A new Javelin Strategy & Research report pulls no punches:credit unions are laggards when it comes to member usage of mobilebanking and that is very bad news, suggested Javelin researchdirector Mary Monahan, who authored the report “Mobile Banking,Smartphone and Tablet Forecast: 2011-2016.”

“Mobile banking users are young. Wealthy. And mobilebanking is the future,” said Monahan.

In an interview. Monahan added, “Younger customers aregravitating to big banks because they offer the mobile servicesthey want.”

She also said that, to be in the mix in mobile, an institutionhas to offer what she called “the triple play:” SMS, app and mobileWeb, preferably across multiple platforms (typically iPhone,Android, BlackBerry and possibly Windows).

The Javelin researcher added: “Many credit unions still do notoffer mobile banking apps and that is what users want.”

Monahan's research determined that the nation's biggestfinancial institutions have opened a widening lead when it comes tomobile banking. The report states,“Over twice as many consumers at the nation's giant banks (over$750 billion in deposits) are using mobile banking than are thoseat credit unions. At the nation's four giant banks, 37% used mobilebanking in the past 90 days vs. approximately 22% at midsized andregional banks vs. just 14% of consumers at credit unions. Now that92% of the top 25 largest banks by deposit size offer mobilebanking, institutions that lack mobile banking risk losing valuablecustomers to those that offer it.”