AUSTIN, Texas – The Credit Union Information Security Professionals Association (www.cuispa.org) has launched a new initiative – a technology purchasing cooperative. The purchasing cooperative will provide knowledge sharing and cost savings to credit unions facing a flood of offerings from the IT product market. The CUISPA, which itself was formed last fall, provides peer networking for IT managers through such venues as regional lunch meetings. Texans Credit Union already has taken advantage of the purchasing cooperative. "We joined CUISPA shortly after learning of a rebate offered to members by a vendor we were currently in discussions with. The cost savings were double that of the dues," says Mike McMillan, director of systems at the $1.4 billion CU in Dallas. "The knowledge sharing also is invaluable."