Jafza has always been an active driver of the progress of the e-commerce industry in the UAE and the region. By providing e-commerce businesses a platform to flourish, the free zone has built a community of companies that drives the shift of the globe towards digital buying platforms. One of these companies is BPC, a banking and payment services provider with a presence in the Middle East and Africa since 2008. Its main platform SmartVista, provides a suite of solutions that range from card issuing, payment acceptance, marketplace management, digital ecosystems, smart cities, etc.
BPC aims to advance digital finance adoption by leveraging next-generation technologies to impact the way people and businesses manage finances, making the digital economy a reality. BPC offers e-commerce solutions that provide mer- chant management services, and payment gateway pages to ensure that any form of payment, whether physical or digital, even a QR code, can be accepted.
Speaking to the Zone about the organisation’s digital strategy to empower e-commerce in the UAE, Hany Al Deeb, Managing Director, GCC & Iraq, BPC, said, “Today you can order anything from a pharmacy or a grocery online, and have it delivered to you within 24 hours. This is fantastic, yet poses challenges on the back end. The biggest challenge over here is to enhance the customers’ experience, and increase productivity and efficiency through digital platforms. This is exactly what we work towards through our solutions. With the help of the automated processes that our company offers, we try and achieve the next level of excellence and satisfaction.”
SmartVista e-commerce platform
The core of BPC’s business has always been to ensure that everyone involved in a transaction process, from the customer to the issuer, is assured that payments go through smoothly, and safely. With the help of its SmartVista e-commerce platform, the company provides a secure gateway for internet payment processes. As a result of this, BPC has been able to provide a complete solution to its customers by removing any dependency on third parties.
For the progress of the banking sector, we believe that the industry needs to collaborate and cooperate by putting technology at the core of its strategy
The e-commerce strategy of BPC is based on three major pillars, namely, comprehen- sive security, enriching existing platforms, and supporting current and future payment options. In terms of privacy and security, the company is a frontrunner with the help of its SmartVista e-commerce platform that combines 3D secure authentication with a sophisticated anti-fraud system that filters transactions based on rules set by merchants. Using the same platform, customers can also enhance their existing e-commerce systems with Merchant Plug-In (MPI) or Access Control Server (ACS) components to access 3D secure transaction processing, or build a rules-based fraud management system.
Role of advanced technology in driving growth of businesses
As the world continues to develop its capabilities by adopting latest technologies to enhance operations that take place within workplaces, the banking industry has been able to benefit immensely from these advancements.
Speaking on the role of technology in driving the growth of businesses, Hany Al Deeb said, “For the progress of the banking sector, we believe that the industry needs to collaborate and cooperate by putting technology at the core of its strategy. With the kind of advancements that have been taking place across the globe, the industry has no choice but to embrace digitalisation. However, they need help in the form of better coordination, support, education, and easy-to-use tools as they are not tech experts. This is where our solutions come into the picture, as we don’t only ensure high level of performance, but also ease of usage for the end-user of our solutions.” In line with this, the company continues to further enhance its solutions based on its customers’ needs. Catering to the requirements of the UAE retail e-commerce market that reached over AED14.3 billion in 2020, i.e., a 53 percent year-over-year increase driven by the Covid-19-led digital shift, the company truly understands the demands of the sector and enhances its capabilities accordingly. Moreover, the share of m-commerce in the UAE e-commerce market increased from 29 percent in 2015 to 42 percent in 2020, highlighting the growing demand of solutions that BPC offers.
E-shopping experience for the visually impaired
BPC has been a firm believer in the fact that e-commerce and digital experiences need to be more inclusive. In line with this aim, the company has made it possible for people with particular needs such as visual impairment to shop online. BPC achieves this goal by leveraging mobile technology and voice recognition to ensure that people safely make purchases on specialised websites, and pay at the sound of their voice. This method has been developed by a group of professionals at BPC who themselves have disabilities, and understand what is needed to create a seamless experience for people like them. Therefore, the company has truly revolutionised the shopping experience for a very large population across the globe.