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The top 5 stories of 2015: An ATM Marketplace wrap-up
As we close out the year, ATM Marketplace offers up a small package of big things — the five stories that piqued the greatest interest last year among ATM Marketplace readers.
December 22, 2015 by Suzanne Cluckey — Owner, Suzanne Cluckey Communications
For most of the year, 2015 looked as if it would be a relatively quiet one for the ATM industry, a welcome breather following the cost and commotion of recent upgrades — ADA, PCI, Windows 7. Maybe this year deployers could finally recoup and start to plan for MasterCard's October 2016 EMV shift ...
Until Q4, it seemed that the title of Big Headline of the Year would go to Kalpana, the new Android-based ATM operating system and compatible CX110 thin-client device introduced waaaay back in February by NCR Corp.
But then came the bombshells ...
Looking back over the past several years in the ATM industry, you probably could see them coming, propelled by an anthology of events including, but not limited to, the Great Recession of '08 and its ongoing economic effects; the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and its resulting reduction in fee income and profitability at financial institutions; the practically exponential increase in smartphone functionality and ownership; the coming of age of a new kind of adult — the digital native; and the upsurge of a new kind of threat — cyberattacks carried out by highly organized criminal gangs using highly sophisticated computer technology.
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All of the related distractions, profit-killers and costs have not been kind to ATM manufacturers, who have watched quarter by quarter as FIs budgeted big dollars for non-hardware needs.
And so, compelled by the pinch of shrinking margins on hardware and the push from FIs for faster, nimbler, more cost-efficient solutions to drive it, the major ATM vendors have launched enterprise-wide initiatives to restructure and realign, streamline and innovate — and to snap up emerging fintech providers like there's no tomorrow.
And ultimately, to secure the capital and capabilities they lacked but absolutely required to become the software-first, hardware-second operational efficiency consultants that their markets now demand.
So, yes, you could see the bombshells coming. Not that it would have changed their impact upon arrival.
In reality, the ATM industry hasn't yet begun to feel the repercussions from announcements this quarter of plans for Diebold Inc. to acquire Wincor Nixdorf AG and for a private investment firm known for its reorganization and restructuring proficiency to snag a major stake in NCR. A year from now, we still might not have a clear picture of the altered vendor landscape.
But taking a backward look at events of 2015 might lend some perspective and yield some clues as to the shape of things to come.
So below we give you the top 5 stories of 2015.
(For what it's worth: Our No. 4 story actually posted in September 2014, but its numbers for 2015 alone were sufficient to earn it a place in this year's top five. An ApplePay story — also from September 2014 — attracted enough reader interest in 2015 to put it at No. 9; if you look at the combined 2014-2015 numbers for both stories, ApplePay actually did better overall. So there you go.)
No. 1 — It's official: Diebold Inc., Wincor Nixdorf to become Diebold Nixdorf
In late November, the industry's second- and third-largest ATM manufacturers revealed the terms of their combined business agreement — and the new identity the company will take on when the deal is finalized in 2016.
No. 2 — Kalpana: A 'magic bullet' for the ATM industry?
NCR's ready-for-market thin-client ATM and its Android-based operating system launched to huge interest in February. Is the server-based OS the answer to a spate of jackpotting attacks that exploit the hard drive of traditional ATMs? We'll bring you an update in 2016.
No. 3 — How does the Diebold-Wincor deal look to NCR?
One couldn't help but wonder what the longtime No. 1 ATM manufacturer might think about the news that its two nearest rivals planned to unite as a single entity that would rival it in size. So we asked NCR and found the company surprisingly unfazed by the potential impact of the deal on its own fortunes.
No. 4 — Efficiency or responsiveness? How do you balance your ATM cash supply strategy?
ATM manufacturers didn't suck quite all of the oxygen out of the newsroom this year. A cash management piece that ran in September 2014 continued to generate interest this year. And, given this month's quarter percent rate hike by the Fed, might do so well into 2016.
No. 5 — Gloves off: Diebold and Hyosung spar over ATM patent claims
Nautilus Hyosung America looks like a strong candidate for the No. 3 ATM-maker spot left vacant by the combination of Diebold and Wincor. The Korea-based vendor didn't hesitate to suggest this as a reason behind a lawsuit brought by Diebold — and efforts to halt the U.S. import of Hyosung products.
photo Nos. 3 and 5 istock
photo Nos. 2 and 4 flickr
graphic No. 1 cluckey
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.
Included In This Story
Hyosung Americas
Hyosung Americas is a global human experience maker that bridges the physical and virtual worlds. We do this by harnessing our unique combination of a manufacturer’s soul with an innovator’s mindset to build a platform of integrated products, services, and ideas that improve life’s day-to-day interactions for everyone.
Diebold Nixdorf
As a global technology leader and innovative services provider, Diebold Nixdorf delivers the solutions that enable financial institutions to improve efficiencies, protect assets and better serve consumers.
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