News

Level Four adds new modules to ATM testing software

January 19, 2004

LONDON - Level Four Software, a provider of ATM testing and development tools, has added four new modules to its ATM Channel Development Suite.

According to a news release, the new modules -- ATM Network Stress Tester, Load Group Manager plug-in, Bunch Note Acceptor plug-in and Cheque Processing Module plug-in -- were launched in response to industry developments and customer needs.

ATM Network Stress Tester simulates ATM network usage for high volumes of ATMs, enabling a financial institution to simulate the load on its systems as if it was being used by a large number of customers simultaneously. It helps assure banks that an ATM network can cope with peaks in transaction volumes resulting in improved customer service.

The ATM Network Stress Tester uses the logic of Level Four's ATM Simulator for accurate testing and control of the ATM network. It interacts intelligently with the host application, responding to commands in the same way as a real ATM. The transaction mix is easily managed through a graphical interface, including the ability to select which ATM models should generate transactions.

It is also possible for users to alter the rules that govern which card types can be accepted by the ATM, whether a magnetic stripe, smart card or a mixture of the two. All PIN blocking, EMV cryptography and other ATM-specific processes are simulated.

Load Group Manager helps simplify the management of the ATM environment by providing control of the complex data associated with multiple transaction sets found within the ATM's configuration data.

The Bunch Note Acceptor and Check Processing Module were developed in association with the UK's Nationwide Building Society to accommodate new ATMs with check imaging and cash acceptance capabilities. Martin Macmillan, Level Four's chief executive, expects demands for these capabilities to grow in the United States, driven by the recent passage of the Check 21 Act.

"Level Four anticipates US banks will require a greater depth of automated testing to fulfil the tight deadlines often imposed by the government and to ensure quality of service to customers," he said in the release. "(The module) removes the dependency on expensive hardware for testing by creating a virtual environment identical to the customer experience."