STRATEGIC PARTNERS
August 19, 2002
BEIJING -- NCR Corporation (NYSE:NCR) says it will provide the Bank of China with an undisclosed number of Personas 86, Personas 84, Personas 74 and Personas 75 ATMs with enhanced self-service functions in a deal worth $20 million.
Bank of China, the oldest established bank in China, has a network of 6,000 ATMs and a long-standing relationship with NCR. The Dayton, Ohio-based manufacturer helped Bank of China install the country's first online ATM in 1988 at the bank's Shenzhen branch.
Albert Tsang, NCR Financial Solutions division's vice president for the greater China area, said, "Since 1988, when we installed the first online ATM for China, NCR has been committed to the financial market in the mainland. Bank of China was our first customer. We anticipate an expanding demand for self-service solutions in this important market."
In May NCR sold 60 Personas ATMs and software and support to Beijing Commercial Bank in what NCR officials called a "multi-million dollar deal." In 2001, NCR also inked deals with Shanghai-based Bank of Communication, Agricultural Bank of China and Men Sheng Bank. NCR has said it plans to open an office in Xian and extend service to the northwestern part of the country to keep up with the pace of business growth in China.
China's ATM market appears ready for a major expansion. According to a March report in the English-language newspaper China Daily, a company called China Unionpay Co. Ltd. has plans to link the ATMs of all of the country's banks by 2005. The company has already linked ATMs in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Shenzhen, according to the report.
