He said that the PCATS board of directors on May 4 accepted NACS' proposal and amended the bylaws for the continuing operation of PCATS as part of NACS.
Lewis said that the growing need for standards and the mounting burden of compliance have created [image-nocss] the strategic need for standards and technology advocacy that could be leveraged by the new agreement. "With standalone PCATS, the standards group, and NACS, the prime advocate for our industry, it became more critical than ever to closely link the standards, technology and advocacy," said Lewis.
"There was a reason for [the entity that is now] PCATS to separate from NACS [in 2004]," Lewis told CSP Daily News. "NACS fully funded its activities at the time, whereas today, its stakeholders have become paying membersand PCATS still will be membership focused."
With the formation of a data security committee within PCATS and the growing need to advocate the development path of payment-transaction standards, duplication of efforts and the fact that NACS is fully geared to handle marketing and advocacy tasks, made the move a logical step, Lewis added.
Those familiar with the move said more flexibility and growth potential regarding finances was also a benefit. Membership dues as a resource had been reaching a plateau, they said, and with the NACS integration, not only were resources from the association available, but the arrangement would also allow for PCATS to reach out for project-specific funds from alternative sources.
The benefits of PCATS membership will not change, said Lewis. "Access to and influence on industry standards will still require membership in PCATS. It is also the objective the respective boards to maintain the unique identity of the PCATS community. I want to stressPCATS will remain a membership-driven standards group, but with vastly greater resources to achieve its goals."
Both organizations will maintain their respective membership communitiesmembers of PCATS do not need to be members of NACS and vice versa. "You don't have to be a member of both organizations, but you sure as hell should be," said NACS president and CEO Hank Armour.
In addition, NACS payments consultant Gray Taylor also will serve as executive director of PCATS. "Gray's background as a retailer, systems vendor and NACS vice president of research and technology uniquely positions him to address the needs of the new standards advocacy," said Lewis. The move also allows interim director Scott Wood to focus on his core expertise as standards director, said Lewis.
NACS has been involved in technology standards for more than a decade. In 1995, it created the Technology Standards Project, which became known as PCATS in 2004. In the ensuing six years, PCATS grew its membership to about 150, representing more than 20,000 stores and virtually all industry technology and services vendors. PCATS also generated diverse data and interoperability standards for POS to backoffice, lottery reconciliation and data security.
The PCATS board will e-mail PCATS members a copy of the new bylaws next week and asks that each member quickly vote to adopt them.
The National Association of Convenience Stores represents more than 2,100 retail and 1,500 supplier member companies.
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