Putting money on a fast track - 2001-10-29 - San... -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 4/26/2001
Last Visited: 10/29/2001
Kelly Green , CEO of Ventanex , says his company utilizes the Automated Clearinghouse to process electronic checks.While many firms today use the ACH system , it is often for recurring charges.In other cases , a company may accept a check over the phone , but must manually create one with their customer's information to begin the transaction process.Ventanex' system , he says , bypasses that step , starting the process earlier.By eliminating this paper step , the company hopes to get more businesses using the ACH system.
We make ACH a situation where it is a practical solution , when in the past it wasn't , says Kelly Green , CEO of Ventanex.
Ventanex utilizes a technology it calls the ACH Anywhere Engine to initiate the electronic transaction and then track it until it clears the ACH system.All customers use the company's browser , WebtoCash , as a base to track the transactions , but custom options are available.
Indeed , Ventanex' ACH Anywhere Connector Series , allows a company to eliminate another paper step , entering the check information into its ledger as the transaction is made.The product integrates its payment systems with its account payable system in real time , meaning transactions are immediately recorded.
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In addition , while the company derives much of its revenue from a per-transaction charge , Green contends that the electronic process saves both the customer money , since it cost less to process an electronic check than a paper check.
It's much easier for them ( banks ) to reconcile electronic deposits than paper , he says.
In fact , industry officials admit the cost of paper transactions is significantly higher than electronic transactions.Those lower charges are often passed on to the customer.For example , an insufficient funds fee for a paper check is significantly higher than a similar fee for an electronic transaction.
Market opportunity
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Such savings is one reason why Green believes there is a growing market for his company's products.
The company was started in February of 2000 , originally helping companies integrate their Web services with their accounting systems.They wanted to help people take their accounting system and and inventory system and make it accessible in real time over the Internet for e-commerce purposes.
The founders of the company had experience in making order entry and inventory control happen in real time for e-commerce application , says Chris Sanders , senior vice president of technology , referring to himself and Green.
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We realized this is where there was a hole in the market , says Green.
He points to the four days when in September when the New York and Washington , D.C. terrorist attacks shut down the airlines and slowed mail.Electronic payments would have helped more people get paid quicker.
Last July , Ventanex introduced its Web-based check processing and data integration products , driven by its ACH Anywhere Engine.The company's WebtoCash , ACH Anywhere Connector Series and Wireless options all help companies whose customers cannot pay by credit card take checks from their customers over the phone or the Internet and then integrate that information with the client's accounting system.WebtoCash is the company's introductory product that can be downloaded from its Web site.ACH Anywhere Connector Series is the company's product that allows electronic deposits to be fully integrated with the client's accounting systems in real time.
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But Green is not worried.In regards to potential check fraud , he says he is confident in the security measures Ventanex utilizes.In addition , technology is in the firm's favor.
There's really not very much fraud because it's trackable , he says.
Where it does exists , he says , the fact that there is an individual victim means it is aggressively prosecuted.
And Green contends that being able to serve businesses with both recurrent users and one-time check payers makes his company a one-stop shop.
Where everybody else ( in the electronic payment industry ) is finding small niches , our system would allow you do any payments in and any payments out as an ACH , he says.What we do , we make it so a company could actually , in theory , be checkless..
Track record
With less than six months under their belts with the ACH Anywhere products , Ventanex officials say they have 15 customers that are currently running transactions , with 20 other businesses in various stages of implementing the program.The company is planning a national marketing campaign.
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With the help of other Web integration projects that the company is working on in addition to its electronic payment applications , Green says he expects the company will end the year with upwards of $1 million in revenue.
So far , his clients are giving the products rave reviews.