Freedom of choice. Call that the theme of this week's column which looks at how credit unions that want can tell their core providers to take their mobile apps and shove them. Even more startling: it is possible to home-brew mobile RDC, dodging hefty monthly licensing and maintenance fees. And, lastly, it may be time for a complete rethink of how to protect mobile banking users from crooks, starting with a shift of responsibility away from the member.

The Direct Mobile Pipeline: Still think that mobile banking is another window on online banking? You just don't get it, shrugged Robb Gaynor, founder and chief product officer of Austin, Texas-based Malauzai, a developer of standalone mobile banking solutions that bypass online banking and instead directly interface with any of many core banking platforms.

One fact: at least some core providers have not been hospitable about opening up their platform to third-party developers like Malauzai but, said Gaynor, his company has doggedly worked on middleware – software that lets one system talk with another – and the result is that it is becoming straightforward to directly connect mobile banking to the core.