SYDNEY, Australia - Lockit Systems Australia Pty. Ltd. has announced the release of its ATM Ram Guard plinth, a new device designed to prevent ATMs from being removed by would-be thieves.
According to a news release, the plinth, installed at the base of an ATM, prevents the ATM from being lifting the ATM from the floor.
Richard Gould, Lockit's chief executive, said the plinth represents a turning point in the ATM industry's battle against the escalating crime of ram raids. In Sydney alone, some 100 ATMS have been stolen or destroyed over the last 12 months, Gould said.
"The best security solutions rely on smart design rather brute force," Gould said. "The ATM Ram Guard plinth, for instance, works by redirecting the force of the attack away from the target ATM. The simplicity of the design makes it very cost-effective and much more straightforward to install."
Under license to Sprintquip Security, the Australian rollout of ATM Ram Guard V3, a side-mount ATM Ram Guard, began in late 2006. More than 400 have been installed in ATMs around Australia. Within weeks of installation, the ATM Ram Guard V3 prevented three attempted ram raids across metropolitan Sydney, Gould said.
Lockit is working on licensing agreements for the United Kingdom and expects to introduce the product to the United States. Lockit will have its products on display Feb. 20-23 during the ATM Industry Association's Conference East in Orlando, Fla. Gould also will sit on a discussion panel about ram raids Feb. 5-7 during ATMIA's conference in Syndey, which runs from Feb. 5 until Feb. 7.
