Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 02 | Page 8

NEWS NayaPay and Visa to fasttrack digital payments in Pakistan Vocus helps customers navigate the ‘unimaginable’ with speed and agility Vocus, a leading fibre and network solutions provider which owns and operates networks spanning 30,000km, connecting all mainland capitals and most regional centres in Australia and New Zealand, to Asia and beyond, has shown speed, agility and decisive leadership to be the most critical factors in supporting customers through the COVID-19 pandemic. In a bid to meet increased demands and provide network resilience, reliability and secure connectivity during the mammoth shift to remote working, the telco provider quickly pivoted and refocused efforts on helping customers through the immediate impact of the crisis. NayaPay has joined the Visa Fintech Fast Track program, speeding up the payment company’s integration process with Visa and enabling it to leverage the reach, capabilities and security of the Visa global payments network. Through the Fast Track program, NayaPay has access to Visa’s partner network, technology and resources to accelerate innovation in digital payments in Pakistan. As an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), NayaPay will enable users to open E-Money accounts within a few minutes and make hassle-free digital payments to each other and to businesses. NayaPay consumers and merchants can use their NayaPay Visa debit card to perform online and in-store transactions with millions of retailers worldwide as well as withdraw cash conveniently at any ATM location. NayaPay customers can also scan Visa merchant QR codes to make payments directly through their app. Danish Lakhani, CEO NayaPay, said: “We are delighted to have found a partner in Visa that shares our goals of making financial services simpler, more convenient and accessible to Pakistani users – the needs of whom have been overlooked for far too long. Over the past few months, we have been integrating Visa’s offerings to reinforce our issuing and acquiring capabilities and to deliver on our promise of becoming a part of citizens’ daily lives.” Vocus delivered more than 340 upgrades for 230 customers during the initial week when businesses shifted to working from home, while also adding around 40% capacity to allow those working from home to access corporate services. It also accelerated a partnership with Zoom to bring video-first conferencing to customers. Andrew Wildblood, Vocus Chief Executive, Enterprise and Government, said a different type of leadership is needed during a crisis like a pandemic. He added: “This is one of the largest, most rapid changes to business that we’ve seen in our lifetime and really underscores the role of the network and ICT infrastructure in helping businesses cope with disruptions completely out of their control.” 8 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com