ATMIA Australasia is the third chapter of the association, which was founded in the U.S. four years ago. ATMIA Europe was established in September of 2000, operating from an office near London. The new Australasia chapter covers Australia, New Zealand and neighboring islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
"The new year has taken ATMIA straight into a new and exciting region of the ATM world," said Mike Lee, international director of ATMIA, on the launch of ATMIA Australasia. "We have LINK's John Hardy to thank for his recommendation to Greg Baker – this has kick-started an important new phase of international expansion in the southern hemisphere."
Cashcard, which is wholly owned by Australian financial institutions, is the country's leading supplier of electronic funds transfer payment and processing services. Cashcard is also Australia's premier processor of merchant ATMs.
Cashcard's roster of 50 financial institutions and companies currently has access to every Australian point-of-sale terminal (348,785) and every ATM (13,300), including some 4,170 Cashcard ATMs. Every month, more than 12 million cardholders use the network's ATMs and POS devices.
Members and customers of Cashcard include Bank of China, Bank of Western Australia, Citibank, St George Bank, First Australian Building Society, American Express International, Australia Post (giroPost), National Cash Systems, Shell Company of Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.
A second board member to join the ATMIA's new Australasian chapter is Ken Gaunt, managing director of Electronic Banking Solutions, Australia's largest ISO, with an installed base in excess of 1,500 machines. EBS was recently appointed as the exclusive master reseller of the NCR EasyPoint line of ATMs.
In addition EBS, based in Artarmon, New South Wales, has direct representation on both the sub committee for the Reserve Bank of Australia (formulating a new ATM fee structure) and the Advisory Council of the Australian Payments Clearing Association.
ATMIA will host its first ATM conference and trade show in Australia, entitled "Pacific ATMs," at Sydney's Convention and Exhibition Centre May 27-29.
