OLRANDO, Fla. - Level Four Software has entered into a partnership with Salzburger Banken Software, known simply as SBS, to deliver an independent control and monitoring solution for ATM and other self-service networks.
According to a news release, the independent solution allows ATM deployers to remotely monitor and control their machines, which will improve the availability and profitability of their networks. The move to Windows from OS/2 is allowing deployers to "decouple" hardware from software, Level Four says, opening opportunities for independent software providers like Level Four.
"ATM monitoring adds another important software component to our product portfolio and enables us to offer a wider range of complementary solutions to our existing and prospective customers," said Ian Kerr, Level Four's chief executive. "Our goal is to provide a genuine independent alternative to the hardware manufacturers for open ATM software. We see a strong demand for a neutral ATM monitoring solution as the market moves away from a dependence on single vendor relationships."
SBS's KIXOperator control and monitoring solution uses the CEN/XFS open interface to provide detailed information about every ATM or other self-service device on a network. Each terminal is monitored locally, and diagnostic information is gathered on a central server.
Level Four's Nigel Walsh says the new approach is an improvement from the tradition monitoring method, which relies message traffic between ATM and financial host. Remote diagnosis and repair are now possible, he said.
Banks also can tailor the level of monitoring to suit their needs.
Level Four expects to leverage its global customer base to spread the word about KIXOperator. It also has adopted the SBS KIXOperator solution into its Bridge product suite.
The company plans to initially promote the product in North America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
"Having used the KIXOperator advanced ATM monitoring solution from SBS to control our multivendor network of over 20,000 machines, running with our product Agree SB in Germany since 2006, we see the benefits of advanced ATM monitoring every day," said Steffen Unterreiner, vice president of software development for self-service at FIDUCIA IT AG, an SBS partner. "For us, it means better management and control of every ATM terminal, and ensures we provide the best quality of service to our customers."
