The development of ASI needs to be seen within the context of the expectations of the envisioned future of the directors who confirm their vision for the future of ASI by the following: -

In the coming decade we envisage an environment that is more open and global in nature, particularly focused on the EU. It will be characterized by higher mobility of firms, large and small, seeking to take advantage of niche markets that will emerge in this area and in other parts of the world, such as the Far East.

We see that within this period of time Internet based transactions will become the norm, with a whole range of financial and commercial transactions using this medium. It will become a basic channel through which most financial transactions will pass, from the issuing of pocket money to kids to the purchase of a house. New technologies will emerge to make this channel and its derivatives more reliable and secure.

There will be a wide range of hardware solutions that allow users always-on-any-place access. The convergence of data, voice and IT technologies will see a stronger development of such tools that will facilitate international living and lifestyle. It will have a major impact on world currencies, with key currencies such as the US$, the EU’s € and Chinese RMB being reinforced and with the ensuing demise of many older but less used currencies. There will be a greater internationalization of laws and regulations creating more scope for international services by small businesses.

The concept of using physical cash to acquire goods and services, will be the rare exception, if available at all, with new technologies emerging that will provide personalized and increasingly secure access to financial and other resources through Internet based technologies.

Within this future we see the role of the ASI as being to focus on developing its international network that will use its electronic payment services as the basic building block of a whole range of customer focused services adding value to the customer and providing sustainable levels of profitability to all partners in the service delivery chain.