‘BOC Smart Passbook’ app wins SLT Zero One Best Use of Mobile (Financial Sector Institutional) Award

BOC Head of Information Technology Luxman Perera receiving the trophy for the ‘Best Use of Mobile (Financial Sector Institutional)’ award at the SLT Zero One Awards. Also pictured: Assistant Director (IT) MDA Karunaratne and several officers of the Bank’s IT division and Product Development and Business Process Re-Engineering Project

Bank of Ceylon’s smartphone app ‘BOC Smart Passbook’ has earned greater recognition, winning the ‘Best Use of Mobile (Financial Sector institutional)’ award at SLT’s Zero One Awards, held recently at the Galadari Hotel Colombo. SLT Zero One is a national initiative organised by Sri Lanka Telecom to foster digital engagement and innovation through information communication technology. The “Smart Passbook” was elected to be the winner of the award, followed by impressive 4.6 rating based on the execution, innovation and outcome of the application. The Bank’s Head of Information Technology Luxman Perera, Assistant Director (IT) MDA Karunaratne, and several officers of the Bank’s IT division and Product Development and Business Process Re-Engineering Project, were also present at the award ceremony. 

This user-friendly mobile app is a simplified version of BOC’s mobile banking app, through which one could get his/hers required account details. The BOC Smart Passbook app was ranked at the top with the highest overall rating at evaluation conducted by SLT. This very user-friendly mobile app allows the user to inquire their registered account balances immediately to keep a track on account operations on real time. Since the launch of the application in November 2017, the adaptation of this digital option went beyond the expected reach at the initial stage itself. This app can be downloaded easily on Google Play Store and the App store, is totally free, and enables self-registration. 

The Bank was able to enhance customer confidence to conduct transactions on digital platforms through the effective verification facility of the BOC Smart Passbook app, and improved the ease of using digital technology in day-to-day life through being simple to operate. The Bank too experienced improved customer engagements via digital technology, as its call-centre traffic was considerably reduced and even the branch network is currently experiencing a reduction in number of inquiries received by a branch. The Bank has identified that a majority of Smart Passbook users are professionals and executives who value time and rely on secured digital banking options.  

BOC Smart Passbook was introduced as a digitalised enabled value addition which provides access to transactions and balance history on a real time basis through smart mobile devices. It is an electronic version of the traditional passbook / current account statement.  Other special features on the app include optional log-in PIN, FAQ service and availability of registration on up to three mobile devices.  Accountholders are able to view account balance and transactions of savings / current accounts, including foreign currency accounts, possibility of real time on-line view of recent transactions, current monthly statement, and last month’s statement on the app.  Last-viewed transactions are displayed on offline mode too.