LONDON, September 17 /PRNewswire/ -- VocaLink, the payment transaction specialist, today announced that it had signed a partnership agreement with Axway, a leading provider of collaborative business solutions. Under the agreement Axway will provide a gateway for VocaLink's clients to access its Euro services and other VocaLink services.

Axway has developed a very cost-effective thin client gateway, which is downloadable from the internet. This will enable VocaLink to extend its Euro services offering in a cost-effective way and make it an attractive proposition for even smaller users.

Working together the two organisations will offer customers low cost, easy-to-deploy entry points for access to the VocaLink Euro CSM. This will provide a full range of SEPA services including domestic Euro direct debits. Axway offers secure access through a single channel to VocaLink's shared services for banks and their business customers to allow them to manage SEPA transactions.

John Doyle, Channel Service Line Director at VocaLink commented, "We are delighted to sign this contract with Axway. Its service will speed up access to the VocaLink Euro CSM and the range of managed services that we offer our clients. It will enable businesses to take full advantage of the opportunities that SEPA presents. It removes any complexity in connecting to our Euro services and helps demystify the whole connectivity area."

Mike Nason, Senior Vice President at Axway added, "We have been working with VocaLink for the past year on a strategy to deliver benefits from this partnership for both companies and our customers. This agreement provides a framework from which we can explore further opportunities for joint collaboration."

Notes to Editors

About VocaLink

VocaLink is a specialist provider of transaction services to banks, their corporate customers and Government departments. It processes domestic and international automated payments and provides ATM switching solutions. On a peak day, the VocaLink automated payment platform processes over 90 million transactions and over half a billion in a month. Its switching platform connects the world's busiest ATM network of over 60,000 ATMs. Its Real-Time Payments platform provides the central infrastructure for the UK Faster Payments service. VocaLink is working with BGC to provide outsourced processing for the majority of Sweden's domestic payments.

Having pioneered electronic payments for over four decades, many of the world's top banks and their corporate customers rely on VocaLink to meet their transaction needs. Its processing services offer banks reach throughout the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and beyond; and are complemented by value-added services that leverage industry expertise and technical capabilities.

Please visit http://www.vocalink.com for more information.

About Axway

Axway is the leading global provider of collaborative business solutions. Axway establishes the dynamic connections - within and among enterprises - that make companies easier to do business with. Spanning all industries, over 11,000 organizations in more than 100 countries depend on Axway to manage and control their business-critical information in motion - improving value chain efficiency, regulatory compliance and quality of service. Built on a service-oriented architecture (SOA), Axway's Synchrony(TM) solutions feature a highly flexible integration and B2B framework, business and technical analytics, and professional services. Axway also offers customized solutions for the financial services, life sciences and automotive industries. A subsidiary of Sopra Group, SA, Axway is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.

For further information please contact: Gerald Cross at the JJ Group +44(0)1865-343100 or vocalink@thejjgroup.com Kevin Monks at VocaLink +44(0)870-920-8574 or kevin.monks@vocalink.com Deborah Souter at VocaLink +44(0)870-920-8651 or deborah.souter@vocalink.com

For further information please contact: Gerald Cross at the JJ Group, +44(0)1865-343100 or vocalink@thejjgroup.com; Kevin Monks at VocaLink, +44(0)870-920-8574 or kevin.monks@vocalink.com; Deborah Souter at VocaLink, +44(0)870-920-8651 or deborah.souter@vocalink.com