Zapp chooses Oracle for mobile commerce platform

Zapp, the British mobile commerce company recently set up by VocaLink, has called in Oracle to help build its technology platform.

Unveiled last month, Zapp is promising to bring real-time mobile payments to millions of Brits next year by linking their bank accounts and phone numbers, bypassing the card schemes.

The firm is working to bring banks on board, asking them to integrate the service into their mobile apps and then invite customers to opt in. Likewise, retailers are being sounded out about integrating Zapp at their online, mobile and real-world checkouts.

The Zapp Web, application and database servers will run on Oracle x86 and Sparc hardware, with the software behind the mobile payment eco-system being built on Oracle's Database, WebLogic, Enterprise Service Bus, GoldenGate and Data Integration technologies.

The tech, say the partners, will form the key building blocks of a high performance mobile transaction processing engine combined with advanced data analytics and strong encryption.

Peter Keenan, CEO, Zapp, says: "Ensuring secure and reliable payments for millions of UK consumers, financial institutions and retailers is the foundation of Zapp. Our strategic alliance with Oracle allows us to bring real-time payments to UK consumers through their existing bank account and their mobile phone in 2014."

Dermot O Kelly, UK country manager, Oracle, adds: "Zapp represents the cutting edge of mobile payments innovation and we are delighted to be a part of the co-operative effort which deploys Oracle's hardware and software to power the Zapp technology."

Finextra recently spoke to Zapp CEO Peter Keenan:

Related Companies

Oracle Corporation VocaLink

Channels

Retail banking Payments

Keywords

Innovation Mobile & online banking E-commerce Eftpos

Comments: (2)

A Finextra member 18 July, 2013, 10:48

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I am curious re Zapp. They havent cut a line of code, nor even got their Cloud platform up and running, and yet people are talking about them.

Their offering is quite unique, but quite a slow one for actually processing a transaction. Not sure how well this will go down with larger corporations or with small independents who expect mobile transactions to be quick, not clunky....They also still have to get the banks on board with them, and that will take a long time...

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A Finextra member 29 July, 2013, 09:29

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Zapp is a great initiative and is based on the same concept as the PKO solution. The success in Poland proves, that it is likely to succeed in other markets as well.