First Union Gears Up to Offer Electronic Bill Payment

First Union Corp. has purchased technology from Intervoice Inc. that will let the bank extend Internet-based bill payment services to its customers.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Dallas-based Intervoice is best known as a provider of call center technology, but it recently has entered the market for Internet-related services.

The VisualConnect product that First Union has agreed to use is designed act as a bridge between data bases, World Wide Web sites, and information systems.

VisualConnect is an extension of Intervoice's OneVoice system, which delivers home banking and bill payment services through PCs.

According to a statement from Intervoice, First Union plans to roll out the new service by year's end.

"We are eager to provide our customers with the ability to do electronic bill payment over the Internet," said Edgar Brown, senior vice president at Charlotte, N.C.-based First Union.

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