LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — How much is it going to cost, how will it benefit members and will it really save credit unions time and money?

The four-member panel boiled it down to those points as they peppered the five candidates competing Tuesday in “The Next Big Idea” competition put together by the National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations and the Filene Research Institute.

Each candidate was allowed a certain amount of time to present their ideas and then the judges asked questions. Presentations were made by:

• Buffalo Pacific Omni-Series, a firm that provides 3D telepresence technology that allows members to communicate with credit union experts, wherever they may be, leveraging time, talent and location to enhance member communications.
• The Intercept CUSO near-prime alternative lending program exclusively for credit union members that don't qualify for loans from their credit union.
• NagraID Security's card authentication and protection of credit union members' card- based payments using new display card technology and certified by MasterCard and Visa.
• Mortgage Harmony's Harmony Loan that aims to eliminate the need to refinance and streamlines the mortgage industry by aligning interests of the borrower, lender, loan officer, servicer and investor.
• nCinco's cloud-based operating system that consolidates traditional systems into a single platform, providing a 360 degree real-time view of member relationships.

At the end of the presentations, attendees at the session held during NACUSO's annual conference were allowed to text their vote via a special mobile app. Votes were tabulated in real time on a screen for all to see.