News

APPLICATION STORY: Ultra-reliable ATM connectivity beats low-ball pricing every time for major national banking firm

August 5, 2003

A national banking firm needed to connect their national network of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) to their central office-providing 24-hour banking service to their customers. Top on the bank's priority list was maximum up-time, stability, reliability, and ability of the company chosen to stand behind the product when situations arose.
The bank chose Digi through a tendering process that included competitors Chase Research and Moxa. The contract was for three years with an estimated 5,400 terminal server units.

The first application was connecting the bank's national ATM network via a WAN to the corporate LAN using PortServer® II terminal servers (illustrated below). The PortServer II 16 allowed the bank to control and manage access to its ATM networks, providing remote access and authentication capabilities for ATMs conducting transactions using PPP, SLIP and CSLIP protocols. Secondly, Digi's EtherLite® and PortServer products were deployed to connect bank teller terminals and printers used for customer statements to their TCP/IP network.

Variable solutions were recommended depending on the need-bringing down total system cost. Example: The customer required PPP or SLIP in over 30% of the system and the remaining applications required a traditional terminal server. With Digi's wide product line, both applications were met cost effectively using its EtherLite and PortServer products.

The number one selling feature for the customer was the RealPort software, which according to the customer was, "The most stable software out of all that we tested and required the least amount of system resources."