Ogone opens European e-commerce markets to US companies

Ogone, specialists in online payment services has opened its US office this week, and appointed James Byler as the regional head for North America. Byler’s first and top priority will be to open the European e-commerce markets to US companies and secondly to establish local partnerships to further Ogone’s distribution network in the US.
With Europe, Asia and Latin America experiencing continued growth in e-commerce, Ogone is offering US-based companies an opportunity to maximize their revenue streams by selling online, or via mobile device, through local payments in these markets. In 2012, online sales in Europe are forecast to grow by 16.1{e1f18614b95d3cd6e4b3128e1cd15d99b042a60a5a19c19b7a8e07e7495efa10} to reach €232.76bn compared with the US which is growing by just 9{e1f18614b95d3cd6e4b3128e1cd15d99b042a60a5a19c19b7a8e07e7495efa10} per annum and set to reach $242bn in 2012.*
Ogone can also help US companies lower their international and cross-border fees through processing credit card transactions in domestic markets. Additionally, companies can benefit from lower operational costs in terms of fraud, chargeback and outsourced-risk through Ogone’s fraud prevention tools as well as future-proofing their business as Ogone is committed to providing new payment types as consumers adopt them.
Ogone currently helps over 35,000 customers operate internationally in 45 countries through its connections through certified links with more than 200 different banks and acquirers. These connections allow international payments as well as local payment methods, such as ELV and giropay in Germany, Carte Bleue in France, iDeal and Machtigingen in the Netherlands, Bancontact/Mister Cash in Belgium and local payment methods in India and the Middle East. Payment pages in local languages and with local currencies also increase conversion rates and are part of the Ogone package.
James Byler, appointed to the newly-developed role of Regional Head of North America for Ogone, is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years experience in the payment, technology and financial industries. He has held senior management roles with four successful start-up companies and three large corporations, most recently with Retail Decisions. He has worked throughout North America, Europe, China, South Korea, Japan and South Africa.
“I look forward to working closely with the executive team to continue Ogone’s growth within the North American market” explains James Byler. “Ogone’s extensive global internet payment platform has unrivalled coverage across Europe and increasing coverage in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. This, alongside its recent acquisition of EBS in India and its existing online fraud prevention tools, demonstrates Ogone as the perfect partner to offer complete global solutions to US merchants looking to expand globally”.
“Ogone has been in high gear this year, the acquisition of EBS in India is helping us evolve from a European to a world player, and opening up the European market to US companies was the next logical step,” adds Peter De Caluwe, CEO, Ogone. “We believe that James, with his specific payments industry background and global career is the right person to drive our global expansion plans in the US.