The Developer Center builds on Authorize.Net's existing platform, which Visa acquired as part of the purchase of CyberSource earlier this year.

By taking advantage of the enhanced Developer Center, developers will have at their fingertips the resources needed for rapid development and deployment of payment applications that extend the value and power of electronic payments for consumers, merchants and financial institutions. These can be created to run on a variety of devices, from PCs to smartphones, and could support applications including eCommerce transactions, mobile transactions, person-to-person payments and payments at the physical point of sale.

The Developer Center acts as a central community with tools and advice that developers at any level can use to readily connect through CyberSource to VisaNet along with other payments networks, and will be available free of charge.

The core of VisaNet, including the data centers that process transactions and perform authorizations and fraud detection, remains protected and highly secure. So while developers can draw on all the power of VisaNet, the network continues to provide the same high levels of security, reliability and speed that acquirers, merchants, issuers and cardholders expect.

Visa has spent decades creating VisaNet, one of the most robust, secure and reliable electronic payments infrastructures in the world. Until now, however, the ability to connect to VisaNet has been limited. This announcement represents a new commitment by Visa to make the most of the power of its network, by integrating CyberSource's technology and the creativity and ideas of the global developer community.

"Visa has developed many innovative network-based payment products and services. But when you combine the power of our network, the resources of the Developer Center and the creativity of software developers, there's no limit to the innovations that can emerge," said Jim McCarthy, Global Head of Product for Visa. "Good ideas come from a variety of sources. We believe that opening our network to the developer community is critical to fueling innovation and driving one of Visa's central goals, extending the benefits of digital payments to anyone, anywhere, using any device."

Visa began opening its network more than a decade ago when it reconfigured VisaNet from proprietary technology to a network architecture based on open protocols. Through subsequent programs like Merchant Direct Exchange, Visa was able to establish point-to-point links between the payment acceptance systems of high-volume merchants and VisaNet to enable faster and simpler connectivity and customized authorization and file transfer programs.

New Features of the Authorize.Net Developer Center

Available today, the newest release to the Developer Center (http://developer.authorize.net) provides developers with comprehensive resources for adding payment functionality to their solutions including:

* A new workflow which allows developers to register for an Authorize.Net test account, download software development kits (SDKs) in a variety of languages and process a test transaction-in effect, be ready to accept payments-all in 15 minutes or less.
* New ways to connect to Authorize.Net, including new SDKs and a new integration method that simplifies merchants' Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance. Easier connections and more options are all designed to allow developers, experienced to novice, to more easily and quickly integrate to Authorize.Net.
* New sample applications which provide developers with templates for rapid development of payment applications and tools.
* A new blog featuring Authorize.Net employees, developers and industry experts for sharing of ideas and best practices.

"Developer participation and feedback have played an integral part in making Authorize.Net what it is today," said John Bodine, Authorize.Net Vice President. "We are committed to equipping developers with reliable, high quality payment development tools that will allow them to create solutions across all payment brands. Our goal is to ensure we support the broadest array of innovations - whether a developer is integrating a website, building a mobile application, or launching a market-facing solution, we want the Authorize.Net Developer Center to be a valued resource, providing the information and tools they need to make their solutions successful."

The enhanced Authorize.Net Developer Center is available today and located at http://developer.authorize.net. It is free to all visitors. A brief registration is required to participate in the community forum.