Article

A 'command center' performance

A look behind the scenes at Genpass Technologies' 'command center' was a mind-opening experience for editor Ann All.

September 19, 2004

You know you're an ATM geek when you get a thrill from a visit to a transaction processor's "command center."

This occurred to me when I found myself squealing: "Oooh, are those your NonStop servers? How many do you have?" to Patrick Law,Genpass'vice president of client operations and my patient tour guide during a recent visit to the company's impressive suburban Dallas facility.

After nearly six years of talking to folks about the increasingly sophisticated means of keeping ATMs up and running, it never quite registers - at least for me - until I see where it actually happens.

Some 200 Genpass employees fill three floors of what was GTE's headquarters before the communication

Various ATMs await testing and certification.

The top floor at Genpass HQ, which is filled with executive, marketing and other administrative offices, some of which remains as it was in the GTE years, furnishings and all - right down to the art on the walls.

Bipin Shah, Genpass' CEO and a man who appreciates a bargain, delights in telling me how he received a great deal from GTE/Verizon on the purchase of the furniture, which was in nearly new condition.

The other GTE legacy - and an important one to Genpass - is the state-of-the-art fiber-optics telecommunications system investment made by GTE in the building. "There is no one single point of failure anywhere on our telecomm," Law said.

In fact, there is no apparent single point of failure anywhere. A tank outside is filled with 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel, to power the site's back-up generator for at least 72 hours if necessary or indefinitely if refueled. If Dallas does go down, another site in Allen, Texas, can take over, Law said.

Law ushered me into the room where the entire network, some 31,000 machines, were being monitored on a large screen affectionately called "Big Eye." The big-picture view of a mostly green curve allows Genpass staffers to watch all Genpass links, as well as all of the networks in which Genpass participates. Staff can also break down their views to individual ATMs, cardholders or host customers.

"Green is good," said Law, noting that Genpass' approval rate varies from 88 percent to 94 percent across networks. In many cases, the tiny sliver of red is due to insufficient funds, bad PINs and other customer errors.

Viewing another screen, Law mentioned how easy it becomes to analyze cardholder activity. On a typical Sunday, for instance, traffic ramps up when church services end and folks visit ATMs for cash to buy brunch. Traffic falls off dramatically later in the afternoon while sports contests are broadcast on TV. During the week, activity spikes during lunch hour. ATM users, God love them, are habit-driven people.

I also visited the area in which Genpass tests, certifies and performs troubleshooting on the 30 kinds of ATMs that it drives for its customers. The large room looked like an ATM museum, with models dating from the late 1980s to the latest and greatest. I was reminded again of my own geekiness as I peered inside the machines.

Perhaps the most fascinating area - at least for me - was the call center where 30 staffers handle some 45,000 calls a month. Genpass uses sophisticated software from Carreker Corporation for ATM management, as well as products from Peregrine for customer relationship management and Apropos for call center management.

When a call comes in, customer service reps know immediately which client they will assist and can pull up client histories, thanks to a link between the CTI and CRM systems. According to Law, clients remain on hold for an average of 35 seconds; there is normally an abandonment rate of less than 3-and-a-half percent (clients who hang up before speaking to anyone).

For

"Big Eye" allows Genpass' nationwide ATM network to be monitored from its headquarters.

Peeking over the shoulder of a customer service rep, I watched as he pulled up a client's machines. I could quickly see which machines were available (green), not available (red) or "wounded" (yellow), still dispensing cash despite a problem such as a low cash level or no receipt paper. A few clicks from Law brought up a number of screens filled with details, details and more details of specific issues - all in print so small I had to strain to read it.

From the call center, reps can dispatch technicians to trouble spots via wireless handhelds, if necessary.

Like most folks, I've been known to take ATMs for granted. After my visit to Genpass - and to a few sites like it over the years - that will never happen again.