This will provide businesses and financial institutions with BACS payment facilities as part of both CODA-Financials and its SME offering, CODA-Dream.

"We chose Bottomline because of their market leading solutions coupled with their ability to deliver fast migration to BACSTEL-IP for CODA customers," said Ann Fearnley, Channel Partner Manager at CODA. Furthermore, "CODA and Bottomline provide solutions that recognize the importance of secure and efficient systems for financial transactions. It is vital that our customers can easily access and submit accurate financial information from their CODA system in the correct online format for the new BACSTEL-IP service."

"We can help add value to CODA users by reducing the cost of payment processing and document distribution," said Tim Miller, Vice President of Channel Sales, EMEA, Bottomline. "With the deadline for BACSTEL-IP migration approaching, Bottomline will offer CODA customers the smoothest and most appropriate route to move to the new service."

Every UK organization that directly uses BACS will have to migrate to the new BACSTEL-IP service before BACSTEL is switched off at the end of 2005. The partnership agreement means that CODA's customers will have access to Bottomline's range of approved BACSTEL-IP payment and collection solutions and services bringing improved security, efficiency and reduced cost when making payments.