PSCU hosts KnockOut 2017
Sixth annual collaboration event invites leading-edge thinkers to ³Be Brilliant²
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (August 23, 2017) — For the sixth consecutive year, PSCU is inviting credit unions to bring their leading-edge thinkers to compete in its innovation marathon, KnockOut. The 24-hour collaboration event is scheduled for Sept. 14-15, 2017, at PSCU¹s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla. The goal of the hackathon-inspired event is to help solve a problem in the payments industry that will enable credit unions to better serve their members.
KnockOut focuses on helping to market and prototype real products and services. This year¹s competition the theme for which is ³Be Brilliant² will emphasize PSCU¹s goal to support, protect and optimize every transaction and interaction of its Member-Owner Credit Unions. The event features five-person teams that have just 24 hours to ideate, design and present their ideas to a panel of judges, with each team explaining its product¹s function, feasibility, industry impact, time to market, cost and ROI.
KnockOut 2017 will include two new judging categories. According to a report published by Javelin Strategy & Research, there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020, or 6.6 devices for every person on the planet. The Best of Internet of Things (IoT) and The Best of Analytics are being introduced as judging categories in anticipation of this massive market shift. The many connected devices in use and the associated data provide an opportunity for credit unions to have more information to make better decisions on behalf of members.
³Our Member-Owner Credit Unions expect us to help them grow and provide an unparalleled service experience to their members, and we believe industry collaboration is a powerful way of doing that,² said Chuck Fagan, PSCU CEO and President. ³KnockOut facilitates the development of ideas that provide solutions to real-world problems that can make a real-world impact on our industry and, ultimately, the lives of members.²
KnockOut is unique in that it provides the opportunity to develop solutions for members in just 24 hours. The winner of KnockOut 2016 came up with an idea for an online loan decisioning and funding app that simplifies the credit union lending process. It allows immediate deposits into a member¹s checking or savings accounts. The second-place team ideated a one-of-a-kind intelligent platform API that would be integrated into various PSCU platforms to hold a ³spot² in the call queue without requiring a member to call in.
A panel of judges composed of representatives from PSCU, FAIRWINDS Credit Union (Orlando, Fla.), First Data, Jack Henry and Mastercard will evaluate the teams¹ concept submissions and select five semifinalists. The semifinalists¹ videos will then be uploaded to the KnockOut website for open voting. Each member on the first-place team will receive a $1,500 travel voucher; second-place team members will each receive an Apple iPad Pro; and third-place team members will each receive an Apple Watch pack.
³We look forward to seeing the brilliant thinking and ideas that come out of KnockOut 2017,² added Fagan.
PSCU¹s KnockOut 2017 is open to all employees of PSCU and its Member-Owner Credit Unions. More than 15 credit unions are expected to participate in this year¹s event. For more information, visitpscu.com/knockout.
About PSCU
PSCU/Co-op Solutions is the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO) and an integrated financial technology solutions provider. With over four decades of industry experience and a commitment to service excellence and innovation, the company serves more than 4,000 financial institutions throughout North America. PSCU/Co-op Solutions leverages its expertise and resources on behalf of credit unions and their members, offering an end-to-end product portfolio that includes payment processing, fraud and risk management, data and analytics, digital banking, instant payments, strategic consulting, collections, ATM and POS networks, shared branching and 24/7/365 member support via its contact centers. For more information, visit pscu.com and coop.org.
