As part of SIX Group’s recently announced ATMfutura project, this summer Swiss banks will begin piloting universal, vendor-neutral software developed by NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) to improve usability, reduce costs and enable faster updates.
ATMfutura is a unique and innovative project in Europe designed to provide Swiss banks with the same user interface and user guidance on all their ATMs, substantially simplifying their operation. Selected branches in Switzerland will begin piloting the standardised software in the summer of 2017 though the end of the year. Beginning in 2018, the new software platform, based on NCR APTRA Top Client Server (TCS), will be made available for all Swiss ATMs.
“The harmonisation of the ATM software is only the first step in the ATMfutura project,” said Juerg Weber, Division CEO Six Payment Services. “In the future, we will be able to offer banks in Switzerland a comprehensive offering that enables them to reduce costs and increase usability for customers through standardization, volume purchasing options and optimised processes. A project of this scale required a reliable partner with long term experience, flexibility and know how, like the one, we found in NCR.”
The ATMfutura project aims to replace the more than 20 different solutions from various vendors currently used in Swiss banks’ ATMs with one common standard to enable easier, faster and cost efficient software updates and changes and generate economies of scale. Furthermore, bank customers will see improved usability and the introduction of new services, such as mobile cash withdrawals with a QR code on their smartphone, the selection of favourite denominations or a voice-guided experience for visually impaired customers. These kind of services are currently only offered by select banks.
“NCR is the largest provider of multivendor ATM software globally,” explained Paul Thuer, Country Manager NCR Switzerland. “We are proud of the trust that SIX placed in us with this project – the configuration and modernization of existing components for a new, standardised ATM software platform is a complex task that requires a trusting cooperation of both parties. We are confident that this project will have a lighthouse effect on other countries.”
