Swiss payments outfit SIX Card Solutions is to take over parts of First Data's Austrian processing business in a two-year phased transfer of staff and bank card transactions commencing in 2010.
Close to 130 former First Data employees will transfer to SIX Card Solutions, along with those parts of the Austrian business relating to the processing of card transactions for PayLife Bank and other customers currently serviced out of First Data's Austrian data centre.
Last year, following an international tender, SIX Card Solutions signed an agreement with PayLife to provide processing for its entire acquiring and debit card issuing business from 2011.
SIX says the deal opens up new opportunities in Austria.
Felix Aeschlimann, chief executive officer of SIX Card Solutions, comments: "With the comprehensive expertise and experience of our new employees from First Data we will be able to capture new market opportunities and enhance existing customer relationships in Austria."
First Data says it will re-focus its efforts on growing terminal market share in Austria. In the past two years, the company has significantly developed its acquiring business and now has a strong presence in the Austrian retail space with FirstPOS terminals and ATM locations.