If you have technical development skills and an idea of how to improve credit union products and services, PSCU wants you to come put your skills to work at a “hackathon,” dubbed KnockOut 2012, which will take place October 19-20 at at the CUSO's MPRO Innovation Lab in St. Petersburg, FL.

“We are passionate about bringing credit unions together for the common good of the industry,” said Michael Kelly, PSCU CEO.“We know there are great ideas in all corners of our CUSO just waiting to see the light of day. If the crowdsourcing approach of an event like the KnockOut leads to even just one innovative solution, all members of the credit union family win.”

Hackathons are typically all-night contests where team members collaborate to prototype an innovative product that is presented to a panel of judges to determine the “winning” idea, or the one with the greatest value, the payments CUSO said.

For KnockOut 2012, PSCU judges will select up to three semifinalists, who will then have the opportunity to present their concepts to PSCU's staff at one of the company's employee Town Hall meetings. PSCU employees will vote to select the winning team, whose members will receive an all-expense-paid Royal Caribbean cruise. Second and third place teams will also earn prizes.

PSCU KnockOut 2012 is open to all PSCU employees and employees of the CUSO's Member-Owner credit unions. KnockOut organizers have also arranged for competing teams to participate remotely if they are unable to travel to the company's St. Petersburg, FL headquarters, PSCU said.