a practical service. Most of this time has been spent firming up security, according to Reza habib, chief executive VP. He explained that 'standard products' would be made available via this service, which allow Web content to be beamed to mobile phones, Palm Pilots and other wireless devices. Key to the development of the WAP service is the fact that Habib Bank has developed it in-house, using Java. According to Reza, this has brought a number of benefits including efficiency and cost savings. Reza says he is fully aware of the burgeoning demand to provide such a service, and appreciates the benefits of being first to market in what could prove to be such a dif-fentiating field. The bank has spoken to a number of UAE cus-tomers, and interest is expected to be exponential, added Reza. The WAP launch coincides with the launch of an Internet banking service - at www.habibbank.ae - which has been built in-house using open source Java, and will offer a greater range of services than the initial WAP offering.