MasterCard Worldwide Named to Computerworld Annual List of Best Places to Work in Information Technology

ST. LOUIS, June 15 (AllPayNews.com) -- MasterCard Worldwide today announced that it has been named as one of the Best Places to Work in Information Technology by IDG's Computerworld magazine. This is the fifth time that MasterCard has been selected for the honor, and this year MasterCard ranked No. 23 among medium-sized businesses and No. 72 overall. The announcement comes on the heels of the company's selection as one of the Ten Technology Companies to Watch by Bank Technology News.

"MasterCard provides an engaging work environment for technology professionals because IT is at the core of our business," said Rob Reeg, president of MasterCard Global Technology and Operations. "Our focus on innovation means that our employees work with the latest technology, and we foster an environment that supports professional growth and empowers employees to integrate their technology expertise with business acumen."

The majority of the MasterCard IT professional staff works at its Global Technology and Operations headquarters in O'Fallon, Mo., which is the largest MasterCard facility in the world. Other technology staff is deployed at the company's corporate headquarters in Purchase, N.Y., and at other MasterCard and customer locations around the world.

MasterCard Global Technology and Operations manages technology operations in 210 countries and territories and manages the MasterCard Worldwide Network, which serves as a critical link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide, processing 21 billion transactions in 2008. In addition, MasterCard develops software applications for payment solutions for debit or credit accounts, prepaid cards, signature- and pin-based transactions and contactless payments related to the "tap-and-go" MasterCard Paypass. It also provides service and support for its financial institution customers and oversees the MasterCard data warehouse, which has more than two petabytes of available storage and provides the data for business information analytics.

MasterCard employees are encouraged to participate in the company's holistic wellness program and take advantage of flexible scheduling options. MasterCard also provides continuing education programs through MasterCard University, which offers hundreds of education and training courses across many disciplines.

Reeg, who has been at MasterCard since 1995, said MasterCard places an emphasis on maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture that reflects the global business environment in which the company operates. "Fostering an open and inclusive workforce provides MasterCard with a better understanding of the complex and evolving global marketplace and drives the technology innovation that produces business results," Reeg said.

The Computerworld honor is part of the weekly IT publication's 16th annual Best Places to Work in IT survey. Since 1994, Computerworld's annual "Best Places to Work in IT" feature has ranked the top 100 work environments for technology professionals, based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention.

"To be among the Best Places to Work in IT, it's not enough just to seek out and hire the most talented IT people, offer them competitive pay and provide great benefits," said Scot Finnie, editor in chief of Computerworld. "The organizations that made this year's Best Places to Work list sustain a dynamic work environment in which IT professionals keep their hands on the latest technologies and work on projects that are business critical. In the months and years ahead, IT is going to become a key accelerator of business growth."

About Computerworld

Computerworld's award-winning Web site (Computerworld.com), weekly publication, and focused conference series form the hub of the world's largest global IT media network. In the past five years alone, Computerworld has won more than 100 awards including the Magazine of the Year Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) in both 2004 and 2006, and the American Business Media's Neal Award for Best Web Site, Best Blogs and Best Article or Series in 2008. Computerworld leads the industry with an online audience of over 2.5 million unique monthly visitors and a print audience of more than 1 million readers each week (IntelliQuest CIMS, Fall 2008). Computerworld also reaches over 10,000 IT executives every year through its high-touch conferences and custom summits.

About International Data Group (IDG)

International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG's online network includes more than 450 web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment and video games worldwide. IDG also publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers. Media brands are in more than 90 countries and include CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld/TechWorld/TecChannel, Macworld, Network World and PC World. The company's lead-generation service, IDG Connect, matches technology companies with an audience of engaged, high-quality IT professionals, influencers, and decision makers.

IDG is a leading producer of more than 750 technology-related events including Macworld Conference & Expo, OpenSource World, E3, DEMO, Storage Networking World, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services and events. Over 1,000 IDC analysts in more than 100 countries provide global, regional and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends.

Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com.

Note: All product and company names are trademarks of their respective organizations.

About MasterCard Global Technology and Operations

From its headquarters in O'Fallon, Mo., MasterCard Global Technology and Operations manages its operations in 210 countries and territories. For approximately 24,000 financial institutions, the MasterCard Worldwide Network in 2008 processed 21 billion transactions with a gross dollar volume of $2.5 trillion. The MasterCard network has the capacity to handle 140 million transactions per hour with an average network response time of 140 milliseconds.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 21 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R), MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.

Contacts:

Nancy Tully, MasterCard Worldwide, 636-722-7782, nancy_tully@mastercard.com

Andrew Starr, Weber Shandwick, 314-552-6724, astarr@webershandwick.com

SOURCE MasterCard Worldwide