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'ATMs in Asia 3' takes look at ATMs for Beijing Olympics

April 29, 2007

BROOKINGS, S.D. - As China gears up for next year's Olympic Games, the ATM Industry Association is hosting its third "ATMs in Asia" conference, which runs May 28-30 in Beijing.

According to a news release, the conference will focus its attention on preparing China's ATMs for the millions of additional transactions expected during the Olympics. About a half million foreign and domestic visitors are expected to arrive in Beijing each day during the Olympics' 17-day run, which begins Aug. 8, 2008.

As Asia's economic power, China has climbed from fifth to fourth place in the World Tourism Organization's rankings since 2002; in 2005, tourism accounted for more than 5 percent of Beijing's GDP, 5.5 percent of the world's total travel and tourism industry.

But are Beijing's ATMs ready for the sudden expected spikes in international ATM transactions during the Olympics? Will international visitors find ATMs in the city user-friendly, secure and efficient?

"We have international best practices for ATM security, business efficiency and ATM risk management which could be of use to Chinese bank and ISO (independent sales organization) deployers," said Mike Lee, ATMIA's chief executive. "The focus of this conference, taking place in the host city for the Olympics, is to share this material and to offer our international contacts the knowledge base to assist in the banking industry's vital preparations. We are sure Beijing's ATMs will be ready for the high volume of visitors."

With a predominant cash culture, Chinese consumers prefer debit cards, Lee said, since they can easily make cash withdrawals at ATMs around China. Millions of new MasterCard and Visa cards have been issued in China as the market moves to smart cards and EMV compliance.

A conference overview

During "ATMs in Asia 3," Bank of China will address possible fraud risks for ATMs at the Olympics, and Agricultural Bank of China will discuss China's fast-growing ATM market. Mark Yip, general manager of GRG Banking Equipment Group Ltd., a Chinese manufacturer and global ATMIA sponsor, will address industry-standard compliance in China, evaluating how China's banks bridge local customs and industry standards.

"ATMs in Asia 3" kicks off with an ATM Risk Management training workshop developed by ATMIA and based on an international ATM insurance program through Lloyd's of London. Work carried out by ATMIA's Global ATM Security Alliance about the ATM-security lifecycle also will be included. And ATMIA president Tom Harper will present a 10-year vision.

At a time when new ISO ATM markets are opening up in countries like Japan, Indonesia and China, "ATMs in Asia 3" also expects to review independent ATM growth prospects for the Asia-Pacific region. The world's largest ISO, Cardtronics, which operates or owns more than 25,000 ATMs, will speak about ATM deployment that can be done cost efficiently and quickly.

Independent deployer and switch operator Customers Asia will share its views about the competitive advantages associated with building a switch from scratch. And Patrick Mao, general manager of Nautilus Hyosung in China will address growth in the off-premises market in Asia.

Brad Evans, general manager of Phoenix Interactive will talk about improving total cost of ownership at advanced-function ATMs. Nigel Lee, president of North Asia for First Data China will outline the payment technologies popular in Asia.

For more information, visit the conference Web site or contact Amanda Hardy,44-(0)207-6036082.

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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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