For the past five years, EDS was a 50-50 joint venture partner in TransAlliance with 21 financial institutions. TransAlliance managed client relationships and delivered EDS EFT services for automated teller machine (ATM), point-of-sale and interbank transaction processing throughout 13 western states. EDS will continue to provide these services to approximately 475 TransAlliance clients and network members.
The EFT marketplace is consolidating and this acquisition gives EDS the positioning it needs to secure market share and take full advantage of the broad capability TransAlliance and EDS have created over the past five years, explains Tony Catalfano, general manager, EDS Consumer Network Services. EDS will capitalize on the assets of this acquisition to create one powerful brand in EFT services.
ATM point-of-sale transaction processing and the EFT industry will constitute a $2.1 billion global market in 2001, according to reports from Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group-Braxton Associates.
The TransAlliance acquisition includes the Northwest Exchange ATM network and the ACCEL point-of-sale debit network. Consumers will not experience any difference in service levels when using Exchange or ACCEL-branded ATM or debit cards.
Employee transition activities are underway for more than 100 TransAlliance employees that will be joining EDS. Day-to-day operation for former TransAlliance clients and a data center operations facility will remain in Bellevue, as well as support offices in California.
EDS Consumer Network Services is one of the nation’s largest EFT processors, handling more than 200 million ATM/debit transactions each month. The EDS unit also operates approximately 14,000 ATMs and serves 3,000 client endpoints.
