A Dorset software development firm has acquired a digital ticketing business from payments giant Visa.
Unicard, which has its head office in Ferndown, provides smart ticketing and payment solutions to the public and commercial transport sector.
The company said its purchase of smart ticketing specialists Ecebs from Visa, financial details of which were not disclosed, would bring contactless Europay, Mastercard, and Visa into its portfolio of services.
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It added that the expansion would cement the firm’s “significant leadership position” in the 海角视频 market for smartcard ticketing and concessionary travel.
Unicard’s solutions have been adopted by more than 70 Local and Regional Authorities in England and Scotland, including Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM), Transport Scotland, Merseytravel and Solent Transport. With the deal Transport for Wales and Transport for London have also now been added to its list of clients.
Sean Dickinson, chief executive of Unicard, said: “Our three guiding principles in approaching the acquisition were about selecting the right partner, ensuring continuity of business for ours, and their customers, whilst maintaining our reputation as a partner renowned for its market innovation, close working relationships and importantly, customer care.
“Unicard has a strong heritage in the industry, but it’s important for us to retain Ecebs’ expert knowledge and market insight to continue providing high quality products and services to all our customers and their passengers.”
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Russell Mccullagh, general manager of Ecebs, added: “Unicard is a well-respected business with shared interests and a similar culture. We’re confident that both companies’ customers can expect to see continuous innovation and the ongoing delivery of high-quality services, offering real flexibility and a superior experience for the travelling public.”
Unicard said it had also signed a commercial agreement with Visa to use Cybersource, its global payments platform. The company said this would enable it to offer its services across international borders, though it added that expanding its 海角视频 footprint was its “immediate focus”.
As well as its base at the Peartree Business Centre in Ferndown, Unicard also has an office in Bulgaria.