Archive for the ‘Products and services’ Category

Verifone launches ATM-kiosk hybrid

Monday, August 31st, 2009

As banking increasingly moves beyond bank branches and into the self-service market, we’re starting to see a convergence between traditional ATMs and specialized kiosks.

The latest:

VeriFone Holdings and PROSA, a Mexico-based electronic switch processor, have introduced an ATM-kiosk hybrid with cash dispensing and deposit functionality, designed for the Latin American market. According to a news release, PROSA plans to roll out the kiosks at retail locations throughout Mexico.

The MX ATM features a number of customizable functionalities, including cash dispensing, balance inquiry, mobile top-up, bill payment, coupon redemption and prepaid card reloading. Miguel Angel Balcazar, PROSA’s executive director of new business, says the kiosks will help retailers reach their customers better and save money.

The MX ATM also can be configured to include barcode and biometric readers as well as coin acceptors.

Look for more of the same in the coming months.

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The art of wrapping

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

If you’ve ever wondered how ATMs (and cars, buses and trains) get dressed up with colorful images and graphics, just read on.

ATM Network recently landed a contract to provide three ATMs to Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC). As part of the agreement, RCTC wanted the ATMs to wear the school logo and colors.

That meant something called “wrapping”, where the machine is literally wrapped in sheets of heavy-duty glue-backed vinyl. Though the materials vary slightly, it’s the same process used to wrap cars, buses, trains and scoreboards in eye-catching imagery. Here’s how it worked in our case:

Digital mockup of the wrapped ATM

1. Our designer mocked up a digital image of how the machine would look.

The wrap design applied to a full-sized template.

2. Once the design was approved, the designer built a full-sized, full-resolution version using a digital template of the specific ATM model. In this case the model changed between mockup and contract signing, so the design changed slightly, too.

The finished vinyl panels, waiting to be installed.

3. The design file was emailed to a printer that specializes in vinyl graphics, which printed it on thick vinyl with a glue-covered backing. The finished panels were shipped back to ATM Network, ready to be installed.

Putting primer on the edges.

4. The installer first painted the edges of each machine with metal primer, to help the panel glue stick.

Applying the left panel.

Cutting the left panel.

Applying the right panel.

5. After aligning and applying the left panel, he cut the front edge to match the contour of the machine. Then he repeated the process with the right panel. The edges of each panel wrap around the corners of the machine for added purchase.

Applying the back panel.

6. Next the back panel went on.

A blowtorch?!?

7. Sometimes a blowtorch is needed to soften the vinyl so it can be stretched taut or bent around corners.

Applying the top.

8. Next the top went on, covering the seams of the other panels and sealing the whole wrap.

Smoothing the vinyl.

9. The installer used a scraper to smooth each panel flat and tuck it into grooves in the metal.

Applying the front.

10. After carefully laying the ATM on its back, the installer attached the front panel. If necessary he cut holes for things like keyholes, combination locks, levers, etc.

Cutting out the vent holes.

11. Lastly, the installer used a razor knife to cut out all the ventilation holes covered by the vinyl.

Three finished ATMs.

12. Repeat the process twice more, and voila! You have three eye-catching ATMs ready for delivery.

ATM Network can wrap or paint any ATM we sell. We can attach your design or help you design one. Visit our Upgrades page for more details.

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A new way to buy insurance

Monday, August 17th, 2009

If Polaris Software Lab has its way, ATMs will soon be able to sell insurance as well as dispense dollars.

The Indian company is developing software that lets customers buy insurance, renew policies or adjust coverage through an ATM.

For instance, if a customer is planning to buy a travel policy, he can walk in to his nearest ATM and key in the policy requirements by using his debit or credit card. An electronic message is sent to the insurance policy system, which in turn will send the confirmation electronic message to the ATM. Once the confirmation is received, the ATM will provide a receipt that will contain details like name of the customer, country to which he/she is travelling, policy start date, end date and policy value and the type of coverage.

If the customer extends his stay abroad, he can top-up the policy by accessing one of the ATMs abroad. Similarly, an insured can renew his policy.

Polaris is pitching this as a convenience for customers and a money-saver for insurers. The idea is only in the concept stage, so don’t look for it on your block any time soon. And it sounds like it would roll out in Asia and Europe before it reached the United States. But it’s a sign of things to come.

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Pay your taxes at an ATM?

Friday, August 14th, 2009

That’s the goal of a state-owned bank in Mumbai, India:

The proposed product, to be called as ‘E-payment through ATM’ will enable the taxpayers to pay tax at anytime from anywhere. One can pay taxes like income, fringe benefit, securities transaction as well as gift taxes through the facility, which is likely to be launched within a period of 10 days from now. The bank will earn 11 paise per tax payment through the upcoming facility.

Just another glimpse of what the future of ATMs will look like.

Update: Vietnam is experimenting with this idea, too.

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ATM software trends, or ‘Hello, Windows’

Friday, August 14th, 2009

The cover of the 2009 Software Trends report

A few things you might not know about ATMs:

They used to run on IBM’s OS/2 or proprietary platforms.
Newer ATMs have incorporated much more robust operating systems, notably Linux and Windows
Most ATMs on the market today run either Windows CE or the full-fledged Windows XP

That information and more is contained in the 2009 ATM Software Trends survey from KAL, an independent maker of ATM software. While the report is largely aimed at large financial institutions like banks and credit unions, it still contains a lot of information for independent ATM owners.

For instance, why are ATM owners switching to machines that run on modern operating systems? Multiple reasons:

The biggest driver is increased security. A more powerful OS can handle more complex security features like biometrics and remote keys.
Added functionality. With a reasonably powerful computer inside the ATM, owners can offer additional products (such as cash-value cards, digital downloads and mobile-phone minutes) additional on-screen information (such as maps, advertising and web-browsing) and interactive features like transaction personalization. In particular, modern ATMs can display ordinary HTML pages on screen, letting owners design their own interactive screens or easily modify existing ones.
Reliability. Modern systems are both more stable and better-supported than older systems.
Cost control. This mostly applies to companies that own multiple machines. But having an off-the-shelf OS means the ability to use off-the-shelf software instead of expensive proprietary solutions, and the more powerful OS makes it easier to manage multiple machines (or a network of machines) from a central point.
Future compatibility. A modern OS means the ATM can take advantage of as-yet-unseen advances in technology, products and services, extending the useful lifespan of existing machines.

The full report is available as a pdf from the link above, and goes into a lot more detail, as well as breaking trends down by regions of the world.

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ATMs get smarter, more versatile

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Even non-industry techies have noticed what’s going on with ATMs these days:

Have you gone to an ATM recently? These everyday machines are starting to get more complex and interactive. Depending on where you are in the U.S. you may be noticing that many ATMs are now accepting checks without envelopes, math, or worry. That’s right, new ATMs are able to scan checks, read the amount, and provide a print out for your records. In convenient stores, some of these machines have evolved into miniature financial centers with bill-pay and other more complex transactions.

More on what’s happening in convenience stores:

7-Eleven, Exxon, and Circle K all have nation wide gas stations and convenience stores with financial kiosks. These machines are one step up from ATMs, allowing a wide range of transactions including email, secure deposit, and bill pay. The service fees may be high ($2-$3) but more and more customers are finding them a convenient alternative to traveling to pay bills in person. In fact, the bill pay feature is so popular in areas with high immigrant populations that machines will sometimes have to be shut down because they are too full of money.

Read the link for more details.

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ATM Network launches redesigned website

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

ATM Network, a leader in the independent ATM industry for 13 years, today launched the most extensive, customer-oriented and competitive website in company history.

The site was rebuilt from the ground up to provide the latest information and services to both existing and potential customers.

“It’s all about helping people quickly find the information they need,” said founder and CEO Phil Rock. “Our new site is packed with information and easy to navigate, making it simpler than ever to compare and learn about ATMs. We’re confident that an informed customer will see why ATM Network is the perfect partner for their business.”

And that includes much more than cash machines. While ATM Network is well known for its ATM sales, service and processing, a lot of people don’t know that the company offers free check-collection services and credit-card processing through its Check Collection Network Services (CCNS) and Card Network Services (CNS).

At first glance such services might not seem to have a lot to do with ATMs, but the connection is obvious to Rock. “It’s all about cutting transaction costs. ATMs lower the risk of bad checks and cut credit-card fees on the front end by reducing the need for checks and credit cards. CCNS and CNS save money on the back end, by minimizing the cost and hassle of collecting payment. Both services make our customers that much more profitable, and give us the competitive leverage to keep on growing regardless of economic conditions.”

The site also highlights the company’s ATM accessories and upgrades, such as alarms, signage, wireless and Internet adapters, custom painting, custom wrapping and cabinetry.

A FEATURE-PACKED WORK IN PROGRESS
ATM Network spent four months designing and building the new site. While the company wanted a design that accurately reflected ATM Network’s approach and personality, most of their effort went into developing a ton of customer-friendly features, including:

A place for customers to log in to their accounts and check activity and balances;
Downloadable forms, manuals, error code lists and customer guidesheets;
An online troubleshooting guide for ATM owners;
An industry news blog, containing the latest news about the company, the industry, ATM usage and consumer research;
An interactive gallery of ATMs, where users can search by make, model, software and screen size and get detailed information on each.
An online profit calculator, so prospective customers can decide whether an ATM makes financial sense for them;
A collection of videos explaining how owning an ATM works, and some of the considerations, caveats and benefits of owning vs. leasing vs. placement;
Making it obvious and easy to contact the service and parts departments — unlike a lot of companies that make it easy to reach a sales rep but hard to reach anybody else.

And this is just the beginning.

“Business is like art,” Rock said. “It’s about constantly working to perfect your next masterpiece.” Translation: The site will be a work in progress, continually adding features and content. First on the list: a full-featured online store for ATM machines, processing, parts, upgrades and accessories. Also on the agenda: adding more manuals and troubleshooting guides, and creating login-protected customer pages that will provide information and downloads specific to each customer.

“With our new website, we’re giving end users everything they need to choose the right company, the right product and the right services for today and into the future,” Rock said. “You can’t do that with a one-and-done design. Through our commitment to continual improvement, the site will always contain the latest features and products needed to make our merchants happier and more profitable.”
To view the site, visit http://www.atmnetwork.net

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Credit-card processing vs. ATMs: Who wins?

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

If you are not accepting plastic in your business yet, you are missing a huge opportunity to increase your revenue. Many merchants ask us if they should get an ATM machine or just use credit-card processing. Here are the differences so you can decide what would be best for your business.

Credit cards

When accepting credit cards, you have two components: the card reader that you swipe the cards through and the cost of the transaction. Your upfront cost for the card reader is very low. But your long-term costs for processing the credit card can be the hidden killer!

If you do any kind of volume on your credit-card machine, you will pay in several ways:

A percentage of every dollar that is run through your terminal;
A fee per transaction;
A monthly statement fee;
Often there are other fees and charges as well.

The transaction fee is usually tiny unless you have a very low average ticket (like a package of gum); then it can be quite costly.

Automated teller machines

With ATMs you invest more upfront, but it’s usually much more affordable in the long term. You make money on every dollar instead of paying a fee on every dollar.

You can increase your revenue in 4 ways:

Increased spending and customer traffic
Reduced number of bad checks
Elimination of credit card fees
Surcharge revenue (the fee customers pay to withdraw money from your ATM)

Which is better for me?

Given the different cost structures, we recommend an ATM if you have more than 100 customers per day coming through your business. If you have less than that you may want to start with the credit-card machine and either add or switch to an ATM as traffic increases.

You’re an ATM company. Why should I believe you?

We offer both ATMs and credit-card processing, so we’re somewhat neutral on the subject.

Feel free to contact us for a free business evaluation to determine which would be the best option for you, or to find out about our full range of merchant services, including check collection. Call us toll-free at 1-800-929-0228 or fill out a contact form.

Tags: ATM surcharge, ATMs, Credit-card fees
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Make your older ATM Internet-capable

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

ATM Network's Internet adapter

Along with faster processors and bigger screens, modern ATMs can access our processing network over your high-speed Internet line. Doing so has three advantages:

Faster processing. A high-speed connection can process a transaction is 3 seconds, compared with an average of 22 seconds using dial up.

No phone line needed. Getting rid of your ATM’s dedicated phone line can save you up to $40 a month.

Increased reliability. No more busy signals, dropped calls or worries about noise on the line.

That’s great if you’ve got a newer machine, but what about owners with older equipment?

ATM Network has you covered. We’ve come up with a box to add Internet capability to your ATM. It’s a “plug and play” solution that plugs into your Internet router and your ATM.

Because older ATMs have older circuitry, retrofitted machines won’t see processing time drop to 3 seconds. But it will shave a few seconds off the current time. And it delivers the other two advantages: increased reliability and ditching the dedicated phone line.

This isn’t some cobbled-together, untested pile of circuitry. We’ve had the box installed in multiple locations for more than a year and a half, with great success and reliability.

And you can’t beat the price: $300. Compare that to spending $2,000 or more for a new ATM. The savings from getting rid of the phone line means the box will pay for itself in less than 8 months.

Learn more

To find out more about adding Internet capability to your ATM, call 1-800-929-0228, e-mail info@atmnetwork.net, visit our Products page or fill out our online order form.

Tags: ATM Network, ATM operators, ATMs
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