ZapNote: Interactive Financial Exchange (IFX)

Financial services and related industries are some of the largest consumers of information and data in the world. Standardization of transactions (message sets) allows financial organizations to more easily acquire customers for online banking and financial services, retain flexibility in their choice of technology vendors and suppliers, more easily manage their portfolio of service, and greatly reduce cost of product development and integration. The IFX Specification allows financial institutions and associated service providers to access account information, download credit card statements, transfer funds, process consumer and business payments, enable bill presentment, and improve customer service. The specification supports a broad range of client devices, including Web browser access, direct support within financial software packages, Voice Response Units (VRUs) that provide Bank by Phone services, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), handheld devices, and mobile phones with data capabilities.

“Wacky World of Web Services”

Current revenues from Web services are puny – just $380 million for all of 2001, according to estimates from ZapThink LLC, a Waltham, Mass.-based market research group. But ZapThink expects that to balloon to more than $15.5 billion once software services over the Internet become prevalent.

Read more at: TheDeal.com