News

Paragon Application Systems intros updates to VirtualATM

May 24, 2019

Paragon Application Systems, a provider of payment testing solutions to the financial services industry, has announced several enhancements to Paragon VirtualATM, a web-enabled application that allows ATM deployers to virtualize, automate and streamline ATM system testing and maintenance.

According to a press release, the updates include:

• A VM setup tool accelerates and automates the process of creating a virtual ATM, setting up the VM on which the virtual ATM resides, as well as its connections. The tool leverages a proprietary script, a configuration file and ATM images to automatically engineer one-click setup of a connection-ready VM with the virtual ATM image and all the necessary Paragon software installed. Multiple instances of the tool can run simultaneously, performing several conversions at once.
• A detached ATM enhancement reduces unproductive downtime waiting for a virtual ATM to reboot or restart. When testers must interrupt their testing, they can leave their virtual ATMs "detached" and running while they work on other tasks. When they are ready to resume testing, the virtual ATM is immediately ready in the same state as before. This feature also allows administrators to prepare and stage a virtual ATM before it's needed.
• The VirtualATM host proxy can store multiple host connection settings, allowing testers to switch between test host connections with point-and-click ease, eliminating associated ATM application changes and restarts.
• VirtualATM Proxy Trace allows testers to capture all messages between the ATM and the test host during testing with VirtualATM. From the trace, testers then select the desired messages, import them into the Paragon Web FASTest platform and run those messages as automated tests against their host system.

Paragon currently is helping a number of payments organizations with Windows 10 migration, using VirtualATM for automated testing that compares screen images, receipts and results between Windows 7 and Windows 10 in a virtualized ATM environment. Paragon has successfully virtualized several of the most common ATM software platforms, including APTRA Edge 10, APTRA Activate and VISTA 5.x.

"Leading ATM deployers realize that relying on dated and disjointed systems to monitor, test and maintain their payments channels is inefficient, expensive and risky," Paragon CEO Jim Perry said in the release. "To help our clients prepare for new industry requirements like the Windows 10 migration, we continue to evolve and enhance our technology."