In-store payments remain a cornerstone of the retail experience, merging traditional purchasing methods with modern technology. The convenience and immediacy of in-person transactions have always appealed to consumers, and as payment technologies evolve, this sector is poised for continued growth. However, with the increasing complexity of payment systems, the importance of security cannot be overstated. Striking a balance between security and innovation is essential for fostering consumer trust and ensuring a seamless shopping experience.

One individual tackling this challenge is Ramkishore Viswanatha Sekar, a recognised expert in Payment Platforms & Android who has been building Poynt OS since 2018, long before GoDaddy acquired Poynt. His pivotal role in the development of this revolutionary payment operating system reflects his commitment to enhancing the future of commerce through secure platforms and innovative technologies.

Ramkishore’s expertise in payments security gained more attention in an article where he discussed the importance of securing commerce applications that coexist with payment systems. The article dives into the open-sourced tools Android offers to accomplish this, showing how developers can leverage existing frameworks to ensure secure app coexistence within complex ecosystems.

“I’ve always found the open-source approach incredibly valuable in balancing security and flexibility,” Ramkishore notes. “By using Android’s frameworks, we were able to develop security mechanisms that protect sensitive transactions while still allowing third-party applications to integrate smoothly.”

Ramkishore’s experience working with Android systems gave him valuable insights into building these secure, open systems—knowledge he applied during his work on Poynt OS. He highlighted the growing complexity of integrating third-party apps into payment ecosystems—something he encountered firsthand as he worked to ensure that commerce applications could operate securely alongside payment systems without introducing vulnerabilities.

The Challenges of Building Poynt OS

Leading the architecture of Poynt OS was no small feat. Ramkishore explains that one of the most significant challenges was navigating the intricate certification processes required in the payments industry. PCI, EMV, and other compliance standards added layers of complexity to the project, but these were necessary to ensure the system could securely handle transactions across global markets.

“Certifications were a constant part of the process,” he recalls. “Ensuring compliance while pushing the boundaries of what the technology could do was an ongoing challenge.”

Another major hurdle was maintaining backward compatibility while developing a system that could accommodate both legacy hardware and newer, more advanced devices. For Ramkishore and his team, ensuring that Poynt OS could function seamlessly across various hardware configurations was essential to creating a truly scalable platform.

“Building hardware-agnostic services required tailoring different experiences for different devices, which was really challenging,” he says. “We had to make sure the platform remained flexible without sacrificing security.”

A Foundation of Security

Security has always been at the heart of Ramkishore’s work. He emphasizes that his methodical, traditional approaches to security were foundational to the success of building world-class platforms like Poynt OS. Every architectural decision was influenced by his focus on ensuring the system remained secure, whether through threat modeling, sandboxing, or encryption.

“Security is non-negotiable in payments. If you don’t build it into the core of your platform, everything else becomes vulnerable,” he explains.

Innovating in AI

As commerce continues to embrace new technologies, Ramkishore has been at the forefront of developing secure, AI-driven solutions that are reshaping the payment industry. One of the most exciting areas is the role of AI in enhancing payment experiences by streamlining operations, improving fraud prevention, and offering more personalized customer interactions.

A key innovation Ramkishore spearheaded is the AI Assistant Framework as part of GoDaddy Airo, which has enabled voice and visual commerce. This groundbreaking solution simplifies complex backend operations for merchants, such as inventory management and catalog synchronization, while also allowing users to interact with payment systems through voice and visual commands. This shift toward more intuitive interfaces enhances both customer and merchant experiences.

“Airo was built to help merchants focus on running their businesses, automating the more complex tasks like inventory updates and catalog synchronization. It’s about making the lives of business owners easier while maintaining the highest security standards,” Ramkishore explains.

By integrating voice and visual commerce into payment platforms, innovations like GoDaddy Airo are not only improving operational efficiency but also enhancing security and delivering seamless, intuitive user experiences. Ramkishore’s security-first approach ensures that as AI-driven automation brings new conveniences, it continues to uphold the integrity and safety of payment systems for both merchants and consumers.