IBM has announced that Payment Solution Providers has selected an IBM system z mainframe running DB2 over a system comprising Hewlett-Packard servers running Oracle database systems.
IBM said PSP is consolidating its entire IT infrastructure on the IBM System z mainframe server with IBM information management software to support key business operations such as credit card processing and payment switch technology. This is the first time PSP is using an IBM System z mainframe server, which is expected to improve operating efficiencies and lower IT costs up to 35 percent, IBM said.
PSP is an 11-year-old Canadian company specializing in business consulting, smart card solutions, e-payment networks and the integration of financial transaction processing systems. The company selected the IBM mainframe to run PSP Atlantics Payment Switch technology and offer it to clients as a license or cloud service. PSP’s IBM mainframe also will support new business opportunities for PSP’s card processing business.
IBM officials cite PSP as saying the rollout of an HP and Oracle infrastructure lacked the security PSP requires, making it difficult to comply with the banking industry’s PCI compliance standards. In addition, PSP was using separate servers for each of its clients’ development, production and availability requirements. As a result, PSP anticipated having a sprawling, inefficient infrastructure that would take up too much space and rack up excessive costs for IT management, power and cooling, and software licenses.
According to IBM, PSP wanted to grow its business in North America and selected the z10 Business Class mainframe with IBM z/OS and DB2 software to support the development of new business channels for card processing. PSP will use the new technology to offer banking clients worldwide PSP’s Atlantics Payment Switch Technology as a license or cloud service that will allow them to rapidly support Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) “chip card” or smart card transactions. PSP will also use Atlantics Switch Technology for its own PSP Card Services card processing division in North America, PSP officials said.
For more, read the eWEEK article: IBM Mainframe Replaces HP, Oracle Systems for Payment Solutions.