It's not the biggest, boldest or most elaborate conference in the industry, but it's one that financial institutions throughout the United States admire for its niche focus - ATMs.

Simply known as The Advisory Group (TAG) National Conference, the event is expected to pull about 200 bankers and other ATM deployers to Savannah, Ga., June 11-14.

"It's a huge thing for us to have an ATM focus for the financial institutions," said TAG's membership director Carol Leathers. "There isn't really anywhere to go that offers a focus on the ATM, and that makes us very unique."

Leathers, like most involved with TAG, comes from banking. She's now the ATM technical coordinator for South Bend, Ind.-based Teachers Credit Union, and she credits her ATM knowledge to her work with TAG.

"When I came here (to Teachers Credit Union) eight years ago, and I didn't know anything about ATMs until I went to my first TAG."

A new vision

Over the years, TAG's mission has changed.

Diebold Inc. founded the organization more than two decades ago as a test group for Diebold ATMs. Now the Ohio-based organization operates as an independent user group comprised of members. Its board of directors is made up of people like Chad Lynch, ATM manager for America First Credit Union and a former TAG president.

"You come and join our group because you're interested in learning more about managing ATMs," Lynch said. "The idea here is to share ideas and network."

Lynch oversees a network of about 100 ATMs for his $3.2 billion Riverdale, Utah-based credit union. As a TAG member, his interaction with similar-sized FIs and other deployers has been invaluable.

"I got involved with TAG from the Diebold channel," he said. "I got to meet all these financial institutions and folks that were dealing with some of the same things I was. It was great. That was 12 years ago. Now the relationships that I have with others around the country has helped me tremendously in my job, with Y2K, Triple DES, digital security. I found TAG to be the perfect avenue to stay in touch with all of those issues."

A look at 2006

Y2K and Triple DES won't be the focus this year, but other pressing issues surrounding ATMs in the FI space, including branch automation/transformation, Check 21, wireless ATMs and advanced-function enhancements will be.

Diebold still plays an integral role at the conference, with sessions and workshops revolving around Diebold ATM hardware and software. But Leathers said the conference, especially its roundtable discussions, touches on issues FIs face, such as integrating their multivendor networks of NCR, Diebold and Wincor ATMs.

Other sessions of interest, like the one on encryption and key management hosted by Trusted Security's Dennis Abraham, are led by non-Diebold industry leaders.

For exhibitor Mike Robson, the chief executive of Automated Teller Accessories Inc. (ATA Services), the show's "nuts and bolts" focus is important to deployers.

What's Important TAG's conference focuses on Diebold ATM hardware and software, but issues surrounding multivendor networks also are discussed. About 200 ATM deployers are expected to attend the conference. Among the conference's highlights will be sessions and workshops about branch automation, Check 21, wireless ATMs and advanced functionality.

"We get down to the nitty gritty about the machines: How do I comply with this and that?" he said. "It's very practical information. A lot of things are real-life, 'How do I fix this problem?' solutions. It's really a nuts-and-bolts type of conference."

During his pre-conference session June 9-10, Abraham will address the nuts and bolts of PIN and key management.

"This two day course is aimed at technical people instead of the auditor types," Abraham said. "We'll discuss what it means to do Triple DES and how all this stuff works. I show them threats and blocks against the threats and various techniques, and then spend a considerable amount of time on the remote key stuff. The philosophy of the class is to help people learn."

Like most of the sessions, roundtables and workshops at TAG, Abraham's session will focus on problems and solutions.

Also one of the 30 or so exhibitors, Abraham said the conference's focus provides insight for vendors as well.

"My company found this to be a very good place to network and get ideas," he said. "The focus - even broken down by region - is helpful, because the eastern region has unique problems that west region doesn't have. … It's helped us know how we can enhance our products."

Learn more about the TAG conference.

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