In 2008 the European Vending Association staged a well-attended, one day conference in Brussels to look at the development of payment systems now and in the future. Markus Eggar, Group Technology Manager, Selecta, Switzerland, spoke about an operator’s experience with mobile and credit card payment, suggesting that cashless systems could increase business from anything between one and ten per cent, with the potential to be profitable in low-value transactions.

Jofemar UK, wholly owned subsidiary of Spanish vending machine and coin mechanisms manufacturer Jofemar SA has announced a new version of its best-selling J2000 changegiver. This new version works on Executive protocol, but crucially, will also support MDB peripherals, such as card and note readers, giving the J2000 a greater versatility and means that it will support a broader range of products, allowing operators a wider choice over the peripherals they use and reducing their spares stockholding.

Astrosys International Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Kong based Astrotech Group, was founded in 1997 with a focus on the GBA Bank Note Validator developing a strong market presence, particularly in the UK and Europe. Then, in 1999, it further strengthened its position as a global player in money handling by acquiring Australia-based Microsystem Controls, widely acknowledged as one of the leading coin validation technology experts worldwide. It now has 40 employees located around the world, whilst there are another 2000 employees in Astrotech's two ISO9001-certified manufacturing plants.

Through innovation and superior coin security NRI has grown to be a leading figure in the payment solutions market. Last year the German-based manufacturer launched its innovative vending product line - coin changer, cashless payment systems and bill validators - which fall under the Currenza umbrella.

AstroSystems, the European division of currency validation specialist Astrosys International , continues to make successful inroads with the GBA ST1 bank note validator - its modular architecture and secure cashbox design proving to be key talking points. The ability to dis-assemble the unit and then re-assemble it within 30 seconds is popular with service technicians, as is the ability to re-configure the unit from upstacker to downstacker operation simply by changing the front fascia.

Don't let the recession kill your business - that's the message from Safer Systems, a leading security specialist to the vending industry. While nobody, it seems, is immune to the devastating effects of this recession, we can make certain that businesses are prepared by ensuring they are operating at maximum efficiency. That means preventing them from haemorrhaging between five and eight per cent of operating profit - a staggering £120m* for the UK vending industry.

Jofemar UK, an arm of the Spanish vending machine manufacturer, has added new software to its BT10 banknote reader, which puts it among the most reliable bill readers available on the market.

MEI is the leading global manufacturer of unattended payment solutions with 40 years' experience in the vending sector.