[London, ENGLAND] Internet financial technologies supplier
factor-e has established a business relationship with Perot
Systems Corporation by awarding Perot a 5-year technology
support contract.
Making the announcement on Thursday at factor-e’s base in
Dublin, Ireland, were Ross Perot Sr., chairman of Perot
Systems, and Martin Frick, chief executive of factor-e plc.
The initial agreement is for Perot Systems to provide desktop
and server infrastructure support to factor-e’s client first-e
the Internet bank, which is operated by factor-e’s own parent
company first-e group plc.
Currently, factor-e provides Internet financial technologies,
solutions and Web hosting facilities to first-e, but admits
that it needs the depth of expertise offered by a company
such as Perot Systems. Among Perot’s tasks will be the
management of other IT service providers who become
involved with the first-e project.
“Perot Systems has the global reach, flexibility, expertise and
understanding required to support our rapidly developing company,”
said factor-e’s Martin Frick, adding that the ability to react to
short lead times was another reason for choosing Perot.
Factor-e says it currently employs 260 people at its headquarters
in Dublin, but as an offshoot of first-e it will soon become part
of the much larger UnoFirst Group which will have operations in
Spain, the U.K. and Germany.
Eventually, the UnoFirst Group expects to take its concept of
a financial supermarket to all parts of Europe, Latin America
and even the United States and Asia.
Behind all the “e-names” and “first-names” is a real French
bank named Banque d’Escompte, a relatively small operation that
has a paid up capital of around US $35 million.