Toughey Talks
PCI-PA-DSS: Toughey Talks - Is There a (Payment) App for That?
April 8, 2010
People don't buy smart phones just to make phone calls. People buy them for the convenience, productivity, and capabilities of text messages, emails, web browsing, maps, GPS, calendars, and other "apps." Today's smart phones are a technology platform for communication and interactivity.
In the same way, colleges and universities don't license commerce management systems just to accept online tuition payments. They license campuswide commerce software for the efficiency, convenience, services, cost savings, and security to be gained from handling payments for a wide variety of campus "apps," including student bills, refunds, housing, parking, conferences, events, and more.
In one sense, a commerce management system is like a smart phone; it is more of a technology platform than a single application. However, integrating enterprise-level business applications that handle highly sensitive financial and personal payment data is a lot more difficult than downloading a phone "app." Your commerce system must be capable of managing at least 3 distinct layers of real-time integration:
- ERP Integration. Live, real-time synchronization with your ERP system so that there is "one version of the truth."
- Banking Networks. Secure integration with banking and financial networks to support the wide range of payment methods available today.
- Vendor Applications. Turnkey integration for both vendor-supplied and custom-developed campus business applications that accept payments.
To accomplish all this requires advanced technology and integration know-how. Unifying campuswide commerce applications and coordinating disparate system providers in such a large-scale project can be a very difficult task. So, when you're thinking about campuswide commerce, don't ask "Is there an app for that?" Ask "Is there integration for that?"
Thanks for reading.
Dan Toughey
dan2e@touchnet.com
PS: For more information about how colleges and universities have benefitted from campus commerce automation, join us for our next webcast, TouchNet LIVE! featuring Illinois Central College - May 11, at 1:00 pm (Central).
Toughey Talks
PCI-PA-DSS: Toughey Talks - Is There a (Payment) App for That?
April 8, 2010
People don't buy smart phones just to make phone calls. People buy them for the convenience, productivity, and capabilities of text messages, emails, web browsing, maps, GPS, calendars, and other "apps." Today's smart phones are a technology platform for communication and interactivity.
In the same way, colleges and universities don't license commerce management systems just to accept online tuition payments. They license campuswide commerce software for the efficiency, convenience, services, cost savings, and security to be gained from handling payments for a wide variety of campus "apps," including student bills, refunds, housing, parking, conferences, events, and more.
In one sense, a commerce management system is like a smart phone; it is more of a technology platform than a single application. However, integrating enterprise-level business applications that handle highly sensitive financial and personal payment data is a lot more difficult than downloading a phone "app." Your commerce system must be capable of managing at least 3 distinct layers of real-time integration:
- ERP Integration. Live, real-time synchronization with your ERP system so that there is "one version of the truth."
- Banking Networks. Secure integration with banking and financial networks to support the wide range of payment methods available today.
- Vendor Applications. Turnkey integration for both vendor-supplied and custom-developed campus business applications that accept payments.
To accomplish all this requires advanced technology and integration know-how. Unifying campuswide commerce applications and coordinating disparate system providers in such a large-scale project can be a very difficult task. So, when you're thinking about campuswide commerce, don't ask "Is there an app for that?" Ask "Is there integration for that?"
Thanks for reading.
Dan Toughey
dan2e@touchnet.com
PS: For more information about how colleges and universities have benefitted from campus commerce automation, join us for our next webcast, TouchNet LIVE! featuring Illinois Central College - May 11, at 1:00 pm (Central).