Rochester Business Journal

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. has launched a mobile banking application for smartphones, the Buffalo-based bank announced Tuesday.

First Niagara Bank N.A. clients can use the app on iPhone, Android and Blackberry to access their accounts from anywhere at any time.

“We live in a highly mobile world,” said Jay Clark, First Niagara’s retail planning director. “People are mobile, and now their banking is, as well.”

Some 1,800 First Niagara representatives tested the app in December.

“Throughout the mobile pilot, not only did our teammates enjoy mobile banking, they also helped us compile data about the functionality so, as we go live for our customers, it is ready to roll,” Clark said.

First Niagara ranks fifth in the Rochester market with local deposits of $1.5 billion, data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. shows.

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