The 2013 ATM Software Trends and Analysis Guide. Here now.

"When you consider that your highest value customers and the rest of your customer base as well transact with the bank almost exclusively through the ATM and the website, that tends to be their complete perception of the bank," said Aravinda Korala, CEO of Edinburgh, Scotland-based ATM software provider KAL.

"The transactions you offer are very important as is the look and feel of the application. If you've got green screens with black-and-white text versus an up-to-date user interface, your customers are going to view you as outdated."

Nearly everyone ATM Marketplace talked with regarding the topic concurred with Korala's assessment.

"Customers who receive a technologically savvy, yet convenient service from their bank are more than likely going to be a 'happy customer' and creating this all important customer experience is the only thing I believe banks are truly able to compete on in this economic climate," said Jenny Campbell, CEO of UK-based independent ATM deployer YourCash Ltd. The company operates more than 6,000 ATMs throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

"Face-to-face banking is in decline, mobile on the rise and Internet banking is widespread," Campbell said. "What you have left therefore is the ATM estate providing one of the only points at which customers can physically interact with their banking provider without ever stepping in to their branch.

From interviews with bankers around the world and from the data in this year’s ATM Software Trends report, we heard time and again that is critical for banks to adopt the right software strategy and technology to integrate with all of the bank’s systems and support all types of self-service systems.

And it’s not enough to perfect a service offering in one country, one city or one neighborhood. Whether it is in the center of London, the heart of Tokyo or the middle of Times Square, those systems need to recognize customers in the same way they do in their local branch or neighborhood grocery store. Customers now demand that their bank delivers all financial transactions and services with a great, personalized user interface — whenever and wherever they want access to their accounts.

At the same time, those systems need to be able to deliver the functions that are most applicable for that part of the world, whether it is cash recycling in Asia, mobile integration in Africa or the growing use of imaging technology in the United States.

What ties those systems together, and what can give financial institutions the competitive edge they seek, is the software driving those systems. The right software allows FIs to pick and choose the hardware that meets their needs for a particular service offering while ensuring consistent branding across a variety of delivery channels.

We at ATMMarketplace.com hope you will find the 2013 ATM Software Trends and Analysis report useful in planning your software strategy. In closing, we would like to extend our thanks to KAL for allowing us to continue bringing this publication to you at no cost.

Download a free copy of the complete 2013 ATM Software Trends and Analysis Guide.

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photo graphic: Paul L Dineen