Integration of Financial Services: The TeleCounter

While more and more sectors of the economy are linked by electronic information and communication technologies, one domain is often neglected: non-commercial clients, i.e. private households. As consumers, they play an important role within the market and they should be integrated into the electronic data exchange chain. This article focusses on the importance of homebanking as an example for electronic links between consumers and banks. It describes the project TeleCounter as an attempt to create a standardized platform for electronic banking in Switzerland.