OREANDA-NEWS. August 11, 2010. Citi has been named the Best Consumer Internet Bank in Russia and the Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Bank in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan by the Global Finance in 2010, reported the press-centre of Citi.

"In less than a decade, the Internet has transformed the way many consumers and most businesses bank," says Joseph D. Giarraputo, publisher of the Global Finance. "The continuing improvements in Internet offerings represented by this year’s entries show that more significant Internet banking developments are still ahead of us."

The Global Finance rating includes banks, credit organizations and financial institutions based on the following criteria: strength of strategy for attracting and servicing online customers, success in getting clients to use web offerings, growth of online customers, breadth of product offerings, evidence of tangible benefits gained from Internet initiatives, and web site design and functionality.

Zdenek Turek, Head of Citi in Russia & CIS, says: "We are honored to receive these awards from the Global Finance for Internet Banking, a business area that is very important for us. Innovation and technology leadership have always been one of our key priorities. We pride ourselves on employing the best experts in the field who facilitate access to the most effective Internet based solutions for our customers. It is the fourth subsequent year that that we have been named the Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Bank in Russia. However, I am particularly pleased that this year our accomplishments have been acknowledged both for Russia’s corporate and consumer segment, as well as for corporate clients in Ukraine and Kazakhstan."

Amit Sah, Consumer Head of ZAO Citibank, says: "We are relentless in our efforts to improve and widen the scope of our Internet banking proposition. For instance, in 2010 we launched Citi Mobile, a mobile version of Internet-bank, and 3D Secure, the most advanced technology on the market for secure e-commerce transactions. We are grateful to our clients for their support, and we hope they will continue to benefit from and enjoy the many new products and services we propose to launch over the next few months."

For Central & Eastern Europe, Citi was named the "Best Online Cash Management Bank" and "Best Trade Finance Bank" in the “Best Corporate/Institutional Bank" subcategory. Citi also received awards for the best information security and best Web-design in the regional "Best Consumer Internet Bank" subcategory.