In the mid-1960s three Paducah, Kentucky, bankers began searching for a way to streamline the 50,000 checks and deposit slips their banks processed each day. Bank data processing was in its infancy and carried incredible price tags, but the bankers decided they could pool their resources and buy a Burroughs' high capacity computer. It cost $321,000 but could process 50,000 items in three hours and nearly 3,000 statements in an hour.

Around that same time, Second Lieutenant John A. Williams was ending a stint with the U. S. Army after graduating from the University of Kentucky. While still at UK, Williams' fascination with MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) and recognition of the benefits MICR could provide for community banks inspired him to develop a business plan for a company that could take advantage of this new process.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Computer Services, Inc. (CSVI) was incorporated in March 1965, Williams was hired as Executive Director, and operations began with six employees and three customers in Paducah: Peoples Bank & Trust Company, Paducah Bank, and Citizens Bank.

Within a year CSI began adding banks outside Paducah, beginning a succession of new bank additions that continues today.

From the outset, CSI demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit that has led to the company's success. CSI was the first independent servicer in Kentucky; first to provide commercial loan processing for commercial banks; first to offer a nationwide PC software sales program; first to convert a Kentucky bank to check imaging; first to offer Internet Banking; first to offer Internet Service Provider (ISP) service; and first to provide a corporate intranet, CSI Web@Work.

CSI's customer service philosophy was and remains unique to the data processing industry. Within five years of incorporation, CSI had opened its first remote service center, the first in a network of service centers located throughout the CSI geography. CSI Account Managers were and are still located close to the banks they serve to provide the brand of customer service for which CSI is known throughout the industry.

CSI addressed the need for a secure telecommunications network by hiring its first telecommunications employee in 1988: that department has since become the backbone of CSI's infrastructure; a key player in CSI's ability to move huge amounts of data between locations - securely and at lightening speed.

In 1997 the company moved into its new corporate headquarters: a 75,000 square foot building that incorporates the latest voice, data and video communication technologies is home away from home to a large number of CSI employees and welcomes customers to education classes.

A carefully planned acquisition strategy has expanded the CSI presence into new geographies, and CSI has carefully gathered companies under its umbrella that complement its core business: Indiana Information Controls, Inc., a sister bank processing company in northern Indiana; Computer Bank, Inc. which expanded CSI's presence into Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana; First Commerce Technologies (FCT) which moved CSI westward into Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Iowa, New Mexico and Nebraska and to the other side of the U.S. into Florida; ATTUS Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of compliance solutions; McCoy Myers & Associates, provider of in-house and service bureau processing systems; Summit Financial Solutions, Inc., provider of payments processing and imaging solutions; Heartland Communications Internet Services, Inc., provider of telecommunication services; and Myriad Systems, Inc.,(MSI) a provider of print and mail, online document delivery, and item processing solutions for financial institutions across the United States. Visit CSI's affiliates from our home page for more information.

Throughout CSI's history, the vision of John A. Williams, Chairman, has been a firm foundation and a driving force behind the success of the company. Steven A. Powless, President and CEO, together with Williams, a strong board of directors, and an experienced management team provide the leadership that continues to grow CSI today.