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Viva ATMs, say Vegas attendees

The ATM industry is betting that ATMs will continue to be a meaningful part of the American economy, as evidenced by the strong turnout at the ATM Industry Association's 2001 Conference West in Las Vegas.

October 15, 2001

Approximately 300 attendees of theATM Industry Association's2001 Conference West enjoyed the lure of Las Vegas, taking in shows, playing the slots and, in at least two cases, paying a visit to the wedding chapel (Shelly Chandler ofPNC Bankand Tommy Glenn ofFinancial Technologiesgot married – although not to each other.)

But in the midst of all of the fun, they found plenty of time for ATMs. Here's a sampling of what was seen and heard in the exhibit hall and in the presentation rooms:

Revenge of the tots: The little red convertible fromLynk Systemsprobably seemed like a great tchotke to take home for Junior. It may have still seemed like a good idea after the suitcase was unpacked at home – until one got sick of hearing the revved-up engine noise it emits when squeezed.

Seems like old times: Quite a few veterans of ACS, the Dallas-based technology firm that sold its ATM division to Genpass Technologies in July of 2000, were at the show. When it was suggested that perhaps they should have an annual reunion, one wag said: "We do. It's called the Triton distributor's conference."

Pithiest presentation kickoff: In her introduction for New Privacy Rules, a presentation by Nessa Feddis of theAmerican Bankers Association, ATMIA's Director of Operations Lana Harmelink explained that Nessa had been invited because so many attendees of February's ATMIA show in Florida had requested that privacy be on the agenda. Eying her audience of a half dozen, Feddis said, "Where are they?"

I want my interchange: Following in the footsteps of Genpass Technologies' Bipin Shah, who irked many attendees of February's ATMIA show by suggesting that the surcharge would depress over time and that only a few large ATM deployers would be left after a wave of consolidation,PULSE EFT AssociationPresident and CEO Stan Paur said that "interchange may be an anachronism" and could be eliminated in the future. After Paur's keynote, which kicked off the 2001 Conference West, many attendees in the exhibit hall could be overheard defending the fee and its importance to the industry.

A deal by any other name:ATM CenterPresident Bruce Kreeger, in his presentation Industry Challenges from an ISO Perspective, suggested that ISOs need to create a sort of "ATM dictionary" that would define such terms as placements and turnkey programs. It's confusing to merchants when not all ISOs speak the same language, Kreeger contended.

"Story about a man named Jed…": In his presentation Creating & Profiting from Off-Premise Advertising Programs, ATM Accessories Corporation COO Steve Pidgeon said that too many bankers are afflicted with what he called "Mr. Drysdale Syndrome," or the atttude that "We are a financial institution. We aren't advertisers." Steve should know; he was a banker himself in a past life.

Where's Starsky?:Inetco Systems Limited'sPresident David H.C. Soul uses his middle initials to differentiate himself from '70s hunk David Soul, who played Hutch of "Starsky and Hutch" fame. Yet the initials don't seem to dissuade the women who call him demanding dates. Who knew that bad TV had this kind of staying power? (See previous entry.)

Wine challenge: During his presentation The Evolution of Self-Service in the New Century, Chris Klein, EVP of marketing forMosaic Software, promised two bottles of South African wine to the attendee who could describe the most self-service experiences during their Vegas trip (i.e. using ATMs, booking travel online, checking in at airport kiosk) Chris will accept entries until Oct. 19. Email him atchrisk@mosaicsoftware.com.

When in Vegas: Those visiting the booth of Max International could have snapshots taken with "Elvis Moosley" and "Wayne Mooten," continuing the company's tradition of goofy, cow-themed self promotion.Max International,which is headquartered on Dairy Road in Lancaster, Pa., also gave away Cow Tails candy, Mother Moos homemade cocoa mix and coupons for free pints of Holy Cow! beer at a nearby microbrewery.

Biggest marketing presence:Core Data Resourceswas everywhere with promotions of its new Internet reporting tool, ATOM (Automated Terminal Online Manager). Quite a few attendees sported cool Core Data tags with a blinking red light that read "I've been ATOMized." Tubes of Atomic Fire Balls candy were delivered to hotel rooms, courtesy of Core Data. And the third-party processor further ensured that its name would be on the lips of attendees – literally – by giving away two staples of the trade show floor, bottled water and breath mints.

Trend watching: Internet-based ATM reporting tools seem to be a wave of the future, based on the introduction of such systems as Core Data's ATOM, Lynk's ATMAssist andEFTLogix'sEFTLogix.net. Such systems offer deployers – and often merchants – real-time access to terminal transaction information. They can also be used to streamline ATM installations, through the instant issuance of terminal ID numbers for instance.

Sounds painful: In his presentation on ATM Security and International Fraud Trends,NCR'sRob Evans described scams such as the "Lebanese Loop," a method of stealing PINs using a card capture mechanism, and "Ram Raid" attacks, in which brute force is used to steal entire ATMs.

The real dirt: A battered and dirty Triton 9600 sat in the booth ofATM Wholesale, a new division of Financial Technologies that specializes in new and refurbished ATMs and parts. "Does your ATM look like this? We'll buy it from you," read a sign on the machine. Can't swear to it, but I believe I sawTritonChief Technical Officer Bill Jackson lurking nearby with a can of cleanser and a tool kit.

It's Vegas, baby: Among the coupons in a booklet handed out during check-in at theFlamingo, the host hotel, were those for free admission for Bottoms Up (billed as the city's only afternoon topless revue, with shows at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.); $25 off a "ceremony of renewal" at the Flamingo's wedding chapel; and various discounts on games of chance, including one with the intriguing name of Caribbean Stud Poker.

Included In This Story

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ATM Industry Association (ATMIA)

The ATM Industry Association, founded in 1997, is a global non-profit trade association with over 10,500 members in 65 countries. The membership base covers the full range of this worldwide industry comprising over 2.2 million installed ATMs.

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Triton Systems

Triton FI based products • NO Windows 10™ Upgrade • Secured locked down system that is virus/malware resistant • Flexible configurations - Drive-up and Walk-up • Triton's high security standards • NFC, anti-skim card reader, IP camera and level 1 vaults are all options • Triton Connect monitoring • Lower cost

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