 |
|
|
| Using proprietary software is less common than it was several years ago when people had more concerns about Web security. Proprietary software refers to a program that a bank has specially created for its online banking customers, which you can either download from its Web site or receive on a CD or diskette. Wells Fargo's Business Gateway is an example of proprietary software. Most banks offering proprietary software are traditional banks providing online banking services, rather than Internet banks. |
|
|
|
|
| Using proprietary software you use a direct dial modem to connect to the bank's private network, usually directly from the software the bank has provided. You don't need to access the Internet or even have a browser to use this type of software. |
|
|
|
|
| The main limitation of using proprietary software is that you can bank online only with a computer on which you've installed this software. If you want to be able to log on from any computer—at work, while you travel, etc.—you'll be limited with this type of service. Using proprietary software also means that you have to maintain another program on your computer and learn to use it. |
|
|
|
|
| Most banks that still provide proprietary software charge a fee to send it to you or enable you to download and activate it. Well's Fargo's Business Gateway costs $9.95 to download, for example. |
|
more...