Co-op Slashes Transaction Processing Times With TNS

The Co-operative Group has selected Transaction Network Services in the UK (NYSE:TNS) to provide resilient IP links for store credit card transaction processing in its food stores. Utilising the TNS Connect solution, The Co-operative Food group now has high speed broadband installed into 1,800 of its UK stores, reducing lengthy card processing and customer waiting times by 80 per cent at the till point. Previously using an ISDN line to transport card transactions, the UK’s largest community food retailer switched to the TNS Connect solution to enable ADSL broadband to be implemented in stores. This managed service provides a highly secure, resilient solution for the transport of sensitive card authorisations and helps The Co-operative with its plans to implement a PCI-DSS compliant payment card solution. Stephen Garner, head of store service and delivery at The Co-operative, said: "TNS has excellent credentials in the payments industry and for transporting financial information in real time. With the strong relationships the company has with the major banks and its capabilities for handling the large amount of transactions that we process every day, TNS was a natural fit with our business and the objectives we wanted to achieve.” "We are delighted to be working with The Co-operative to help improve their payments system and reduce transaction processing times,” adds Mark Collins, managing director, TNS UK and Ireland. "With over 1,800 stores already using the solution, we are continuing the roll out to other outlets, with over 2,250 expected to be live by September 2008.” About The Co-operative The Co-operative Group is the world’s largest consumer co-operative, with 2.5 million active trading members and more than 80,000 employees. As well as food retailing, the society’s other major businesses include financial services, funerals, healthcare and travel, together with property, farming, consumer legal services and motor dealerships. In addition, the society operates the on-line electrical and bed retailer, E-store. The new organisation operates over 4,000 trading outlets throughout the UK, including food stores, pharmacies, travel branches and funeral homes, which will adopt the uniformed brand - The Co-operative - to be rolled out across the estate. About TNS Transaction Network Services (TNS) is an international data communications company that enables payments, money and voices to move around the world. TNS’ mission is to enable the world to transact. It does this through a broad range of networking, data communications and value added services, which it provides to many of the world’s leading retailers, banks/processors, telecommunications companies and financial markets. Since its inception in 1990, TNS has designed and implemented multiple data networks, each designed specifically for the transport of transaction-oriented data. TNS' networks support a variety of widely accepted communications protocols and are designed to be scalable and accessible by multiple methods. Today, TNS has offices throughout the world serving customers in 28 countries with the ability to provide services in other countries. For further information about TNS, visit www.tnsi.com Statements and information contained in our press releases and newsletters that are not descriptions of historical fact may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or performance and from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods. www.tnsi.com