Everywhere I go I hear bankers’ refrain “When will we see a viable business model for mobile banking?” Mid-market and smaller banks, credit unions and card issuers that have yet to mobilize their business are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward mobile account access. I understand their concerns, even if I’m often surprised that many viable mobile business models aren’t being considered today. Yet here’s another way of looking at the issue: soon, many people will simply bypass laptops and desktops altogether, and just access their deposit or payment accounts via mobile. A good analog to this is the way debit or prepaid cards are replacing checks among the young or low-income, or how facebook or myspace is replacing email for millenials and teens. Eventually, physical wallets and checks will go the way of the banking passbook or check register. So while there are several potentially viable mobile business models, the argument that’s not getting enough consideration is this: very soon, you may not have a business that reaches vital consumer segments if your business isn’t available via mobile devices.