In two separate announcements, carried at Finextra, wireless banking seems set to take off in 2008 in the US.  The first is a JV between Metavante, and Monitise from the UK to provide a mobile banking platform, that is also linked to the NYCE debit/ ATM network.  The second is AT&T and some Banks using a downloadable application from Firethorn, in Atlanta.

Metavante says it will provide hosting services for the US platform and as part of this service it will link the m-banking system to its Nyce electronic payments network, which connects 280,000 ATM’s and 1.5 million point-of-sale terminals. The partners say they have been in discussions with key potential participants and expect to launch the initial m-banking services to consumers later this year.

In a related move US banks Wachovia, Regions Financial and SunTrust Banks have all signed deals to implement mobile banking and payments technology provided by Atlanta-based Firethorn in partnership with AT&T.

Source: Finextra: Monitise and Metavante to establish m-banking network in US

The Firethorn solution appears to require a download to customers phone.  Downloadable as an alternative sounds like it will a hard sell to customers.  I recall 7-24 Solutions downloadable application in 1999, that went no-where, in part because of the issues getting it installed on customers devices.  I note Firethorn have been been around since 2001.  Will watch this one with some interest to see if I can learn more about it.  Not much information on their site.

UPDATE:  excellent review on this news, with analysis, here at Netbanker.