Reducing downtime remains top ATM priority for banks

We got some interesting results from the survey we conducted at ATMIA European ATMs show. Combating network downtime continues to be top of the list of ATM priorities over the next 12 - 18 months. This issue also topped the list at last year’s show in April 2008, highlighting the ongoing challenge banks face to maintain their ATMs.

Unsurprisingly, cost pressures on self-service banking projects are inevitably increasing and the majority of respondents (61%) said that tighter control of budgets was the biggest change in priorities since the onset of the financial crisis.

This focus on addressing the fundamentals of the ATM is reflected in a comparison of the results year-on-year, which shows a marked shift in where banks are placing their efforts. Rolling out new services at the ATM was the second most cited priority last year but appeared bottom of the list this year. Instead, integrating the ATM channel with other banking channels moved to second place.

Finally, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly given the current environment, over half (53%) of banks do not currently outsource their testing function. This highlights the potential that the market still holds for specialist test outsourcers, particularly the large India-based providers.

These results show an increased emphasis on costs, the move away from introducing new services, and the shift to integrating the ATM with their multi-channel strategy. All these points suggest that resources are being focused more intently on the core basics – namely, maintaining quality of service through the ATM and ensuring it is effectively integrated with the rest of their operations.

Martin Macmillan