The broader theme of the American Bankers Association's national card conference this week was to "get people to focus on the big picture," not just the credit card, an ABA spokeswoman said.
The association certainly succeeded in a global sense.
Among those in attendance were 54 people from outside the United States, compared with 21 last year when the conference was held in Chicago.
"In the past we hadn't reached out as much to the international community," said the spokeswoman, Nancy Judy. "But as the industry reaches out further, we are trying to do that as well."
The official count was 2,317 people in attendance this year, 320 more than last year and 1,615 more than in 1990.
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In her keynote address, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School, spoke about the global nature of commerce.
Many companies, she said, are rolling out new products in local and international markets simultaneously. The tradition of introducing products first in local markets, then regionally, nationally, and finally internationally is fading, she said.
"Even if you have no intention of selling into the world market, you still must be compatible with it," she said, "because competition is now more likely than ever to be global."
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Bank card technology is growing faster than the capability to use it, said Robert M. Howe, IBM Corp.'s general manager for banking, finance, and securities.
But when the ability to utilize the new technology catches up to its production, electronic payment systems will become more accessible, he said.
"Today, you can do voice dictation, but only in English and in halting speech," said Mr. Howe. "In two to five years this technology will be able to handle multiple languages and normal speech. Think about what this will mean for ATMs, if people could simply talk to them to get things done."
Mr. Howe envisioned software that "could filter or prioritize information," responding to commands like "find me a credit card that has an 18% rate and doesn't charge me for signing up."
He predicted that smart cards will eventually include erasable memories with personal histories, and that chip prices will drive down high reader costs.
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A panel discussion on new technology focused on the slow growth of debit cards. David Van Lear, chairman and chief executive officer of Electronic Payment Services Inc., suggested that affinity programs could generate more interest in these cards.
Edward Hogan, senior vice president of MasterCard International, said debit cards will play a leading role in electronic commerce over the Internet.
Mr. Hogan said major debit marks like Maestro will eventually muscle out regional brands like Mr. Van Lear's MAC card. On-screen payment options, he said, will not accommodate the dozens of regional debit marks as well as individual bank marks.
Unsurprisingly, representatives from the regional networks scoffed at Mr. Hogan's idea, but bankers were not so quick to dismiss it.
A desire for simplification and an attractive interchange fee structure drove Norwest Corp. to remove the regional marks from the debit cards it issues.
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Celebrity sightings in the exhibit halls:
Signing autographs at the Visa International booth were Olympic track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee and gymnast Trent Dimas. Visa is continuing its tradition of calling in athletes to promote its Olympics sponsorship. The current campaign is tied to the games in Atlanta next summer.
Also on hand was former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman Steve Garvey, who signed perhaps 1,000 baseballs at the Cardservice International booth.
- Lisa Fickenscher, Beth Piskora, Robert Jennings
