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February 2010 - BankVal SMS Launch
September 2009 - SAP Global Bank Validator Package Service Launch
March 2009 - Unified Software triumph at NE Business Awards
January 2009 - Unified Software announce partnership with COA Systems
October 2008 - Unified Software scoops technology award.
October 2008 - Unified comment in Guardian Technology online
August 2008 - Unified Software stays ahead with Faster Payments
July 2008 - BankVal Server Launch
June 2008 - Step Forward for Christopher
August 2006 - Unified Software goes International
September 2003 - BankVal UK Launch
UK based financial web services specialist, Unified Software, has extended its range of products. BankVal SMS is an innovative new service which validates UK bank details any time, anywhere, using simple mobile phone text message technology.
Unified Software’ BankVal SMS service provides, for the first time, the capability to validate UK sort codes and bank account numbers and lookup important clearing information about any UK bank branch using SMS mobile phone text messaging.
Previously, field sales staff, charity workers, utility companies and many others were unable to check bank details at the moment they are provided by the customer. Invalid bank details cause problems later, when Direct Debit mandates are processed back at the office.
BankVal SMS has been developed to solve this problem. Now, customer bank details can be checked within a few seconds while the customer is still present, ensuring that any mistakes are corrected before they cause problems.
Ross Miller, Sales and Marketing Director at Unified Software said:
For some time now, a number of our existing web service customers have been asking about a mobile version of our popular BankVal UK web service. In order to meet their requirements, the new service had to be independent of phone platform and require no special hardware or software. Mobile phone messaging seemed like the ideal solution, so we developed BankVal SMS.
Leading financial data validation specialists, Unified Software, have extended their portfolio of products and services with the introduction of their SAP Approved Global Bank Validator Packaged Service.
The new software is designed for ease of integration with SAP systems, bringing comprehensive bank code and account number validation to the market leading ERP system.
The SAP Approved Global Bank Validator Packaged Service provides comprehensive validation and lookup facilities for banks worldwide, allowing SAP customers to ensure the validity of bank master data on their systems. This, in turn, ensures that electronic payments work first time, saving time and money and improving business efficiency.
Marketed jointly between Unified and SAP United Kingdom and Ireland, the new product is designed to be implemented on a fixed timescale, fixed cost basis, integrating seamlessly with SAP ERP systems via standard SAP interfaces.
Ross Miller, Sales and Marketing Director at Unified Software comments:
Many of the world’s leading corporations depend on SAP ERP systems to run all aspects of their business. Day to day business operations depend upon trouble-free electronic payment processing. Our new Packaged Service ensures that payments work first time so the customer gets the maximum benefit from their SAP investment. We are delighted to be working with SAP.
Unified Software walked away with the Internet & ICT Award at the North East Business Awards ceremony, held at Ramside Hall on 12th March 2009.
Managing Director George Barron was delighted and proud to accept the award which recognizes companies that have made use of web technology to enhance their business.
George said:
I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the Unified Software Team. Our team have worked really hard for this. There are some great technology companies in the region, so we were up against stiff competition.
Judges were very impressed with Unified Software’s innovative use of internet technology to improve business performance.
Leading financial web services provider Unified Software has entered a partnership with COA Solutions to provide BankVal UK as an optional extra within their financial management system.
COA Solutions has integrated the BankVal software into e5, their financial management system, and plan to role out the software within their financial management, human resource and payroll processing systems.
Dennis Kirton, e5 and Collaborative Planning Product manager, said:
BankVal adds value to our Smart Business Suite of products. It allows external validation of entered Bank Sort Codes and Account number details against the Industry Sorting Code Directory (ICSD) via a web based SOAP service hosted by Unified Software.
This means, for example, that customer bank accounts can be checked up front, preventing downstream problems, such as a direct debit instruction being rejected by the bank.
COA Solutions discovered Unified Software following an extensive period of research into suppliers of bank validation software, Dennis added:
We were immediately impressed with the offering, they have been an ideal solution to what we have required. It provides a modern web based service, as opposed to something our customers would have to install and maintain locally.
The pricing options were also flexible and represent very good value.
George Barron, Managing Director at Unified Software, commented:
We have a strong relationship with COA Solutions and are proud to be associated with the company and play a role in their service offering.
The Unified Software team were delighted at being crowned technology champions at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Business Awards 2008.
The pioneering financial web services provider was presented with the prestigious Technology Award at a glitzy black tie event held at The Stadium of Light. Both Unified′s joint Managing Directors George Barron and Christine Forsyth were present to accept the award
George said:
We are really proud. We knew we had a chance but there are a lot of very good IT companies in this area now – it is always good to be recognised in this way.
Launched in 2003 Unified Software was the first business in the UK to offer web based financial services.
Judges at the awards were very impressed with the Managing Directors ability to spot a commercial opportunity. The judges said:
The winning company has shown a real flair for firstly seeing the market opportunity and then having the skills to actually write and develop the cutting edge software that has allowed it to win major contracts from across the globe.
Customers are seeing an improved solution to an everyday business need and can validate financial information in real time providing cost savings.
Unified Software made a big impression on technology journalists from the Guardian, providing expert comment on the future of financial web services.
Scott Cawley, Jemima Kiss and Paul Smith from the Guardian newspaper′s technology section descended upon Newcastle upon Tyne to meet individuals at the cutting edge of the regions digital scene, via an exclusive networking event held at the Living Room.
George Barron, Managing Director of Unified Software, was on hand to give his expert views on web service technology, and Unified Software′s leading software, designed to provide data cleansing, validation and query services, essential to the operation of business to business and business to customer financial transactions.
George commented:
The Guardian′s interest is proof that companies from the region are finally being recognised for being at the forefront of the digital sector
Guardian′s technology section focuses on computing, the internet, social networking, games & motoring. The journalists put on the event to get under the skin of the North East′s digital landscape, with the intention of hearing views from techies, gamers and entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes. A lucky few, including Unified Software, made it onto the Guardian Tech Weekly Podcast. George added:
As an ambitious and fast growing company, with market leading products sold at a regional, national and international level, we are well placed to discuss current issues affecting the region′s tech community
Listen to Unified Software comment on Guardian Tech Weekly podcast
BankVal UK v2.0
Unified Software has enhanced its market leading BankVal UK bank validation web service to meet the requirements of the Faster Payments system
Unified Software successfully pioneered BankVal UK in 2003, as the first web service solution to the bank validation problem. The web service saves customers time and money by verifying account details for trouble free payment processing, eliminating rejected payments and ensuring Direct Debits and BACS payments work first time.
BankVal Uk v2 is a recently enhanced version of this software to check if bank accounts have faster payment facilities before starting to process payment. Having been in the pipeline for four months, the enhanced software was created to take into account the £300m Faster Payments Service allowing electronic payments to be made within hours rather than days.
George Barron, Managing Director at Unified Software said:
The £300m Faster Payments Service (FPS) was launched in May 2008 by 13 top banks and BankVal UK version 2 sits perfectly with the way the market is progressing. Since the focus of FPS is on speed, validation is more important than ever before. Customers now rely on being able to make payments in near real time, but invalid data will prevent this from happening, BankVal UK v2 is a successful and cost effective solution to this.
Leading UK web services provider Unified Software has extended its range of products with the introduction of BankVal Server. Like its sister applications BankVal UK and BankVal International, BankVal Server is a web service - but with a subtle difference.
BankVal Server is designed to be installed on the customer's own computer systems. Operating in web service mode, BankVal Server then delivers flexible, high quality bank account validation across the customer's network.
The new software includes an automatic update facility, ensuring that it is always working with the very latest banking data and validation rules.
George Barron, Managing Director at Unified Software said:
Some businesses have a policy of not letting customer data outside their organisation. BankVal Server is self contained and operates behind the company firewall, providing validation where it is needed
Unified Software provides a range of products including BankVal UK and BankVal International, to ensure successful financial transactions. Other services within their portfolio include data cleansing, validation and query services essential for business to business and business to customer financial communication.
The UK's most dynamic financial web based business located in Rainton Bridge is the latest company to offer a student placement under the Shell Step Undergraduate Programme.
Unified Software, whose clients include BP and JP Morgan welcomes ICT student Christopher Airey, 20, to join their successful team. Shell Step placements aims to stretch students' imagination beyond the boundaries of university by placing them in small or medium sized companies. In 2007, a quarter of Step students added more than £15,000 worth of value to their placement's business.
Christine Forsyth, Director at Unified Software said:
We are extremely pleased to welcome Christopher on board. He will gain a real insight into working in this industry as a software developer with the opportunity to experience hands-on projects such as webpage design, database and customer management.
This scheme is a great way of preparing students for the work place. It gives them essential skills they wouldn't ordinarily develop at university or learn through reading. I hope this placement stands Christopher in good stead for his future career.
Christopher, a Northumbria University student, is from Bishop Auckland and is due to complete his final year in June 2009. He said:
This is the first time I've worked in a sector that's relevant to my degree. I am getting some good experience that will be really useful for me.
Unified Software, founded in 2003, is the leading provider of UK and international financial web services. It provides a range of software including BankVal UK and BankVal International, to ensure successful financial transactions. Other services within their portfolio include data cleansing, validation and query services essential for business to business and business to customer financial communication.
Building on the success of its popular BankVal UK bank account validation web service, Unified Software has now developed a product for the international market.
BankVal International has at its core the same state of the art web services technology as its UK counterpart. However, BankVal International uses data and validation rules which give it the capability to check any International Bank Account Number and verify the details of any bank, anywhere in the world.
Director Christine Forsyth explained why BankVal International is an important development:
With the introduction of the Single Euro Payment Area, it is now essential that bank details are verified before making a cross-border payment. Failed transactions are no longer just an expensive waste of time; banks now have the right to penalise customers for submitting incorrect data. BankVal International ensures that data is correct before submission, saving businesses time and money
Financial software house Unified Software has launched BankVal UK, a ground breaking bank account validation system.
BankVal UK differs from conventional software as it uses the latest Web Services technology, one of the first commercial applications in the UK to do so.
This is a major advance in validation software. Web Services technology means that BankVal UK is far easier to implement than conventional software and can be used in almost any computer system.
Managing Director George Barron explained BankVal UK is a step forward:
BankVal UK is not just the application of technology for its own sake. BankVal UK solves a real world problem in a better way than any existing software, and its pay-per-use pricing model makes high quality validation affordable to companies of all sizes for the first time
