When TSYS signed SpareBank 1 to a major PRIME 4 licensing agreement earlier this month, both companies solidified their roles as major players in the Norwegian financial market.

TSYS, the world’s biggest merchant processor, has been active in Norway since 1997, experiencing significant success in the market. SpareBank is among Norway’s largest bank groups, servicing each of the country’s 19 counties, and 352 branches in total. In many ways, it’s a match made in Nordic heaven.

MPD’s David Evans spoke with John Goodale, TSYS’s senior director of business expansion, and Kjell Kleveland, Program Manager at SpareBank, to discuss the partnership, Norway’s unique issuing market and how the relationship between the two Norwegian powerhouses developed.

SpareBank will license with TSYS’s PRIME 4 card management system, allowing it to process a variety of MasterCard and Visa cards. Goodale describe the PRIME system as a solution capable of providing both issuing and acquiring capabilities for clients, and emphasizes that while TSYS is best known for its processing services, PRIME takes advantage of his company’s licensing abilities as well.

Kleveland stressed that the Norwegian market is more about issuing than acquiring, noting that bank-owned net operators control nearly 80 percent of the country’s acquiring market. As such, he feels PRIME is uniquely suited to meet SpareBank’s needs.

To hear more from Evans, Goodale and Kleveland on the PRIME deal, listen to the full audio interview here.

When TSYS signed SpareBank 1 to a major PRIME 4 licensing agreement earlier this month, both companies solidified their roles as major players in the Norwegian financial market.

TSYS, leading global payment solutions provider , has been active in Norway since 1997, experiencing significant success in the market. SpareBank 1 is among Norway’s largest bank groups, servicing each of the country’s 19 counties, and 352 branches in total. In many ways, it’s a match made in Nordic heaven.

MPD’s David Evans spoke with John Goodale, TSYS’ senior director of business expansion, and Kjell Kleveland, Program Manager at SpareBank 1, to discuss the partnership, Norway’s unique issuing market and how the relationship between the two powerhouses developed.

SpareBank 1 will license TSYS’ PRIME 4 card management system, enabling it to process a variety of MasterCard and Visa cards. Goodale describes the PRIME system as a solution capable of providing both issuing and acquiring capabilities for clients, and emphasizes that while TSYS is best known for its processing services, PRIME takes advantage of his company’s licensing abilities as well.

Kleveland stressed that the Norwegian market is more about issuing than acquiring, noting that Nets and  bank-owned operators control nearly 80 percent of the country’s acquiring market. As such, he feels PRIME is uniquely suited to meet SpareBank 1’s needs.

To hear more from Evans, Goodale and Kleveland on the PRIME deal, listen to the full audio interview here.

Download transcript of interview (PDF)

John Goodale
Senior Director, Business Expansion, TSYS International

John Goodale is Senior Director, Business Expansion within Europe. His role covers responsibility for TSYS’ business expansion activities for processing and licensing across all European markets. John has played a lead role in developing TSYS’ proposition to banks and retailers across Europe and has gained experience within many of the major International markets. Prior to joining TSYS in 2002, John’s career was in management consulting, most recently with KPMG and before that with Fujitsu/DMR.

Kjell Kleveland
Senior Project Manager, SpareBank 1

Kjell Kleveland is a Senior Project Manager for SpareBank 1, one of the largest providers of financial products and services in the Norwegian market. Kjell also has an extensive background as a management consultant and founder of Xon Consulting and his professional profile covers all areas such as Project Management, Requirements identification and specification, Purchasing processes, System Integration Management and Change management for Card and Payment and ERP systems. Prior to his role at SpareBank 1, Kjell has also worked with companies such as Tieto Axo, Scanvest Olivetti AS and ConsultIT AS, in CEO, CIO and COO roles.