NEW ORLEANS -- Two new pilot projects involving technology standards will launch in the coming weeks, according to members of the Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS), who gathered in New Orleans in late January for a series of winter meetings.
One of the two projects involves five retail chains of various sizes, including Sanford, N.C.-based The Pantry and Thomasville, N.C.-based Clinard Oil. Angela Clinard, who runs six locations, told CSP Daily News she was excited about the project.
We're representing [image-nocss] the smaller retailer and making sure it's something that can work for us, she said. She explained that suppliers12 at last countwill be sending information to a third-party processing agent, who will then export the data to her in a standard, XML format.
In addition to this pilot, a second test involving retailers and state lottery officials is scheduled to kick off this month. Though PCATS members are still settling up the details, at least one stateSouth Carolinawas actively expressing its support at the meeting, having sent a representative to address the group during a luncheon.
The next step for the lottery project is for PCATS committee members to meet with officials at the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL), Willoughby Hills, Ohio, to formalize plans going forward.
Attendance at the annual meeting was approaching record numbers, passing 200, say PCATS organizers. You can really feel the energy building, said Devon Bates of Town & Country Food Stores Inc., San Angelo, Texas. This year more than ever, you're seeing a lot of attention moving [towards technology standards.]
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