News

MN CU rolls out interactive teller as remote branch

July 2, 2013

Lake State Credit Union, a $184 million FI that serves members in the Minnesota arrowhead counties bordering Lake Superior, is adding a new branch in Duluth — more than 40 miles from the CU's closest location — by using interactive video technology from NCR Corp.

The new branch will consist entirely of self- and assisted-service units, including three NCR APTRA Interactive Teller ATMs and additional NCR SelfServ ATMs that will not offer video capability. Interactive Teller will enable tellers at other Lake State locations to serve members through ATMs at the Duluth location. 

"We have been interested in expanding our membership base into Duluth for several years, but the cost of building a full-function branch so far from our core membership base was prohibitive," said Laly Larson, senior vice president and CIO at Lake State CU. "NCR APTRA Interactive Teller gives us a cost efficient means for entering a new market. As our membership base in Duluth grows, we will examine more traditional branches."

APTRA Interactive Teller is the only ATM-based technology that provides video interaction and gives the teller remote control over the machine to conduct transactions. The system can conduct approximately 95 percent of the transactions typically performed by a teller.

"NCR APTRA Interactive Teller is helping financial institutions to change the scale and character of their branch networks," said Brian Bailey, vice president and general manager of NCR branch transformation. "Through our remote transactional video, financial institutions can deliver full branch teller service capability wherever their customers and members live and work."

Lake State worked with NCR and NCR solutions partner CASE on the project. CASE is an Anoka, Minn.-based financial services solutions provider, and an NCR solutions partner since 1996.

Read more about installation and deployment.