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Bill Jackson helps Triton take ATM tech to the next level

Over the course of Triton's last 25 years, Bill Jackson has played a key role behind the scenes, ensuring that every piece of hardware and software meets real-world needs.

May 10, 2006

Bill Jackson beams like a proud father when he discusses the latest products set for unveiling at Triton Systems' ninth annual distributors' conference May 9-11. This year's conference will be held at Memphis' historic Peabody Hotel.

Bill Jackson

"We're going to address the challenges the industry is facing today, such as keeping up with compliance issues, security upgrades and complying with new regulations," said Jackson, Triton's vice president of engineering. "We have ATMs in over 20 countries, and each of those countries has different regulations. For anyone in the ATM industry, it's a challenge to keep up with the constant changes. At Triton, it's a challenge that we don't take lightly."

Triton, based in Long Beach, Miss., is the nation's leading provider of cash-dispensing ATMs for off-premise placements. With more than 145,000 machines around the globe, the company also is the fourth-largest supplier of ATMs in the world.

A man behind the scenes

As the chief technology officer, Jackson has overseen the development of almost every product in Triton's 25-year history. Dubbed "the father of the modern dial-up ATM" by industry experts, the Tennessee native has been instrumental in designing all of Triton's machines - from the first modern dial-up, the 9500, to newer innovations, including the 8100 and the company's first full-function banking ATM, the FT7000. (Read also, Who's who: Bill Jackson.)

"When Triton released the 9500, our engineering department consisted of me and one other engineer," Jackson said. "Now we have a team of more than 60 engineers. Today it's inconceivable that a two-person team could design and build an ATM."

Along with his technical expertise, Jackson also is widely recognized as an authority on ATM compliance and security. His contributions to the industry are so notable that he received a distinguished award at the ATM Industry Association's Conference East in February. Jackson was the recipient of the association's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2005. (Read also, ATMIA East: Big on security.)

ATMIA chief executive Mike Lee credits Jackson with guiding the industry in a positive direction.

"Bill, as Triton's pioneer engineer, has changed the face of self-service banking in the world," Lee said. "Not only that, but Bill has given generously of his time to put something back into the industry," through work to make ATMs accessible to users with disabilities and efforts to enhance ATM security.

Ernest Burdette, Triton's founder and president emeritus, calls Jackson a "visionary."

"Bill has always had the innate ability to lead a team of engineers in product design with a clear vision of the products and software that will satisfy the needs and requirements of our customers," Burdette said during ATMIA's award ceremony. (Read also, ATMIA announces industry award winners and Triton's Jackson receives ATMIA's Lifetime Achievement Award.)

Although Jackson modestly admits he's proud of the honor, there's more on his mind than winning awards. He's focused on designing new products and servicing existing ones, such as the recently-released 8100 model, which includes Triton's new TDM-50 dispensing mechanism - a top-loading single cassette that makes cash replenishment easier for merchants.

In 2003, Jackson told ATMmarketplace that "technology for the sake of technology" doesn't work. "It has to be genuinely useful." And that truth still holds today.

"Before we put a machine on the market, we have to do a lot of work to evaluate the product and decide if it's ready for full production release," Jackson said. "We place first-generation production models in the field in uncontrolled situations so that we can determine how well they work in real-world scenarios."

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