MAG joins SRPc Board March 18, 2010 MAG President/CEO Dodd Roberts has been invited to sit on the Board of Directors for the Secure Remote Payment Council. SRPc is dedicated to the growth, development and market adoption of debit based internet eCommerce, emerging eCommerce payment types, and mobile channel payment methods that meet or exceed the security standards for pinned based card present payments. The Council accomplishes this by encouraging and supporting those activities that accelerate the implementation, adoption and promotion of these payments. SRPc’s Executive Director, Paul Tomasofsky, presented an overview of the organization during the MAG’s 2010 Mid-Year Conference in Irving, TX, on February 18. His presentation can be found in the Members Resource area. To learn more about the SRPc, go to secureremotepaymentcouncil.org. MAG President Participates in Two Panels at SCA’s 2010 Payments Summit March 18, 2010 The week after the MAG held its 2010 Mid-Year Conference, MAG President/CEO Dodd Roberts was invited to speak on two panels at the Payments Summit, which the Smart Card Alliance hosted in Salt Lake City. The event provided a forum to promote the idea of stakeholder collaboration on the deployment of future payments products and technology. Since the meeting, the MAG has been quoted in multiple industry articles on this topic. "EMV and Transit Chip Payment Gaining Momentum in U.S." was published in the Boston Globe, on TMC.net, and in Scottrade’s online newsletter, among others. The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology. The Alliance invests heavily in education on the appropriate uses of technology for identification, payment and other applications and strongly advocates the use of smart card technology in a way that protects privacy and enhances data security and integrity. Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart card technology, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. To find out more about the Smart Card Alliance, visit their website at www.smartcardalliance.org. MAG Participates in Cardholder Data Protection Session May 13, 2009 MAG Merchants and the MAG President attended a brainstorming session held in Dallas concerning the early stages of development of a new data security standard. The Accredited Standards Committee X9 (ASC X9), accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is embarking on the development of a new standard to protect cardholder data in the electronic payments industry. In advance of formally launching this "Sensitive Card Data Protection Between Device and Acquiring System" initiative, Heartland Payment Systems hosted a preliminary planning workshop where data security experts and industry leaders brainstormed technical approaches to protecting this data. Ideas generated at this meeting will be presented at the next ASC X9 meeting to be held June 1-5, 2009, in Foster City, CA. MAG and SCA Hold Joint Session on Mobile Payments May 5, 2009 The MAG and the Smart Card Alliance participated in a noteworthy session on mobile payments at the 2009 Smart Card Alliance Annual Conference in New Orleans. The meeting provided a rare opportunity for merchants to openly discuss the future of payments with industry leaders from card issuers, processors and technology providers. The session presented a unique opportunity for merchants and providers to exchange ideas, concerns and opportunities with each other in an open environment. It is rare for merchants and providers to participate in this kind of forum together. The dialog was informative and highly beneficial to the attendees. Topics discussed included future technology, deployment incentives, barriers to utilization and ideas for optimization. A follow up session is planned for the MAG Annual Conference in October. MAG President Speaks at 2009 Smart Card Alliance Summit February 25, 2009 MAG President Dodd Roberts spoke at the 2009 Smart Card Alliance Payments Councils Summit in Salt Lake City. The Summit was attended by numerous industry leaders to discuss recent developments and the future outlook for contactless and mobile payments technology. Roberts spoke to the group about merchants’ attitudes and opinions about the current and future state of mobile payments. To find out more about the Smart Card Alliance, visit their website at www.smartcardalliance.org. MAG Joins X9 Board of Directors January 1, 2009 To ensure that the merchant voice is heard as the industry’s technical standards are developed, the MAG has joined the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X9 Board of Directors. ASC X9’s mission is to develop and manage voluntary, consensus-based technical standards certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ASC X9 subcommittees are currently developing payment and data security standards. Through our relationship with ASC, the MAG’s Merchant Members will now be directly involved in producing these standards. For more information, go to the ASC X9 web site.