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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 25, 2013) - BMO Bank of Montreal has been recognized by global financial services research firm Celent with a 2013 Model Bank Impact Award for BMO Bank by Appointment.

The real-time online appointment booking tool allows existing and prospective customers to book a BMO branch appointment at their convenience.

The annual award program selects 'model banks' and recognizes them for their achievements in the strategic development, effective deployment, and business and customer impact of banking technology. For the second consecutive year, BMO is the only Canadian bank to receive a Celent Model Bank award.

"We are pleased to present the Celent Impact Award to BMO, a new category introduced this year, which recognizes projects that are noteworthy for their simplicity, while offering a considerable boon to business outcomes," said Bob Meara, Senior Analyst, Celent Banking Group. "Among the many excellent nominations this year, BMO exemplified best practices of effective technology use in distribution and channel management."

"We are proud to be recognized for the second consecutive year by Celent," said Dan Dickinson, Head, Online and Mobile Banking, BMO Financial Group. "In under a year since the May 2012 launch, more than 29,000 appointments have been booked online through BMO Bank by Appointment, providing a simple and immediate way for new and existing customers to book one-on-one meetings with our financial professionals."

In addition, BMO announced that it is the first major Canadian financial institution to offer Canadians a mobile capability to book branch appointments online with the introduction of BMO Mobile Appointment Booking.

"Many Canadians are constantly on the go and looking for easier and less time-consuming ways to fit their banking needs into their busy schedules," said Mr. Dickinson. "The new Mobile Appointment Booking capability will allow current and prospective customers to self-book appointments quickly and conveniently from their mobile device - anytime and anywhere. It is yet another example of how BMO is 'Making Money Make Sense' for Canadians."

BMO Mobile Appointment Booking is part of BMO's ongoing commitment to 'Making Money Make Sense'. Since 2009, BMO has introduced various tools to help Canadians stay on top of their personal finances, including BMO Bank by Appointment, BMO MoneyLogic, BMO SmartSteps, BMO SmartSteps for Parents, BMO SmartSteps for Students, BMO SmartSteps for Business and BMO SmartSteps for Investing.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $542 billion as at January 31, 2013, and more than 46,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.