Oracle has appointed Belgium-headquartered software developer Financial Information Consulting Services (FICS) in a bid to capture a slice of Australia's booming electronic banking market.
As an independent software vendor (ISV) specialising in electronic services delivery (ESD) products, FICS will be selling Oracle's databases and application products as part of its electronic banking solutions.
"This ISV relationship with FICS will take Oracle into new areas of banking functionality, such as electronic home banking, electronic bill payment and presentment," said Michael Alp, Oracle's financial services industry account director for northern region.
The organisations are expected to jointly develop new marketing programs aimed at increasing their market-share in the uptake of electronic banking and customer management practices that will be offered for adoption to Oracle financial groups globally.
"FICS sells electronic banking software directly to banks and, as part of our products, we require a database engine," explained Mark Hartley, general manager of FICS Australia.
"An Oracle database will therefore form an integral part of our solution to allow banks to purchase electronic banking sofware and database engine at the same point of contact."
Being the first electronic banking developer to join forces with Oracle Australia, FICS shares Oracle's enthusiasm for the new partnership.
"We've formed an alliance with what a company that provides the biggest, best-breed database solutions around and we expect our customers, as well as our two companies - to benefit from it," Hartley said.
According to Alp, the organisations are already involved in discussions with several major institutions.