Banking in the Internet and mobile era

Large parts of today's banking business are based on the application of information technology (IT). This applies to advisory at the customer frontend to and internal operations in banks to the electronic stock exchanges and transaction networks. To position the five contributions in the special issue on “Banking in the Internet and Mobile Era”, this editorial suggests a framework that structures the application areas of IT in the banking industry. It recognizes IT as the enabler for all four tiers of the banking value chain and highlights the specific role of the regulatory environment in this industry. The special issue emphasizes the transformation of the banking industry towards more customer-orientation as well as the role of Internet and mobile technologies to change established channels and banking services.