BILL.L Regulatory News (BILL)

3 Apr 2006 07:03

Billing Services Group Limited03 April 2006 For Immediate Release Monday 3 April 2006 Billing Services Group Limited BSG Clearing Solutions and British Telecom Partner to Deliver BT Onepay(TM) Payment Portal Enables Consumers To Pay Parking Fines And Other Services Online BSG Clearing Solutions UK Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Billing ServicesGroup Limited, a global provider of clearing and settlement, payment servicesand financial risk management solutions, announced today a strategic partnershipand distribution agreement with BT, one of Europe's leading providers oftelecommunications services, to jointly market and distribute BT's Onepayservice in the United Kingdom. BT's Onepay service will be exclusively hosted and operated by BSG and isavailable now to local government councils, utility companies and charitiesoperating in the UK. BT Onepay enables these organisations to offer and acceptonline payments securely and cost effectively. Under the agreement, BSG will develop, host and operate the Onepay platform andmanage the web portal and IVR which will take end-user payments via credit anddebit cards for a variety of services. The contract also includes reciprocalbranding rights for both companies, as well as a joint strategic anddistribution agreement for marketing and selling the BT Onepay services withinthe United Kingdom. Patrick J. Haynes III, CEO of Billing Services Group Limited commented: "We are extremely pleased to be partnering with BT and look forward tosupporting their Onepay offering. We view this as an exciting opportunity toapply our knowledge and experience to a new area of service as BSG rapidlyexpands in Europe." David Hunter, head of BT ePayments in the UK added: "BSG's experience in managing high volume transactions made them an obviouschoice for this endeavor. We're looking forward to a continued partnership toleverage our complimentary business models to address current and future marketneeds." Enquiries:Billing Services Group LimitedPatrick J. Haynes III, Chief Executive Tel: +1 847 832 0077Randall Brouckman, Chief Operating Officer Buchanan CommunicationsBobby Morse / Jeremy Garcia / James Strong Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000 Blanc & Otus Public RelationsTrudie Parsons/Lara Genser (UK trade media relations) Tel: +44 (0) 207 413 3229/973 5911 tparsons@blancandotus.co.uk / ebrennan@blancandotus.com About BSG Clearing Solutions BSG Clearing Solutions is a leading global provider of clearing and settlement,payment services, and financial risk management solutions for communicationsservice providers. The company processes over 20 billion transactions annuallyfor 630 of the world's largest communications companies throughout NorthAmerica, Europe and Asia. With a ubiquitous, scalable platform and an extensiveportfolio of clearinghouse services for fixed-line, wireless, Wi-Fi, andbroadband networks, BSG monetizes network transactions by facilitating thefinancial exchange of its customers' services. BSG meets the needs of today'scomplex network interconnections and anticipates the requirements of convergingtechnologies, allowing for rapid and reliable deployment. BSG Clearing Solutionsis an operating subsidiary of Billing Services Group Limited, which is publiclytraded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) under the ticker symbol BILL. For moreinformation, visit www.bsgclearing.com . About BT BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions andservices operating in more than 160 Countries. Its principal activities includenetworked IT services, local, national and international telecommunicationsservices, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services. BTconsists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach,BT Retail and BT Wholesale.In the year ended 31 March 2005, BT Group's revenuewas £18,623 million with profit before taxation of £2,354 million. BritishTelecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group andencompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plcis listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information,visit www.bt.com/aboutbt. Inquiries about this news release can also be made tothe BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK,dial +44 20 7356 536. All BT Group news releases can be accessed at www.bt.com/newscentre This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange