The goal of PA-DSS is to ensure that payment applications do not store prohibited data (such as full magnetic stripe, CVV2 or PIN data) and meet a number of other security controls in accordance with the PCI Data Security Standard, thereby helping merchants and agents mitigate the possibility of a security compromise.

Dublin-based OmniPay is a leading provider of card and electronic payment processing services to acquiring banks worldwide. Currently, the OmniPay platform supports 24 acquiring institutions around the world.

With the ability to handle a vast array of devices, networks and host systems, IST/Switch is flexible enough to accommodate OmniPay's business in supporting multiple institutions, multiple currencies, and multiple languages, as well as multiple regions and countries. That means IST/Switch powers authorisation for the only merchant acquiring platform that operates globally.

"We process hundreds of millions of transactions annually for some of the world's largest financial institutions, and compliance with PCI Security Standards is critical to our business," said John Ward, Authorisation System & Relationship Manager at OmniPay. "We have a great working relationship with FIS, and we have been closely involved in some very successful enhancement projects with them over recent years. In addition to being slated for PA-DSS compliance ahead of Visa's July 1, 2010 deadline, the latest version of IST/Switch incorporates several of our suggestions. This is a testament to FIS' responsiveness to our needs."

"FIS is committed to enabling OmniPay to provide world-class processing services to financial institutions," said Mike Haas, general manager of FIS' global payment software division. "Keeping their platform current with compliance requirements is another example of that commitment."