CommSecure quick to benefit from govt. contract
CommSecure quick to benefit from govt. contract
Leeton and Penrith councils have implemented online payment systems little more than a month after the state's peak local government association appointed CommSecure to supply such technology.
The Local Government Association of NSW and the Shires Association of NSW (LGSA), which represent 172 metropolitan and rural local councils in NSW, selected CommSecure to supply electronic payment systems and began presenting its solution to members at the end of September.
Residents of both council areas will be able to use the new Internet facilities to pay November rates notices, issued at the end of October, while Leeton residents can also use the facility to pay water rates.
The Councils are introducing new e-commerce facilities in a staged manner by deploying CommSecure's integrated service modules. Penrith, for example, has started with Biller Direct for online bill presentment and payment. It plans to add BPAY View, interactive voice response (IVR) payments and CommSecure's outsourced direct debit management solution (DDR Secure).
A further five councils have already committed to implementing new systems under the LGSA arrangement.
CommSecure is today the largest supplier of online billing and payment solutions to the NSW local government sector. It has also achieved sales in Queensland and begun marketing its solution nationally. A total of eight councils use CommSecure's services, with a further three completing implementations.
"This shows how quickly and easily organisations can implement CommSecure's ASP-style, modular services," said Mr Ray Loyzaga, Managing Director of CommSecure. "It also illustrates how much pent-up demand exists for online billing and payment solutions."
CommSecure's e-commerce solution makes it simple for councils to display individual rates notices and other bills via their websites, including archives with records dating back up to 15 months. The system also accepts secure online payments and through the BPAY View system, rates notices and other items can also be displayed and paid within a resident's regular Internet banking service.
With the CommSecure online platform, councils can provide a wide range of payment options to ratepayers including phone (IVR), Internet (payments, electronic billing and BPAY View), direct debit and over-the-counter payments. These services are provided via CommSecure's three main e-business solutions: PaySecure, BillSecure and DDRSecure.
Local councils implementing CommSecure solutions typically use email to notify registered residents that they have received a rates notice or other bill. The ratepayer then visits the council's website or enters BPAY View to securely view and pay their invoice. Councils are also continuing to send paper copies of the notices and residents can still pay via cheque and other conventional means.
Over time, local government groups are expected to encourage residents to go completely electronic in order to reduce operational costs, reduce the environmental impact of paper-based billing and improve convenience.
The LGSA contract runs from September 2003 to August 2005.
Related Article: