Technology changes at an exponential, and rapid, speed thatcauses many decision makers to overlook its possibilities.

Yet mobile and online advances are becoming the “new normal,” sothe concern now is that a credit union which lets these bankingoptions pass may be rendered as obsolete quicker than one wouldthink.

Credit unions must first be aware, however, that mobile optionsextend beyond mobile banking on members' iPhones.

The term “mobile” is broader and has different meaning toeveryone. It's more widespread than just the use of cellularphones; one common misperception is that mobile and online meansstrictly a smartphone. To add, it has implications far morereaching than that of native mobile banking applications.

The truth is that laptop PCs and the iPad as well as othertablet devices provide credit unions additional and viable channelsthrough which they can serve their members with a varietyof services.

And while expanding service delivery options has its obviousimplied benefits, carefully choosing your mobile alternatives canopen up an entire new opportunity in maintaining and acquiringmembers with convenience and efficiency.

Mobile convenience and immediacy is expected now more than everbefore, and that trend is continuing to gain momentum in a truesense of the term snowball effect.

Aite Group LLC reported in April that 59 of consumers alreadyuse online and mobile banking channels. While this study was onlylimited to mobile banking use, it certainly justifies an interestand the thought that we will see an expanded use of mobileforthcoming.

What is concerning is that financial institutions in general arenot even considering how to use remote technology to completelending and other documents via mobile or online channels.

Home banking and shared branching are already well accepted.There is real value in extending document fulfillment throughWeb-based applications available on different mobile devices.Tablet devices are not just toys; they have definite and realbusiness benefits – tangible and intangible – when incorporatedinto credit unions' operations and member relation strategies.

Take for instance the flexibility and mobility enabled by tabletdevices for onsite account enrollment – taking the process directlyto members. The same is true for the ability to view, sign andelectronically archive loan documents off site or between multipleparties at different locations.

Nielsen recently reported that 77% of tablet owners use thedevice for actions in which they would have previously used alaptop or desktop, and 31% responded that its ease of transport wasthe primary reason. The same convenience can be translated tofinancial transactions.

Mobile devices have an in-branch advantage too. Have you everwitnessed a loan officer trying to turn around his or her desktopto have the member view a document in its entirety or being tied toa desk because that is where the signature pad is housed,accompanied by a cumbersome cable?

With mobile devices in the branch, credit union staff canprovide members an untethered, more personable experience tocomplete membership and lending documents virtually anywhere withina branch.

Regardless of how they are used, document presentment andfulfillment on mobile devices supports significant cost savings byeliminating paper processes and the organizational efficienciesthey deliver.

Approximately 20 million iPads have been sold to date, not tomention the solid sales of other tablet devices that have followed.Consumers have become comfortable with the technology and arewilling to incorporate it into their lives wherever possible.

As remote digital signature capture and document delivery viathe Web become more mainstream, there are obvious synergies hereupon which financial institutions must capitalize.

Evaluate the possibilities and seize the moment to compete inyour very competitive financial arena!

Chuck Klein is CEOof Integrated Media Management in Linden, N.J.