National Bank announces innovative new interactive Internet platform

The National Bank today announced its new platform on its interactive Direct.N@t site currently accessible via the Bank's website at www.nbc.ca. This leading-edge technology in a highly secure environment, developed by Cognicase and IBM, offers several new functions, including a consolidated balance sheet, the webdoxs Internet document delivery service, and mutual fund transactions.

The consolidated balance sheet option will enable clients of the National Bank or one of its subsidiaries, such as National Bank Financial, National Bank Discount Brokerage or General Trust, to access information on all their accounts from a single interactive site, without having to navigate from one site to another. The National Bank is one of the few financial institutions in Canada to offer this kind of rapid, highly functional interface.

The webdoxs Internet document delivery service enables clients to receive documents, such as utility bills, electronically. Participating bill issuers at this time are National Bank MasterCard, Bell Canada, Bell Mobility Cellular, Vidéotron, CIBC Visa, Royal Visa, Scotia Visa and TD Visa.

The new site offers clients the possibility of trading their National Bank Mutual Funds without having to go through a brokerage firm. Clients can buy, sell or exchange their fund units without having to pay transaction fees. Daily updated information also lets clients monitor the performance of their funds.

With the new version of the National Bank's Internet banking services, clients can also carry out a large number of banking transactions on their computer: balance inquiries on bank accounts, lines of credit and credit cards, bill payments to over 500 public and private service providers (including major retailers, many municipalities and major utility companies), transfer funds, consult a list of recent transactions in their account, export data to financial planning programs, submit applications for personal and mortgage loans, and carry out investment and RRSP transactions.

Armelle Fortin, Senior Manager - Virtual Bank at the National Bank, stated that the Bank's new platform on its interactive site is ushering in a new era in Internet banking services. "This is the first in a series of moves that will allow the Bank to position itself as a Canadian leader in providing financial services on the Internet and to continue the tradition of excellence that began with its launching of the first website in 1997," Ms. Fortin announced.

The National Bank was the first Canadian bank to express interest in home banking with the introduction in 1995 of Personal CompuTeller, a management software program designed to help clients manage their bank accounts using a personal computer. In 1997 and 1999, the Bank's website received an International Golden MIM award at the Multimedia and Info-Highway International Market Gala.

National Bank of Canada is an integrated group whose mission is to provide comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. The National Bank has assets of over $76 billion and, together with its subsidiaries, it employs some 16,600 people. The Bank's shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

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