Electronic Banking Connectivity
The simplest way to connect to the cash management banks is to use their corporate electronic banking (EB) connectivity services. Increasingly, these basic EB connectivity services have been expanded to include a wide range of cash and treasury management services - see EB Cash Management Services & Work Stations.
Basic Electronic Banking Connectivity
The primary function in EB connectivity is to provide bank balance and transaction reporting and payment instruction delivery. Many banks also provide a separate host-to-host/computer-computer connection service for sending and receiving bulk files.
EB Post Office Services
Many banks now also provide an 'electronic post office service' to and from other banks via SWIFT and other networks for their corporate customers. The lead bank collects bank account balance and transaction from the client's other banks and also delivers payment instructions to these banks, as the figure shows. Many banks also provide a monitoring and chasing service to check whether their clients' other banks have sent the expected balance and transaction reports, and, if they have not reported by a set time, they chase the bank for the missing data.
Bank EB Post Office Services
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The advantage of this 'post-office' service is that the corporate treasury department needs just one connection to their lead bank rather than one for each bank. Banks charge for this service, typically on a per account and transaction basis.
Corporate Electronic Banking Mobile Services
Banks are starting to provide EB services via mobile phones to send important information, e.g. notice of high value receipts, FX rates, and to make it easier for corporate treasurers to initiate and authorise payments.