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FI ATM group sets attendance record with 29th event

June 12, 2007

SAN ANTONIO - It's not every day that bankers agree to sit down and share stories about successes and failures, as well as fears and weaknesses. For the most part, those who head financial institutions are content to keep their business to themselves. Of course, occasions of exception to crop up from time to time - and the annual national conference of The Advisory Group this week in San Antonio is one such occasion.

Photograph by Tracy Kitten

Tom Swidarski, Diebold's president and CEO, gives the TAG crowd an overview of Diebold's strategic plans for growth.

About 123 FIs from throughout the United States were represented at this year's conference. Chad Lynch, ATM manager for Utah's America First Credit Union and a member of TAG's board of directors, said this year's event was the group's largest. TAG this year brought in 35 sponsors for its three-day conference, which wrapped June 13.

Now in its 29^th year, TAG is proving that maintaining a niche makes a difference in the competitive conference space. The three-day show that focuses on financial self-service for FIs has earned its keep.

North Canton, Ohio-based Diebold Inc. founded TAG some two decades ago as a test group for Diebold ATMs. Since then, TAG has found its independence, although Diebold still works closely with the organization. In fact, most of TAG's event sponsors, including companies like Vero Inc., either partner with or come recommended by Diebold.

All of TAG's member institutions - 78 credit unions and 60 banks - must own and operate Diebold financial self-service equipment, including ATMs, in order to qualify for TAG membership. The vast majority of TAG's FI members have ATM networks of less than 200 ATMs, although some larger FI members, including National City and Capital One, represent the exception.

Photogragh by Tracy Kitten

Attendees got to enjoy Knibbe Ranch, located just beyond San Antonio, during TAG's touted kick-off party.

TAG aims to represent the needs of banks and credit unions, Lynch said, and through its collaboration with Diebold, it brings benefits and educational opportunities to its members.

"We are separate from Diebold, and we really stress that our conference is not a Diebold sales conference," Lynch said. "For us, it is more about networking, sharing information and getting more information about products and services that are available to us from Diebold. It's an educational conference for the exchange of ideas."

The opportunity to sit down face to face with a Diebold executive is a luxury most smaller institutions aren't typically afforded, said Jerold Marlow of North Carolina's First Charter Bank and a member of the TAG board.

"Many larger FIs have representation, so they don't feel the need to be a member," he said.

The bankers' top 5

At this year's conference, attendees were buzzing about many things, but some topics and functions topped the list, according to the TAG Board.

No. 1 was interest in deposit automation, especially where bulk-check and bulk-note deposits are concerned.

Coming in a close second was security, both electronic and physical. And though the drive to automate deposits is strong, the need to secure ATMs from attacks is stronger, said Carol Leathers, a TAG board member who joined the organization nine years ago through Indiana's Teachers Credit Union.

"You have to have deposit automation, eventually," she said, "But many will invest in security first."

From there, personalization, advanced functions and service offerings such as bill payment followed. Complying with regulatory demands, like the Payment Card Industry Standard, and industry mandates, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, trailed deposit automation and security.

From Diebold's perspective, that's good information to have, said Ray Stankunas a member of Diebold's staff a non-voting member of the TAG board.

"It gives us a chance to meet our customers and hear what our customers want," he said.

*ATM Marketplace will publish an in-depth story about the TAG conference next week.

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