On the continent, U.K., cyberbanking a reality.

The article focuses on the Internet banking services offered by financial institutions in Europe. According to a recent study by Paris-based BlueSky International Marketing, a market research firm tracking Internet trends and studying their clients' Web businesses, between November 1998 and June 1999, the number of Internet-bank sites in key European countries has more than doubled to 1,845 sites from 863. Even more surprising is the number of transactional "cyberbank" sites, where customers can transfer money, pay their bills and buy or sell their stocks and shares. In terms of absolute numbers of online-banking sites, BlueSky has discovered that Germany leads the way, with France the fastest-growing market and the number of British sites staying roughly static. Most growth in Internet banking seems to be coming from the small savings and loans, while other institutions are leveraging their Internet investments in multiple markets.