Intelligent Environments, a leading provider of digital money software, today announces it has successfully completed a project to update retail finance and loyalty specialist Ikano's digital marketing and financial services platform in the UK.
The move enables Ikano to provide customer-led payments solutions to some of the country's biggest retailers through a market leading online platform.
Through integrating Intelligent Environments' solution with its back office systems, Ikano is now able to provide customers of leading brands such as New Look and IKEA with a full summary of their storecard accounts. More than 18,000 storecard holders have already signed-up to the system since mid-November 2012. Intelligent Environments was chosen to partner with Ikano for the project because of the company's status as a leading provider of digital money solutions, its UK regulatory and market knowledge, and strong existing client list.
The solution has been so successful to date that Ikano expects to roll it out to all of its storecard portfolios this year.
Via the new platform, New Look and IKEA storecard holders can derive immediate benefits such as being able to view their transactions 24/7, update their personal details, and make payments online through the Paypoint payment portal at their convenience. Notifications can be sent directly to storecard account holders, reminding them of a monthly finance payment and providing them with a link to the relevant payment page. These services help consumers to manage their finances more effectively and conveniently, at the moment of need.
The solution also goes far deeper than a digital money dashboard and provides significant business value to Ikano and its clients. Specially tailored offers and promotions can now be sent out to customers of all retailers, which can be personalised to allow for the likes of birthday promotions and discounts. Results of such campaigns can be recorded for future reference, allowing merchants to analyse the success of a particular offer, such as click-through numbers and ultimately, purchases. This not only provides valuable marketing data, but ultimately the opportunity to boost business revenue through closely managed targeted offers.
The fact that Intelligent Environments' digital money solution allows all marketing and billing to be done digitally means it fulfils Ikano's companywide policy of eradicating paper billing and marketing, not only benefiting the environment, but also resulting in a significant cost saving to the firm.
Bromyn Brady, Head of Contact Centre, Ikano, said: "We chose to work with Intelligent Environments because we see the company as a leading provider of digital financial services software, with unparalleled expertise in the UK market. Not only has Intelligent Environments proven itself to be easy to work with, but also an outstanding consultant throughout the duration of the project, with the results now enabling us to add significant value to our customer offering."
David Webber, Managing Director, Intelligent Environments, said: "We offer a scalable, commercial and easily deployable solution, which has enabled Ikano to make its retail storecard and loyalty schemes truly digital. Ikano can now be confident that it has a robust and secure offering in place that fulfils British consumers' expectations of a best-in-class digital experience that carries across multiple channels. As we hear an increasing number of stories about high street retailer closures, a failure to recognise the importance of digital customer service and purchasing channels is no longer an option. Brands must seek to leverage customer relationships effectively online to protect customer retention and revenues."
"Intelligent Environments is looking forward to working closely with Ikano in the long term to ensure the company and its customers remain at the very forefront of digital retail technology."