A free iPhone application that allows ANZ customers to monitor and manage their accounts and send a payment to any mobile phone has attracted 31,000 downloads in the first five days since its soft launch. Although that figure represents just a fraction of the bank's 1.8 million active online banking users, demand for the iPhone application has taken the bank by surprise, according to Peter Dalton, group general manager of innovation.Dalton, a former chief information officer of the ANZ, has been in charge of innovation for the last 18 months. Running a team of 20 people - mainly in Australia, but with one team member located in Singapore - Dalton's innovation focus is firmly at the customer interface rather than the back office.ANZ's technology back office is the domain of Ann Weatherston, who has steadfastly avoided the limelight since joining the bank as CIO in January. Since her arrival Weatherston and a team of consultants have been reviewing the bank's existing core technology.Until now the ANZ has been firmly wedded to its strategy not to rip out and replace the current core systems, but stick with Hogan in Australia and Finacle throughout Asia. Dalton yesterday suggested once again that the bank would not be embarking on a major overhaul any time soon.Dalton said the ANZ's core banking platform was not as old, or in as urgent need of replacement, as those in the other big banks. "Ours went in during the early 1990s; it's not one of the biggest priorities," he said.The current core systems were, he said, capable of supporting a range of innovative applications, such as goMoney. "Customers aren't telling us they want things that need that sort of change. They are telling us they want easy, fast access," said Dalton.