ark! An association dedicated to the unique needs of ATM ISOs and operators has taken wing. Aptly named the National Association of ATM ISOs and Operators (NAAIO), it launched at a meeting in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 21, 2007.

The impetus? Founding board member Warren Cato said the greatest threat to ATM ISOs and operators is the "unseen regulation, legislation or compliance issue that, if not addressed with a unified voice, could threaten to put the ISO out of business." Cato is Chief Executive Officer of ATM service provider Cabe and Cato Inc.

"I asked for and received the support and help of nine other ISOs, now [NAAIO] board members, to come to Atlanta and get the association off the ground," he said.

Representing 10 different states and ISOs of all sizes, attendees at the inaugural Atlanta gathering agreed an association could positively influence the professional lives of all ATM ISOs and operators. They prepared the launch, where Tom Mortimer, of Kahuna Business Group, was elected NAAIO President.

Megan Bublik, Director of Marketing at WRG Services Inc., has been donating time to the new venture. She said NAAIO differs from the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) in that the upstart "will address ISO and ATM operator issues only. ... ATMIA is a neutral organization, representing the entire ATM industry."

She noted that ATMIA provides many positive things for the ATM industry and NAAIO has no intention of competing with ATMIA.

"We would encourage people to belong to both associations," she said. "We will work with other associations, including ATMIA, whose members operate ATMs ... and would be impacted by adverse legislation, over-reaching compliance issues or adverse regulations."

According to Cato, ISOs control over 50% of U.S. ATMs.

"We haven't had a unified voice exclusively from the ISO operator's point of view on certain issues," Cato said. "The time has come where the voices of those who actually operate ATMs unify and be heard by those who can actually have a negative impact on our industry. We must become proactive." Cato said due to the independent nature of ISO business models, ATM ISOs and operators often do not receive news of important industry developments in a timely manner. "Our mission is to increase the dialog ... between parties that may have issues with ISOs and operators now or in the future," he said.

"Our market simply needed to mature enough for the ISO to realize there are bigger issues than competition among ourselves that will have devastating consequences on our business if we do not become proactive," he added.

"We're not trying to change the world; we simply want a bigger part of the equation when it comes to addressing [ISO] issues."

According to Bublik, immediate goals of the fledgling association include:

• Establishing a greater voice in creating uniform and rational compliance policies so the ISO industry can grow

• Working with financial institutions, networks, manufacturers and processors to provide information that will ensure support industries are meeting the needs of the ISO industry and confirm all stakeholders are doing everything possible to bolster ATM consumer confidence

• Promoting safeguards in conjunction with law enforcement agencies to ensure the ISO industry maintains the highest standards, including implementing self-regulatory measures to thwart those attempting to compromise the industry's integrity

• Promoting agendas to improve the ISO marketplace, such as establishing preferred vendors, closer relationships with manufacturers on ATM design and function, and even community charity outreach programs and support

• Working with all support industries and associations to monitor local, state and national legislative action that could adversely impact the ISO industry

• Producing a code of ethics for members and associates to follow.

NAAIO's annual dues are $1,200 for ISOs, $250 for operators, and $500 for vendors. The organization is implementing tiers based on ISO size: small, one to 300 operational ATMs; mid-size, 301 to 600; and large, 601 or more.

Each tier will elect three board members from its constituency to represent that tier's concerns. So, all membership levels will have equal representation and voting powers.

The initial board of directors includes Steven Burns, Warren Cato, Lawrence Exe, Hak Meier, Thomas Mortimer, J. Michael Pruett, Christopher Schnieper, Michael Stevenson, Darryl Ware and Arthur Wright. Board member terms are 12 months.

To learn more, visit NAAIO's Web site at www.naaio.org.