NCR debuts 'self-healing' ATMs in SEA

SINGAPORE--NCR Corporation introduced Wednesday to Southeast Asia, a new line of automated teller machines (ATMs) it said facilitates the introduction of new self-service options, ensures higher availability and reduces environmental impact.

Matthew Heap, NCR Asia-Pacific's product management director for financial solutions in South Asia, noted banks today face various challenges.

"They have to grow business while reducing costs, raise productivity and efficiency, and undertake corporate responsibility," he said at a press conference unveiling the NCR SelfServ family of ATMs.

According to the vendor, the ATMs are designed to help drive more revenue by enabling easier introduction of new services. These include contactless card and mobile payment systems, and intelligent check deposits whereby the ATM scans checks so the customer depositing these has copies for his or her records.

The new line features protected USB technology, making it easier and faster to add modules needed to deliver future services on ATMs without compromising the security of the ATM, said NCR.

In addition, a "self-healing" capability enables the ATMs to recover automatically from software failures without the need for physical intervention. "The system can be set to ['communicate' with] the ATM, and if necessary, the machine will reset itself," Heap explained.

This cuts down recovery time from three to four hours, to 10 or 15 minutes, according to NCR.

To reduce the amount of paper consumed the machines include NCR's patented two-sided thermal receipt printers. Its larger paper rolls and dual receipt roll dispensers also include auto-change functionality.

NCR's launch customer for the SelfServ line in Southeast Asia is the China Banking Corporation, which will be rolling out the ATMs in the Philippines.