ABN AMRO Enters Second Life
Well, I am certainly not surprised that a Dutch bank has entered Second Life. The Dutch Banks have always been forward-thinking, innovators, due to their hyper-competitive, over-banked competitive landscape. According to Reuters, in Second Life, Dutch bank ABN AMRO NV opened a branch inside on Friday, December 1, inside Second Life’s Internet-based virtual world.
According to the article, ABN AMRO, the Netherlands’ biggest bank, said it will create a virtual bank resembling ABN’s real-life outlets, offering financial advice. ABN said it won’t be offering banking services at first. An ABN spokeswoman said that such services may be available in the future.
“Communicating with customers via the Internet can become more personal and more direct,” Wietze Reehoorn, a member of ABN’s executive board, said in a statement. “Competition between Dutch banks will be determined to a significant degree by finding the best way to establish personal contact with customers.”
We certainly agree with Wietz Reehoorn and think that it is "high time" that a Bank branch entered Second Life. We think more banks should think of Second Life as an opportunity to build more personal relationships with customers.