PADERBORN, Germany and TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Chinatrust Commercial Bank and Grand Commercial Bank (GCB) plan to deploy 1,550 advanced-function ATMs at 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan over the next two years."urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The first ATMs, Wincor-Nixdorf ProCash 1500s, will be rolled out in May of 2002.
According to 7-Eleven Marketing President Chen Ruei-Tang, the deployment represents a huge step in his company's strategy to create a global financial services network and e-commerce platform.
Wincor-Nixdorf's Web-based ProCash application, running on the Windows NT operating system, will support e-commerce transactions in the future.
The ATMs will initially provide core services such as cash withdrawals, transfers, balance inquiries and PIN change functions. In the second stage, the partner companies intend to offer value-added services such as utilities fee payment and credit loan services.
"In the United States and Japan, convenience store banking has already become a thriving business, with many banks now collaborating with convenience stores," said GCB's Senior Executive Vice President Peng Yu-Fa.
The cooperation between his bank, 7-Eleven and Chinatrust represents a milestone in the development of financial services in Taiwan, he added.
For Chinatrust, the ATM agreement with 7-Eleven is an opportunity to extend its financial footprint to customers across the country and offer service around the clock, according to Senior Executive Vice President Lo Lien-Fu. He expects the ATMs to catch on quickly with consumers.
The ProCash 1500, which according to Wincor-Nixdorf will be the smallest ATM to be introduced in Taiwan, is designed for use in off-premise locations. ProView, a 24-hour monitoring system, will immediately alert technical staff to problems and ensure a high level of customer service. Among the user-friendly features, according to Wincor-Nixdorf, are 15-inch touch screens.
"We are confident that our product can combine the professional banking services of the Chinatrust Commercial Bank and the Grand Commercial Bank with the friendly service of 7-Eleven," said Wincor Nixdorf Senior Vice President and Member of the Executive Board, Javier Lopez-Bartolome.
