PCI Compliance: IP Commerce Announces Commerce Safe Business Advisor Program For Distribution Channels To Help Guide Small Business Customers Through PCI Compliance

IP Commerce, Inc., a software company enabling open commerce services between businesses, announced recently an advisor program aimed to help distribution channels deliver products and services to help small business customers achieve card data security requirements. The Commerce Safe Business Advisor Program will be offered as a free two-part webinar to help IT professionals learn more about critical new Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS) compliance that impact every merchant and how software solutions that meet Payment Applications Best Practice (PABP) standards can help achieve compliance mandates.

"As many distribution channels are learning, they must offer software applications that are PABP verified if they want customers to keep using their products," said IP Commerce CEO Chip Kahn. "PCI DSS compliance is critical to their customers' operations, and it's imperative that the solutions they provide are compliant. As an industry leader in working with partners to easily deliver select commerce services to new and existing markets, IP Commerce has the knowledge and expertise to offer support to distribution channels looking to help their customers navigate the PCI Data Security Standards."

The PCI Security Standards Council was formed by the major payment card brands American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc. to set global standards for card data security. The PCI Data Security Standard establishes common processes and precautions for handling, processing, storing and transmitting credit card data. In addition to working with the PCI Security Standards Council, Visa developed PABP to assist software vendors in creating secure payment applications that help ensure merchants compliance with PCI DSS.

The PCI Security Standards Council announced yesterday that it will be incorporating PABP into its newest security standards, Payment Application Data Security Standards (PA-DSS) that will be published in the first quarter of 2008.

According to the current Visa mandate, any new merchant that wants to be authorized for payment card transactions will have to be using only PABP-validated applications after January 1, 2008. Visa is giving all companies until July 1, 2010, to make sure that all their third-party point-of-sale and payment applications comply with PABP.

In order to help distribution channels understand how these new requirements affect their business, IP Commerce will host its first Commerce Safe Business Advisor webinar on November 15, 2007. This two-part webinar will guide attendees through the PCI Data Security Standards and explain how they impact any business that processes payments. Topics will include:

• How small businesses are being impacted by these new standards
• How distribution channels can support their compliance requirements and uncover new revenue opportunities
• How to access PABP-verified software solutions that meet new security standards
• How to create clear differentiation from competitors

Participants in the two-part series qualify for a certificate of completion and inclusion in the exclusive Commerce Safe logo program. The program is available free to all members of the Commerce Link partner program. Commerce Link is designed to increase reseller revenue by providing access to a vast array of secure commerce applications that are integrated into IP Commerce's technology platform.

"This program makes the process of gaining compliance more understandable, more affordable and more manageable," Kahn said. "By taking a proactive approach to end-user security, distribution channels get ahead of the curve in managing customer cardholder data to mitigate risk for their merchant customers."

To learn more about the Commerce Safe Business Advisor Program, or to join the Commerce Link partner program, visit www.ipcommerce.com/Opportunity/Distribution_Channels.aspx or contact Ethan Walker at (720) 272-7337 x 853.

About IP Commerce
IP Commerce, Inc. is the software company behind the world's first open commerce network delivering on-demand access to the next generation of commerce services. IP Commerce, the company's flagship product, is the first open network to connect commerce services from leading financial institutions with software developers and established distribution channels. In an unprecedented use of service-oriented architecture, IP Commerce makes services accessible to small businesses that are critical to daily business operation and that traditionally have been exclusively available to large businesses. IP Commerce opens worlds of commerce, large and small.

Based in Denver, Colo., IP Commerce, Inc. maintains partnerships with some of the world's most respected financial institutions and software companies. The company is backed by leading investors, including Appian Ventures and Meritage Funds. For more information, visit www.IPCommerce.com.

SOURCE: IP Commerce, Inc.