UK payments processor VocaLink has inked deals with vendors Clear2Pay and Fundtech to help push its global, real-time, end-to-end Immediate Payments service to banks.

Bank-owned VocaLink launched the UK's Faster Payments Service in May 2008, which has since processed more than one billion transactions, both online and through traditional inter-bank transfers.

The company is now bidding to tap the real-time payments infrastructure it has developed for a global offering, enabling banks to provide customers with an end-to-end, inter-bank, real-time payments service.

It is aimed at both corporate and consumer customers and designed to cater for both inter-bank and low-value payments made available through multi-channel service options such as mobile and browser.

VocaLink has signed agreements with specialists Clear2Pay and Fundtech to give banks a greater choice of payment provider. The Fundtech partnership will tap the vendor's Global PAYplus services platform and target the Asia Pacific market.

Marc Terry, MD, global transaction services, VocaLink, says: "The drive towards immediacy in payments is becoming increasingly important as consumers want to make payments from anywhere, at anytime. At VocaLink we understand the need for an integrated end-to-end payments system and are extremely pleased to be working with Fundtech to accelerate the move towards global immediate payments."

Meanwhile, SunGard, another fintech big beast, has unveiled a social media-heavy integrated online and mobile banking platform called Ambit MyMoney.

The vendor says its new offering will help banks capitalise on the increasing global adoption of smartphones by creating a consistent and customisable mobile banking experience, providing seamless services to retail and business customers via the Web, handset and tablet computer.

Ambit MyMoney includes out-of-the-box integration to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and includes a feature that allows customers to 'follow' and 'like' them as well as receive updates. Meanwhile, personal financial management tools help customers share financial savings goals via social media.