It depends on the institution's asset size. We charge based on a software model. We don't charge per-customer, although a lot of other companies do. We believe that this is an investment that the bank is making, and they should be able to turn a profit on it. If you get locked into a per-customer charge, it's hard to do that.
Every bank goes online for different reasons.
We tend to see four main strategies. First, the institution may be in a market where growth has stagnated, and they want to expand their customer base. Some are looking to go nationwide, and others decide to target a nearby major city. It wouldn't be feasible to open a branch in that city, but it's possible for them to advertise an Internet service there, and cherry-pick the customers they want. Secondly, some institutions want to maintain their customer base while they reduce costs.