PocketPC users will be able to us In-Trade, a Cash Online service which allows customers to access real-time stock quotes and trade securities and commodities listed on Hong Kong exchanges via the Internet.

The new software is not the first innovation from Cash Online, which hopes to list on Hong Kong's Growth Enterprise Market later this month or in early November. The company launched its online Initial Public Offering (IPO) services to its clients before HSBC and other leading banks. The IPO service includes online subscriptions and short messages for upcoming IPOs. Internet trading clients can subscribe online by typing their desired number of shares. The subscription will be directly debited from their accounts, and investors will receive confirmation via e-mail. The service also plans to notify its mobile phone investment service clients of the IPO through a short message system. Their clients can then call a hotline to subscribe to shares.

Cash Online managing director Ken Khoo says that the company is not concerned with competition from HSBC as 'their service is targeted to the upper income group such as the PowerVantage users'. He added that Cash Online didn't want to take the whole maket, claiming it already held a 30 to 40 per cent market share in online securities trading. He referred to main competitor Boom.com as 'a service targeted to expats, whereas we are pursuing a different strategy which reaches more people.'