I think it’s safe to say that when 2008 began, few of us would have—or could have—predicted the course the year would take. So it’s with just a bit of trepidation we bring you Transaction Trends’ annual forecast issue. Predicting what 2009 will bring is a daunting task, but not impossible, as writer Dick Gamble demonstrates in our cover story on page 8. As he points out, a challenging environment almost always creates opportunities for those who are prepared and are willing to step up to the challenges that inevitably arise. I suspect many of our readers fall into that category. The merchant acquiring business always has been a very entrepreneurial industry, full of innovators and risk-takers. Those qualities will serve them, and our industry, well in the coming months.
The current recession may well turn out to be an opportunity for those companies that have worked tirelessly to convince ISOs and merchant level sales pros to diversify product lines and offer their merchants value added products that go beyond traditional credit card processing. Writer Julie Ritzer Ross, in a story on page 12, notes a few in the ISO/MSP end of our business are teaming up with companies that market integrated POS equipment, a segment where all-out competition has often been the norm. A related article on remote capture (ISO Corner, page 6) may represent another, similar, opportunity for giving merchants added value.
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