LONDON — Retail Banking Research Ltd. has published the 2008 edition of its annual survey, "ATMs and Cash Dispensers Central and Eastern Europe."
The 15-country study found that ATM placements in CEE exploded in 2007, high numbers of new ATMs appearing in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, in addition to surprisingly rapid growth in Poland and Serbia,.
The study also shows that intensive card-issuing activity, an economic upturn and increased foreign investment have helped to drive the region's number of ATM deployers, especially in Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. (Click here to download ATM Marketplace's guide, "ATMs in Central and Eastern Europe.")
The continued expansion of independent ATM deployers, as well as the threat of new ones, has also brought about a rise in the number of new ATM installments in some countries, most noticeably Poland and Serbia. Moreover, IAD ATMs were installed in Serbia and the Ukraine for the first time in 2007.
The average number of cash withdrawals per ATM per month fell once more in 2007, as the increase in the number of ATM installations continues to have a diluting effect on transaction volumes. This suggests that further card-issuing and greater usage per cardholder is required to maintain the region's rapid ATM market growth.
