LONDON -- BRED, the largest regional bank of the Banque Populaire Group, and NCR Corporation (NYSE:NCR) have signed an agreement to replace 320 ATMs at the bank's agencies in France, the Caribbean and on Reunion.
The new machines will replace all BRED's existing branch ATMs, as well as some of its non-branch machines. According to a news release, the initiative will enable the bank to meet the requirements of a new French regulation concerning ATM cash replenishment that comes into effect at the end of December 2003.
The bank has named its compliance efforts the "Janus" project and has further developed a concept applied throughout its network since 1999, whereby its agencies operate without traditional tellers handling cash.
In response to the new requirements, the project has focused on security between the armored vehicle and the agency. All ATMs are now back-loaded, and reloading and maintenance of the equipment are carried out in a separate technical room.
BRED is also using this opportunity to modernize the look of its ATMs in terms of design, color and availability, according to the release.
Patrick Goasguen, general manager for NCR's Financial Solutions Division in France, said in the release that the new Personas ATMs feature easy-to-read color screens, enhanced speed and reliability. "BRED continues to focus on customer satisfaction, and we are delighted to work with them through this essential period of change and modernization," he said.
