"What we are doing with [iOS] is [aimed at] the next generation of banking," said Schofield. San Francisco-based Schofield leads a team to establish the bank's mobility strategies and policies--his team works closely with the Hong Kong IT team to localize Breeze, as well as to test and pilot other mobile apps.

Another app, iNeeds, was piloted and went live in Hong Kong. It's designed for relationship managers in consumer banking to identify and present different banking needs for customers, as well as to provide personalized financial planning services.

Besides serving external customers, Schofield's team also builds apps and set mobility policies for internal staff. While customers can download apps from Apple's App Store, Standard Chartered internal staff can also download internal apps through the SC AppCenter, where apps are posted and updated for employees.

These apps include FX Rate, which provides direct connection with the bank's internal foreign exchange system, to provide real-time and updated foreign exchange rates for traders. The Mobile Trade Port also allows traders to access the bank's trading system and approve transactions on the road.

To encourage its employees to adopt these apps, Standard Chartered has purchased 11,000 iPhones to support the bank's 80,000-plus staff. Schofield agreed the penetration rate is moderate, as they remain cautious in providing mobility. "We take the responsibility as custodians in managing the money of our customers very seriously," he said, "and our mobile services need to reflect that."