The executive director of the brand-new National ATM Councilsaid the association of small, independent ATM deployers would beopen to working with credit unions, particularly on regulatoryissues.

Bruce Renard said the association currently represents about 75ATM independent ATM deployers, ranging from operators of singleATMs to hundreds.

The new association is the result of a merger of the National Association of ATM ISOs andOperators and the Alliance of Specialized CommunicationsProviders.

Significantly, the new board of directors does not include arepresentative from Cardtronics, the nation's largest independentATM deployer. Renard said he did not know if the industry giant wasactually a member or not.

Renard denied that that Cardtronics' not being part of the boardmeant that there was a split in the industry between larger andsmaller deployers, but maintained that the member firms wanted anorganization that would give them a more focused voice.

He also added that the web of regulations implementing theAmerican with Disabilities Act as it applies to ATMs was one of thenew association's chief concerns and that the council would be opento working with CUs on the common issues.

“We are definitely open to reaching out on areas where we seepossible cooperation,” Renard said, noting that most CUs are smallATM deployers as well.