TUCSON, Ariz. -- Even as word of PCI 3.2’s unveiling lit up phones at this year’s Conexxus technology standards conference, attendees discussed a wide range of disruptive thoughts that could reshape their digital and mobile plans going forward.
Here are several revelations that occurred during the five-day conference:
- PCI 3.2 requires multilayered authentication. With the unveiling of the upgraded Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards earlier this week, Kathleen Carrol, vice president of corporate affairs for HID, Austin, Texas, said having several layers of data security is one of the strongest strategies to adopt. On another point, she said her company is developing a type of driver’s license verification using mobile phones that doesn’t actually show people’s personal information, pointing out that privacy will rise in importance among consumers.
- The demise of mag-stripe cards. Credit-card companies are doing away with magnetic-stripe cards and retailers are going to have to assess the burden of fleet cards and gift cards, according to Kara Gunderson, point-of-sale (POS) manager for CITGO, Houston, and Sharon Scace, iSpec Technical Solutions manager for WEX Inc., South Portland, Maine.
- Do cross-departmental IT project vetting. Hubert Williams, CIO of convenience-store retailer Maverik, North Salt Lake, Utah, said engaging department leaders in the information technology (IT) development process helps them not only be more involved but also helps them solve problems regarding priorities and staying within budget.
- Mobile-loyalty standards set to debut. At the Conexxus committee meeting on mobile standards, it was announced that a new version that will incorporate loyalty is about to go through the approval process. During discussions, a number of issues arose that members said they would address in the next version, including refunds, cash back and enrollment.
- The cloud is a different model. Look at controls and follow the data, said Paul Truitt, vice president of cybersecurity services for SageNet, Tulsa, Okla. He said ignoring the differences between on-site and off-site systems and solutions would be a big mistake, with lackluster results or potential data breaches possible outcomes.
- Understand data value. Patrick Ohler, enterprise sales manager for DataPipe, San Jose, Calif., told attendees to assess the value of the data they carry across their companies. Such an assessment will help determine the time and resources needed to protect those data sets.
Alexandria, Va.-based Conexxus is the technology advisory group to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). The annual Conexxus meeting was held May 1-5, 2016, at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz., and covered topics ranging from data security to POS integration.
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