MALVERN, Pa. – AFTECH's 2005 Client Conference drew the largest turnout for the Fiserv core processing unit's annual conference since the pre-Y2K gathering in 1999, the company says. The May 4-8 gathering at the Hyatt Regency-Penn's Landing in Philadelphia was attended by more than 80 people from more than two-thirds of the core processor's approximately 75 credit union clients. The conference began May 5 with an appearance by "Ben Franklin," who compared the cooperative spirit that linked the 13 colonies to that which created credit unions. Keynote speakers then were Jay Johnson, COO of Callahan & Associates, and Mark Sievewright, the former TowerGroup president who's now a senior vice president of Fiserv. Johnson talked about challenges facing credit unions today while Sievewright suggested ways to meet those challenges, including service customization and IT efficiencies. The conference, held in the town where AFTECH was founded 25 years ago, also included breakout sessions on topics such as contingency planning and AFTECH software updates.