Toronto, ON (April 15, 2026)
Datatel Inc. today announced that Co-Founder and Co-CEO Barnard Crespi will participate as a panelist at The Future of Commerce: Data, AI, and the Rise of Autonomous Buyers, hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Northeastern University Toronto, on May 7, 2026.
The session will bring together senior leaders from Microsoft, Mastercard, Loblaw Digital, Interac, and Datatel to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping how customers discover, evaluate, and complete transactions.
At the center of the discussion is the growing shift toward agentic commerce, where intelligent systems increasingly participate in, and in some cases execute, purchasing decisions on behalf of individuals and organizations. As this shift accelerates, businesses are being forced to rethink foundational elements of commerce, including how trust is established, how payments are authorized, and how data is governed across digital ecosystems.
“Organizations are entering a phase where the definition of the ‘buyer’ is changing,” said Crespi. “When AI systems begin acting with delegated authority, the challenge is no longer just enabling transactions, it’s ensuring those transactions are trusted, verifiable, and aligned with both customer intent and regulatory expectations.”
Panelists will explore how enterprises should adapt their operating models to account for autonomous decision-making systems, with a focus on:
- Establishing trust frameworks for AI-driven transactions
- Rethinking payment authorization and identity in machine-to-machine interactions
- Aligning data strategy with emerging AI-driven customer journeys
- Addressing governance, compliance, and risk in automated commerce environments
The event will take place at Northeastern University Toronto Campus and is expected to draw business leaders, technology professionals, and policymakers seeking to understand the next phase of digital commerce.
Datatel’s participation reflects its ongoing focus on helping organizations modernize payment infrastructure and reduce risk as new technologies reshape how transactions are initiated and completed.
About Datatel
Datatel is a payment technology and advisory company that helps organizations modernize how they securely accept and manage payments. For more than 25 years, Datatel has specialized in secure payment infrastructure, IVR payment technology, and PCI compliance advisory services that reduce the risks associated with handling payment card data. As more organizations introduce AI technologies into customer interactions, Datatel helps ensure payment transactions remain isolated, secure, and compliant by protecting Voice AI and other automated systems from directly handling sensitive cardholder data. Datatel’s solutions are used by healthcare providers, utilities, financial services organizations, and government agencies across North America.
We’re Here to Help.
Call 1 800 831 6660 or
What our clients are saying about us
“Never any issues with you guys! Things just work.”
“Customer service is a really big deal to us, and I am glad to do business with a company that obviously takes it as seriously as we do.”
“We’re happy with the IVR Payment system and it has been working well for us. Recently we also setup your newest SMS (text) receipts and found it to work great.”
“I want to command you and your team at Datatel on the job just completed for Tele-Response Center. The attention to detail and professionalism with which you approached the project was exemplary and greatly appreciated especially considering the several applications that needed to be implemented on short notice. Thanks again for your assistance getting this project off the ground so smoothly.”
“My team and I would like to commend Datatel on creating an IVR application that adds great value to our new Travel product. Your knowledge, input and expertise in IVR scripting, call flow management and overall IVR logistics made the development and implementation stages extremely easy to manage. Thank you for a well executed campaign that was launched on time and on budget.”
“Great team to work with. I look forward to utilizing some additional capabilities in the future.”
“We are very grateful for many years of mutually beneficial business relationship with Datatel and for impeccable customer service we have received during these years.”
“We, Standard Life, very much appreciated Datatel’s expertise, knowledge and support as we worked through the development and implementation stages. Our Clients appreciate the simplicity of the capability, while gathering very valuable feedback. Thanks for making this a very positive experience.”
“This was one of the best implementations I have been a part of. The communication was excellent and everything was responded to and dealt with swiftly. A real pleasure. We are looking forward to the impact this will have on our patient payments! Thank you!”
