News

ACG offering 3DES compliant refurbished ATMs

November 11, 2003

ATLANTA - ACG ATM-Remarketers, which provides refurbished ATMs, kiosks and parts to community financial institutions and independent store operators, is offering construction and delivery of refurbished-to-order ATMs that feature the latest Triple DES upgrades.

Triple DES encryption, a higher standard of data encryption, is the newest communications security upgrade for ATMs required by Visa and MasterCard and is designed to better protect electronically transmitted data. The essential upgrades are a new encryption PIN pad (EPP) and updated software.

"As computer processing speeds have multiplied, encryption code breaking is a potential problem," said Woody Alderman, president of ACG, in a news release. "Installing Triple DES upgrades into our machines before they are sold allows our customers to be completely compliant with the latest requirements without the expense that new ATMs bring to the company."

Working through ATM manufacturers' channels and solutions, ACG installs Triple DES compliant hardware and software as the ATM is being rebuilt. Because ACG upgrades its machines while they are being refurbished, financial institutions can purchase ATMs that are completely compliant at a reasonable price, according to the release.

"We were in need of a new ATM and knew that Triple DES would be an issue to consider when making the purchase," said Leo Schiltz, executive vice president of Caldwell State Bank in Caldwell, Kan. "By purchasing a refurbished ATM from ACG, we were able to save more than 30 percent compared to what we would have spent on a new one. Additionally, our machine came with Triple DES compliance, leaving us with no worries about upgrading our new system."

According to the release, machines are completely disassembled and each part is analyzed separately after ACG obtains used ATMs from banks and credit unions. The parts are tested individually and repaired where needed.

Non-repairable parts are replaced. Screen-burned CRTs are replaced with new ones. Belts, rollers, vacuum tubes and other wear items are replaced. The EPP is installed, upgraded licensed software is loaded, and the entire ATM is tested. After passing all quality control tests, the ATM is shipped to its final destination where it is connected to the corresponding network.