LONDON and VIENNA, September 17 /PRNewswire/ --     VocaLink, the payment transaction specialist, has joined SWIFT's
partnership programme. This commercial agreement will enable the two
companies to share market intelligence, develop joint sales and marketing
plans and work together on new products and services. It will also give
VocaLink access to SWIFT's extensive customer base, including over 8,300
banking organisations, securities institutions and corporate customers in
more than 208 countries.

Marion King, chief executive officer at VocaLink, commented: "We are
delighted to join the SWIFT partnership programme. SWIFT provides a vital
link between the global banking community and our transaction processing
services. As one of its largest transaction customers, we already work
together very closely. This partnership deepens and strengthens our existing
relationship and demonstrates our belief that SWIFT is the transport layer of
choice."

VocaLink is already one of the largest users of the SWIFTNet FileAct
service, forecast to route over two billion transactions in 2008 and double
this in the next three years. The alliance will enable the two companies to
develop new products and services, joint sales and marketing plans and share
market intelligence, as well as giving VocaLink access to SWIFT's extensive
customer base.

SWIFT and VocaLink are also planning to bring SWIFT Transmission Service
(STS) to a wider market. STS was created by VocaLink to offer its customers
the popular SWIFTNet messaging service for financial institutions. The
service enables banks to access Bacs processing and to make bulk payments of
standing orders to the UK Faster Payments Service. The broader commercial
offering of STS will be attractive to businesses wanting to submit Bacs
payments over SWIFT as well as for bureaux and software providers.

Marion King added: "This is an excellent opportunity for both VocaLink
and SWIFT to bring an attractive channel to a wider market. STS was added to
our portfolio in 2007 as an alternative strategic connectivity channel for
international banks. Due to high demand, we are now making it available as a
stand alone service. This agreement strengthens our partnership with SWIFT
and demonstrates our belief that SWIFT is the transport layer of choice."

Patrik Neutjens, Head of Partner Management at SWIFT, said: "We are
pleased to welcome VocaLink to the SWIFT partnership programme. VocaLink is
an important company to work with in the financial services sector and this
collaboration will bring added value to SWIFT customers."

Notes to Editors

1. STS uses SWIFT's strategic messaging solutions SWIFTNet FileAct and
SWIFTNet FIN. It also has FileAct capability for TARGET2, which is a flexible
and low cost way for businesses to securely and reliably transfer files. STS
is mainly used to exchange batches of structured financial messages and large
reports and is particularly suitable for bulk payments.

2. SWIFTNet enables individual, richly featured messaging which requires
the highest levels of security and resilience, including validation to ensure
messages conform to SWIFT message standards, delivery monitoring and
prioritisation, message storage and retrieval.

About VocaLink

VocaLink is a specialist provider of transaction services to banks, their
corporate customers and Government departments. It processes domestic and
international automated payments and provides ATM switching solutions. On a
peak day, the VocaLink automated payment platform processes over 90 million
transactions and over half a billion in a month. Its switching platform
connects the world's busiest ATM network of over 60,000 ATMs. Its Real-Time
Payments platform provides the central infrastructure for the UK Faster
Payments service. VocaLink is working with BGC to provide outsourced
processing for the majority of Sweden's domestic payments.

Having pioneered electronic payments for over four decades, many of the
world's top banks and their corporate customers rely on VocaLink to meet
their transaction needs. Its processing services offer banks reach throughout
the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and beyond; and are complemented by
value-added services that leverage industry expertise and technical
capabilities.

Please visit http://www.vocalink.com for more information

About SWIFT

SWIFT is a member-owned cooperative that provides the communications
platform, products and services to connect over 8,300 banking organisations,
securities institutions and corporate customers in more than 208 countries.
SWIFT enables its users to exchange automated, standardised financial
information securely and reliably, thereby lowering costs, reducing
operational risk and eliminating operational inefficiencies. SWIFT also
brings the financial community together to work collaboratively to shape
market practice, define standards and debate issues of mutual interest.

For further information please contact:
    
    Gerald Cross at the JJ Group,
    +44(0)1865-343100 or vocalink@thejjgroup.com ;

    Kevin Monks at VocaLink,
    +44(0)870-920-8574 or kevin.monks@vocalink.com ;

    Deborah Souter at VocaLink,
    +44(0)870-920-8651 or deborah.souter@vocalink.com .