STRATEGIC PARTNERS
August 16, 1999
NCR's Stella now has a new counterpart of the opposite gender -- Bud. After Stella, a high-tech voice-activated ATM that utilizes iris scanning for security, was tested in Toronto, Bud is being introduced at trade shows in Sydney, Australia. Bud and Stella are being launched as the new phase in self-service banking. Unlike its nicer counterpart, the completely interactive Bud will, in jest, bark back chidings on mistakes by users, such as "insufficient funds, dummy." However, Bud is reported to have a more fun personality than Stella, which can carry on a two-way conversation. Both were developed by scientists in NCR's Advanced Solutions Concepts Lab in Dundee, Scotland. Both are able to greet customers by name and speak about the menu of services they can offer.
