Okay, it’s more of a vending machine than an ATM, but if you don’t like paper currency, this machine is for you:

Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace Hotel became the first place outside Germany to install “gold to go, the world’s first gold vending machine,” said a statement from Ex Oriente Lux AG, the German company behind the vending machine.

“In addition to one-gram, five-gram and 10-gram bars of gold, the machine also dispenses gold coins,” it added.

Not only does the machine dispense gold, it’s also gold-plated. But that doesn’t mean it’s low-tech: it constantly monitors the gold markets and adjusts its prices accordingly.

But don’t expect to see one on your street corner anytime soon. The Emirates Palace Hotel is not your normal business location:

The Emirates Palace is often used by visiting foreign dignitaries, and its top floor is reserved for the rulers of the UAE federation’s seven emirates, each of whom has his own suite.

High-end, indeed.

The machines were first installed in some German airports last year.

And talk about security:

“The Gold To Go vending machine will fulfill the same safety standard as an ATM,” said Uwe Heusel, owner of WBA Heusel GmbH. His company used armoring made of special steel, Kevlar and various ceramic materials to harden the vending machine against vandalism or even explosive blasts.

ATMs are powerful, flexible pieces of equipment. They accurately and reliably encrypt data, process transaction, dispense cash, communicate with customers and prevent theft.

But that also means they can be complicated. ATMs come in a bewildering array of shapes, sizes and features. Figuring out which machine is best for your situation can be difficult.

Probably the best and easiest approach is to call an independent distributor like ATM Network and speak to an account representative. Independent distributors sell ATMs from lots of different manufacturers. They know the products and don’t have a stake in a particular brand or model, so they can discuss the pros and cons of each machine and how it fits your specific situation.

But for people who like to research things themselves, or just want to get an idea of what kind of questions to ask, ATM Network has created an interactive ATM feature comparison chart on our website.

Choose up to three machines, and the page will list their features side-by-side in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand chart.

Want to have the list handy when you talk with an account rep? Just print it out for easy reference.

ATM Network has always considered an informed customer our best customer: we’re confident that the more you know, the more you’ll appreciate ATM Network’s combination of value, experience and service. The new comparison chart is just one more way we put our money where our mouth is.

Tax time can be a headache for many small business owners. It’s not just that business tax rules can be confusing and arbitrary. Spring is the time when you have to go through a year’s worth of saved receipts and paperwork, trying to find a specific number or form, and hoping you didn’t accidentally throw out or misfile an important piece of paper.

At ATM Network, we understand this very well. Every year at this time we get a lot of calls from our customers. Usually it’s because their accountant needs to know how much money they made on their ATMs last year, and they didn’t save all the monthly statements we sent them with their checks.

It’s an even bigger headache for people who own a lot of ATMs. Someone with 80 machines has to keep track of — and add up — nearly 1,000 different monthly statements. The headache can be enormous.

Then there are the checks themselves. Paper checks can get lost, stolen or damaged. They take days to arrive. And machine owners have to take them to the bank, physically endorse them and deposit them.

At the end of 2009, ATM Network took a big step toward making things easier for customers by switching from paper checks to electronic payments. Customer profits are deposited directly in their bank account — automatically, without risk, and usually 10 days or so earlier than with paper checks.

Now ATM Network has taken the next step with Webstatements, its online statement archive.

Instead of receiving and storing a paper statement, customers can login to their Webstatements account to view their machine’s financial results.

They can see total activity for all of their machines, or view each machine individually. They can sort results by month and year. And if they do want paper copies, they can print out individual statements for all of their machines with a single click of the mouse.

The online statements contain all the information that used to be on ATM Network’s paper statements: profit information, daily activity, network activity, and more. So it’s easy to see at a glance how a machine is being used and how profitable it is.

Webstatements works in conjunction with ATM Portal, an online reporting service that tracks up-to-the-minute activity and keeps track of daily operating items like how much cash remains in each machine. ATM Portal provides daily reporting; Webstatements provides monthly summaries, as well as customer-specific financial information unavailable through ATM Portal.

It’s just one more way that ATM Network provides its partners with top-of-the-line service and accountability.

Here’s a cool application that could mean more traffic for your ATM:

MasterCard Worldwide has announced the launch of the MasterCard ATM Hunter application for BlackBerry smartphones that allows users to easily locate the nearest ATM no matter where in the world they are.

The application first came out for iPhones, and is now available for Blackberries. It uses uses GPS technology to show users the nearest ATMs. They can sort by things like surcharge and accessibility (wheelchair, drive-up, 24-hour) and then get directions.

If the phone doesn’t have GPS-capabilities, users can consult a database of ATMs to find one near them.

There’s even an online version for those of us playing at home.

The application is free. You can download it from the iPhone App Store or Blackberry’s AppWorld.

Great prices. Great selection. Great service. Straightforward pricing and ongoing customer support.

Those are the principles that ATM Network was founded on 14 years ago. Those are the principles that have made us one of the largest and most successful ATM companies in the country. And those principles drove the design and construction of ATM Network’s new online store, now open at http://www.atmnetwork.net/store.

Naturally, you’ll find all the things you expect from an online store. Compare features and prices on ATMs from major manufacturers like Nautilus Hyosung, Triton and Hantle USA (formerly Tranax). Build your own ATM, adding only the features you want. Browse our selection of parts, supplies and accessories. Taxes and shipping are calculated automatically based on your shipping address. When you’re ready, buy your selections using our secure checkout system.

But we didn’t stop there. Here are some things you’ll get from us that you won’t see at our competitors:

1. Transparent pricing. Add an item to your shopping cart, and you’ll immediately see your tax and shipping charges. Too many stores try to hide that from you until your purchase is nearly complete. You can also change your shipping options at any time to see what each option costs.

2. Free shipping, processing and sign package with every ATM. Every ATM includes free shipping anywhere in the continental United States, free transaction processing, and a free sign package, including a colorful door sticker and a neon sign to advertise your ATM.

3. Custom options. Want your own customized ad screens? We can make them for you. Want to advertise or print coupons on your customers’ receipts? We can do that, too.

4. Upgrades. We can take a dial-up machine and let it hook into your Internet connection. We can take any machine and equip it to use a wireless connection, freeing you from phone lines and Ethernet cables.

5. Paper in any quantity. Most online retailers require you to buy rolls of receipt paper by the case. Who needs that? With us, you can buy paper in any quantity you want, from one roll to multiple cases.

6. Merchant services. We’re not just an ATM company. We offer a full range of merchant services, including free check-collection and low-fee credit-card processing.

As a full-service ATM company, we also deliver extras that the wholesalers can’t match. When you buy from us you get more than just a hunk of machinery. You get a nationwide installation, training and service network. You get 24/7 customer support. You get free transaction processing. You get free online monitoring and management of your machine and your income statements.

Come visit our site to learn more about us, and our store to see what we have to offer. Then you’ll understand why so many ATM owners choose ATM Network as their partner.

Visit us at http://atmnetwork.net/store.

Nautilus Hyosung has developed software that will let ATMs sell Quick Pick lottery tickets.

Nautilus Hyosung America Inc. has partnered with Linq 3 to enable the purchase of quick pick lottery tickets on Nautilus Hyosung’s CE ATM models. Nautilus has been developing the software application for the CE models and will demonstrate the quick pick functionality during next week’s ATM Industry Association conference in Miami.

Linq3 developed the secure links to state lottery commissions that makes the whole thing work.

The software will work on any Hyosung machine running Windows CE. That includes the 1800CE and 5000CE.

All new CE models will ship with the software, and already-installed machines can get a software update to run it.

One problem with through-the-wall ATMs is that they have to be attached to a wall. With interior installations, that’s not usually a problem: the front of the ATM is in the public part of the store, while the rear is in the back room.

But if the store wants the machine to be accessible from outside, it needs to find a place on its exterior wall that is both accessible and observable. That can mean giving up prime sidewalk or parking-lot space in front of the store so that customers can walk or drive up to the ATM.

Enter the ATM enclosure.

Enclosures let you direct ATM traffic to the far corner of your parking lot, turning an underused area into a profit center. The machine is available 24 hours a day, meaning you’re making money on it even when you’re home asleep. And the enclosure can be painted or wrapped with any graphics you want, providing a highly visible advertising and marketing opportunity.

Enclosures have other advantages, too:

From a consumer’s point of view, the look and feel of an ATM installation can inspire confidence. ATM users want to interact with units that are attractive and appear to be safe.

From the operator’s perspective, security and maintenance expenses play a major role in the return on investment. Installations that provide maximum protection from the weather, vandalism and theft reduce operating costs and generate more revenue.

Enclosures are very secure. They’re usually made out of thick steel, with heavy-duty locks on access doors. Enclosures that are big enough for a person to walk into are even more secure, because technicians and cash-loaders can lock themselves inside while they do their work — and the machine can be serviced even if it’s raining or snowing outside.

In addition, enclosures offer protection from the weather and vandalism. By adding heating, cooling and humidifier units, an ATM owner can maintain an optimal operating environment, maximizing uptime, extending the machine’s life and cutting down on service calls.

Then there’s branding. A standard enclosure might be 6 feet square and 8 feet high. That’s a pretty big billboard that can help draw attention to both the ATM and your store.

Finally, enclosures offer a lot of flexibility. Buyers can choose from standard models or a custom design, a big footprint or a small one. More importantly, they allow machines that weren’t designed for outdoor use to be put outdoors, giving buyers a much wider range of ATM models and applications to choose from.

Enclosures can be pricey. While the structures themselves run just a few thousand dollars, site preparation can range from a few hundred dollars into many thousands, depending on how much electrical, concrete and excavating work needs to be done.

But for high-volume locations, or places where competition makes standing out crucial, enclosures offer an unbeatable combination of security, availability and branding.

“The whole idea is, in today’s economy, if you can buy that product, it’s like buying a car or anything else, you make that economical decision,” said Dan Swain, general manger of ATMGurus.

Swain’s colleague, James Phillips, says that for a time refurbished ATMs were scarce in the marketplace because the technology was so new and popular, mirroring the lack of refurbished kiosks deployed right now.

“Triton has offered (refurbished) units for many, many years. It’s not something that really was at the forefront of our business, though,” Phillips said. “When we first got into that business in the early 90s, it was a very explosive market. Used ATMs really weren’t necessary — the marketplace was exploding so much, everybody was purchasing new machines and so forth.”

New machines offer substantial value: speed, new features, future compatibility for years to come. But if all you need is a cheap, basic cash dispenser, refurbished machines offer a lower-cost way to get it.

ATM Network occasionally has used and refurbished machines for sale, or can find them for you. Call or e-mail us if you’re interested.

Zillions touch-screen ATM toy bank
Basically a high-tech piggy bank, having the look and functions of an actual ATM. The touchscreen can be navigated via the included stylus or a finger, and requires the use of an included ATM card and custom PIN number before any deposit, withdrawal, or balance queries can be attempted. Maximum limit of $999.99. Automatically recognizes both bills and coins, and keeps track of deposits and withdrawals.
 

CyberBank ATM
An alternative toy ATM, if you don’t mind that it only works with Australian coins and requires users to key in the value of paper money.
 
 

Screaming ATM
Venturing into truly weird toys, this Japanese ATM — besides only working with Japanese currency — screams “Yeeee!!” every time you put money in it.

The Triton RL1600, the new entry-level ATM from Triton Systems, has been voted “best new product” by the readers of Convenience Store Petroleum magazine, the leading publication of the convenience-store industry.

The RL1600 won the 2009 Retailer’s Choice award in the “general equipment” category. The award is given to the products receiving the most votes from the retailers and suppliers that subscribe to CSP.

Launched in March, the space-saving RL1600 features a color display, Windows operating system and the ability to handle both screen advertising and coupons. Secure Socket Layer and Remote Key technology means increased security and less need for technician visits.

ATM Network is proud to offer the RL1600 to its customers. Contact us today to find out if this award-winning ATM is right for you.