Bytes Managed Solutions (Bytes MS), through its exclusive South African partnership with NCR, has introduced the biggest change to the way an ATM operates since the self-service banking channel was invented nearly 50 years ago.
The two companies have launched Kalpana software, an enterprise software platform that moves ATM software and operations to the cloud.
Kalpana software runs ATMs remotely, initially through a thin-client ATM including an Android operating system, and is designed to eliminate malware and enable rapid deployment of new devices and ATM services, to reduce costs by up to 40%.
Kalpana software seamlessly blends into existing banking and IT infrastructure, connecting to existing ATM networks and other consumer-facing channels to allow transactions and services to be shared and re-used elsewhere. This dynamic allows financial institutions and independent ATM deployers to run a combination of conventional ATMs and thin client ATMs.
“This new software platform will revolutionise the domestic ATM security market in addition to reducing operating costs and will greatly improve and accelerate the process of bringing new ATM services to market,” says Alan Anderson, business development director of Bytes MS. “Apart from the operational cost savings and commonly known efficiencies that come with any cloud-based platform or solution, the Kalpana platform will greatly reduce the expenditure associated with power management, security updates, paper receipts and other consumables and the deployment of new ATMs.”
“NCR’s Kalpana software is the most disruptive change to the ATM ecosystem in decades. Business and consumer applications are increasingly turning to enterprise or cloud-based solutions that reshape security and enable fast, nimble and dynamic customer experiences,” said Dimitri Kanellopoulos, NCR’s South African country manager. “Kalpana software is ideal for financial institutions and independent ATM deployers looking to improve security, quickly advance service delivery through technology, and reshape their cost to serve.”
Traditionally, ATMs have run on thick-client, PC-based software and hardware technologies physically found in the ATM. When compared to other consumer channels, such as online and mobile, this legacy PC architecture is more inefficient, expensive and complex. These challenges have become heightened following recent industry issues related to security and compliance. Kalpana software is more secure than traditional ATM software because all software updates are originated and controlled at the server level.
Kalpana software improves agility, helping bring new ATM services to market twice as fast as before. It also significantly decreasing the cost of deploying new ATMs, security updates, power management, paper receipts and other consumables, remote management via cloud-based data flow and support for dispute resolution.
The Kalpana software is part of an enterprise platform that can deliver transactions and services to traditional ATMs with Windows operating systems, as well as new thin-client ATMs. These ATMs can be either NCR or non-NCR branded.
In order to maximise the value of the software, NCR is simultaneously launching a new thin-client hardware solution: the NCR Cx110 ATM. The ATM looks dramatically different than a traditional ATM, with a sleek, curved interface on a thin bezel. Its 10-inch touchscreen replaces the traditional pinpad, and integrated biometrics and cameras provide ATM operators and consumers with the latest in security and user experiences.
The Cx110 ATM uses tablet technology in combination with cloud technology to move control and security of ATM transactions to the deployer’s enterprise infrastructure. The NCR Cx110 ATM includes minimal client software to run the ATM. The vast majority of the bank or ATM operator’s software stack is located on enterprise servers. This new approach will reduce the cost of operating ATMs, by allowing software maintenance and upgrades to be controlled in a centralised location and providing secure automatic updates, avoiding costly visits to each ATM.
The Kalpana software will lead to the type of innovation found in mobile devices. Currently, new ATM services can take months or years to bring to market as operators navigate through a myriad of vendors, including processors, switches, ATM vendors, regulators and software makers. By operating as an enterprise services hub that integrates with an ATM operator’s transactional and information systems, the Kalpana software can introduce new services at twice the speed of today at a much lower cost.