Commonwealth Bank is exploring how it can use the data it collects about its customers to "specifically price based on your risk and your loyalty".  In a wide-ranging address to the Australian Information Industry Association in Sydney yesterday, the bank's chief information officer, Michael Harte, said that to some extent banks would compete with organisations such as Facebook and Google for data-rich relationships with consumers in the future.Access to data collected over long periods would be valuable. "We know that John Brogden has smoked since he was at school at 14, so we will charge him more for insurance," he said. While Harte acknowledged he was "being a bit flippant", he added: "But why should you all pay the same interest rates? It's weird."Harte said companies such as Facebook and Google, which collect information about computer users' behaviour and preferences, have the opportunity to become formidable competitors to the financial sector. "Not in pure-play banking or insurance", but in their ability to direct users to alternative services."The future of financial services is about knowing where you are and offering you what's relevant in real-time. So, we don't treat you as a credit score."According to Harte, "The biggest risk of all is not having good data." With more and more customers connecting to the bank from their computers or phones, the ability to gather more data is significant, Harte said. In 2007, 87 per cent of the bank's customers were not using online banking services, today 80 per cent were, he said.  And 50 per cent were accessing the bank via a personal device.Meanwhile, technology is also recasting the bricks and mortar branch. While the branch network remains a mainstay for the CBA, and would have a role to play for the next 30 years, this role is changing. Harte forecasts the use of more video-conferencing                                                                                                to directly connect customers to bankers. This was presently being trialled in some rural areas, he said.The bank is also keen to work with customers on technology co-creation, he added, citing the example of NetBank Labs, where selected customers can trial NetBank ideas. Harte said the bank was considering launching its own app store in the future, where customers could download beta versions of apps to test software prior to its formal launch.