What began as the vision of two veteran IT professionals to bring peace of mind to the payment processing industry during the Y2K worries has evolved into a solid organization that now offers an innovative alternative to processing—an alternative that will surely have the big boys sit up and take notice.
   Headquartered in Omaha, plaNet Consulting is a division of billing and customer care provider CSG Systems, that was built on the philosophy that as the payment processing industry took off, there would be a need for business technology and transaction processing consulting.
   “We looked closely at the payment industry,” says Mark Spurgeon, Vice President of Sales for plaNet Consulting. “We not only provide IT consulting services but offer business consulting as well. We host and manage a data center. We do everything from initial assessment to architecture to hosting and management. Our specialty is found in vertical industries and data processing. Not all companies are able to provide the full suite of services.”
   It would appear that plaNet can do it all. This award-winning business and technology solutions provider; with decades of experience assisting leading companies in overcoming the challenges brought on by the rapid change in information technology, specializes in the financial services industry. It provides software, systems integration, web, data warehousing and strategic business process consulting solutions. plaNet’s founders have over 20 years in the financial services industry, gaining a vast majority of their experience from being employed at leading corporations such as First Data Resources, Citibank, ACI Worldwide and US Software.
   What seems to set this consulting firm apart from its competitors is its fine-tuned customer focus—providing software and maintenance in addition to consulting services. One of its most outstanding and exceptional software products is Acquire360.
   This market proven and cost effective payment solution is supported by industry experts and offers the power, flexibility and control to tailor unique services to merchants while generating new revenue. Its users boast greatly reduced transaction costs, increased profitability, customer satisfaction, staff productivity, attrition reduction and a more flexible management of discount and fee structures. Bold statements to be sure. Just how does Acquire360 accomplish all this?
   “We take the middle man out of the equation,” says Spurgeon. “If an ISO or acquirer is outsourcing their transaction settlement to a third party, we enable them to bring it in house. Instead of a variable cost, they can set up a fixed cost. As they grow, that cost stays static.”
   With Acquire360, plaNet Consulting provides the option to license the software and the customer controls the settlement.
   “We are finding that many ISOs are looking to do a lot of in-house licensing,” says Spurgeon. “They are interested in merchant accounting and settlement systems. For that reason, we are courting the small to mid-size acquirers.
   Acquirer360 has the potential to change the face of processing. This advanced software runs in a customer’s data center or plaNet’s data system and controls the settlement cycle, runs batch reports, i.e. how many, how reported. The acquirer or ISO controls how transactions are settled, working with sponsor banks as well as Visa, MasterCard and other associations.
   “Part of our unique service is that our software is regulation compliant,” says Spurgeon. “We watch everything very closely. Value add in this software is that part of our commitment and what they pay for is compliance.”
   What is the cost of this compliance-centric software? Can the small to mid-size ISO or acquirer afford to bring control of processing in house? plaNet says absolutely!
    “Our software is very competitively priced,” says Spurgeon. “The way we spread the cost out is compatible with the fact that most ISOs are on a monthly cash flow. We ask for some monies up front and then they pay us over a period of time on the license. We are very flexible and understand what the ISO and acquiring world is all about. In the last year we have figured out the value adds and how the merchant as well as the acquirer look at how they pay for this on a monthly basis. The way we sell it and support it is for the benefit of the ISO. They are our target market.”
   plaNet Consulting believes wholeheartedly that small to mid-size ISOs and acquirers truly need Acquire360. According to Spurgeon, the product has no downside in and of itself, provided that those ISOs and acquirers are responsible and willing to do their part.
   “Some ISOs are content to outsource,” says Spurgeon. “Those that want to bring control in-house will have to take on more responsibility. If it is not already there, they must put in an IT infrastructure to support the system. They must put in people who own the responsibility of helping run the cycles. But, it’s not a big deal. We are here to consult and support. We hold their hands throughout the whole process and once it is built, help maintain it.”
   Acquire360 offers more than one opportunity for ISOs and acquirers to gain control. One option is to have the customer go in-house to settle with Visa and MasterCard. The other option is to have plaNet Consulting host the software via a state-of-the-art, industry compliant data center facility.
   “Because of that, we are able to get an ISO to market quickly because we are already certified through Visa and MasterCard with our data center connections,” says Spurgeon. “If the customer chooses to have us host and manage the process and serve as a Managed Service Provider (MSP), they don’t have to go through the complications of getting those connections. And, these services are all-inclusive in the cost of the service.”
   In this instance, Spurgeon states that when an ISO or acquirer elects to utilize the MSP portion of Acquire360, it is closer to a turnkey operation.
   So, are the major players getting nervous about the implications of Acquire 360?
   “They are not pulling their hair out yet because it is a fairly new phenomenon,” says Spurgeon. “Most acquirers sign a long-term agreement with their processors and still have time on existing contracts. The big processors are not feeling a big hit yet. The ones leaving are smaller in volume, but it is going to get their attention in the next couple of years.”
   Transaction fee increases coupled with the desire of acquirers to gain more control of their systems, as well as their financials, will fuel the fire.
   “We bring credence. We have referenceable clients. We have a solid heritage,” says Spurgeon. “We want to give acquirers a choice. They can continue to outsource with a third party or look at a product and service like ours where they can take control.”