• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Aug. 28

RURAL folks living in remote areas in India and the world over, without the provision of electricity, may have something to cheer about. For, even without power, they may soon be able to utilise the services of automated teller machines (ATMs) for their monetary transactions. Clearly, the future of the ATM industry is bright.

NCR Corporation, in collaboration with the University of Dundee, has announced that its research to run ATMs on direct current (DC) from batteries powered by a solar panel may be the key to ATM deployment in some of the most remote corners of the globe.

ATMs based on solar power may be used in conjunction with mobile communication technology (such as GSM or GPRS) in areas where there are power supply problems or where there are no landline communications and dial-up infrastructure in place.

Solar panels are easy to set up and would enable an ATM to operate for long periods without battery changes. In areas with high levels of sunlight or where usage is light, continuous operation is possible using this technology.

According to Mr Deepak Chandnani, Managing Director, NCR Corporation India Pvt. Ltd, "As a market and thought leader, NCR constantly looks at innovative technologies to broaden the offerings to the banking industry and spearhead future growth. The concept of solar-powered ATMs is particularly relevant to India to expand the retail banking network to areas with infrastructural deficiencies like absence of wired connectivity or power shortages."

While research indicated that regions blessed with high levels of sunshine were perfect for solar-powered ATMs, results were also promising for less sunny locales. Testing took place in Dundee in March to determine the levels of light required to operate a wireless ATM.

Even in the cloudy conditions dominant in Scotland in March, tests showed that generating solar power was possible, though a bigger panel would be needed to get a performance similar to that in the more sunny regions of the world.

Mr Mark Grossi, chief technology officer for NCR's Financial Solutions Division, explained, "The system can work anywhere where there's daylight. Using just two batteries, one will run the ATM while the other is being recharged using solar power. The amount of sunlight required will depend on usage. In sunny parts of the world, however, even with high usage, continuous operation is possible. It could even be the answer to cash at the beach for more remote resorts with high levels of seasonal usage."

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication

Stories in this Section
IIB course on financial counselling

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line