Article
Kalpana kick-off: NCR's ATM thin client solution gets its official launch
Yesterday, the ATM-maker introduced its new system to the world in a news release and video. And the world took notice.
April 16, 2015 by Suzanne Cluckey — Owner, Suzanne Cluckey Communications
It's official. Yesterday, Kalpana — the thin client ATM solution that NCR Corp. previewed two months ago at the ATMIA US conference — was formally introduced to the world media in a global news release. And the world pronounced itself impressed:
- "ATMs are about to get a cloud makeover," ComputerWorld declared.
- "Android lands on Microsoft's money-machine island fortress: NCR hurls Google's Linux at Windows XP walls," British IT publication The Register crowed.
- "NCR bets big on India," India's Deccan Herald boasted. (The article goes on to say that "Kalpana [is] being manufactured in India for the overseas markets.")
- "Fingerprint software to revolutionise cash machines," The Scotsman predicted.
- "NCR promises 40% annual savings with thin-client cash machines," ComputerWeekly.com confirmed.
- "Android-Ableger Kalpana für Geldautomaten," (roughly, "Android system for Kalpana cash machines") Germany's Heise Newsticker asserted.
Everyone had a particular take on the news from NCR — even NCR:
"[T]he biggest change to the way an ATM operates since the self-service banking channel was invented nearly 50 years ago," the NCR press release predicted.
And, as the release further explained:
Kalpana software runs ATMs remotely, initially through a thin-client ATM including an Android operating system, and is designed to eliminate malware, enable rapid deployment of new devices and ATM services, reduce costs by up to 40 percent, and create amazing customer experiences. Kalpana software also seamlessly blends into existing banking and IT infrastructure, connecting to existing ATM networks and other consumer-facing channels to allow transactions and services to be shared and reused elsewhere. This dynamic allows financial institutions and independent ATM deployers to run a combination of conventional ATMs and ATMs driven by Kalpana software.
“Business and consumer applications are increasingly turning to enterprise or cloud-based solutions that reshape security and enable fast, nimble and dynamic customer experiences,” Andy Heyman, president of NCR Financial Services, said in a statement. “Kalpana software is ideal for financial institutions and independent ATM deployers looking to improve security, quickly advance service delivery through technology, and reshape their cost to serve.”
NCR estimates that Kalpana software can reduce the cost of running an ATM network by up to 40 percent. Extrapolating from that number, the company said that a bank or ATM operator running a network of 100 ATMs on Kalpana software could reduce the total cost of ownership by $540,000 to $800,000 a year "by breaking free from the constraints, expenses and security procedures of existing ATM technology."
The company should know soon enough how its estimates play out in real-world operations. Cardtronics plans to pilot the Kalpana software and thin-client Android ATM at locations in its home market of Dallas later this spring.
Cardtronics will use the Kalpana software to drive new NCR Cx110 ATMs in its network. The Cx110 stands out from the traditional ATM with its sleekly designed curved interface on a thin bezel; a 10-inch touchscreen replaces the traditional pinpad, and integrated biometrics and cameras anticipate the future of user authentication and experience, the NCR release said.
With its new look, the Kalpana ATM solution could soon have Dallas consumers talking, too.
Watch the Kalpana intro video:
Cover graphic courtesy NCR
About Suzanne Cluckey
Suzanne’s editorial career has spanned three decades and encompassed all B2B and B2C communications formats. Her award-winning work has appeared in trade and consumer media in the United States and internationally.
