SBI - Initiatives
At times, we see that ATMs deny payment when customers are in dire need of money. This problem occurs due to failure of the server. SBI has decided to go for a technological shift which would allow its ATMs to use two servers simultaneously at different locations, which would run simultaneously and share the load. If one server goes down, the second one takes over. SBI would be the first bank to make this unique initiative while other banks are still thinking about opting for the implementation of this new ATM platform.
The SBI is running four solar-powered ATMs as a pilot project in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu which are used to make payments to the beneficiaries of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). These machines were installed by Vortex Engineering, which claims that these ATMs consume less than 100 watts and do not require air conditioning; hence they require less than 72 units of power per month. A conventional ATM consumes about 1,000 watt of power and requires an air-conditioned environment which means an additional 1,500 watt of power to function. These solar ATMs also reduce carbon emission. Power cuts and the cost are the two major challenges faced by banks while setting up ATMs in rural areas. As these machines solve both the problems, the SBI has given the installation order for over 300 solar-powered ATMs to the company.
In addition to this, SBI has planned to launch 7000 voice-enabled ATMs for visually challenged customers. These ATMs would be equipped with headphones and Braille keypads. If we look back, ICICI bank had installed its first talking ATM in  2003. However, the SBI has been the pioneer in many fields of banking and it was the first bank to launch a floating ATM in the country. In February 2004, the ATM was established on a Jankar boat ferrying passengers and vehicles between Kochi and Vypeen islands.
HDFC Bank - In the fray
HDFC Bank has started offering faster cash withdrawals from its ATMs. The customer is given the option to register the most frequently used cash withdrawal amount along with the account and preferred language. After the registration, the customer has only to enter the pin, select ‘My Favourite’ and collect the cash which cuts down processing times for the machines. In addition, HDFC bank is running a pilot project named- ‘Bank on wheels’ in Tamil Nadu which is based on the concept of taking ATM services to the people.
PNB - Betting big
Often, poor people find it difficult to go to banks and make a deposit. The mobile deposit machines run by banks solve this problem as these are made available at the locations where the customers live. Using these machines, people can make deposits at any time and get a receipt at the point of transaction without any paperwork. India’s second largest public sector lender Punjab National Bank is conducting trials on a micro - deposit module to help people access banking services with amounts as low as Rs.10. Besides this, to provide easy access to the illiterate and semi - literate customers, PNB has planned to open 100,000 biometric ATMs in rural areas by the year 2013.
Andhra Bank - The pioneer
If we talk about biometric and Mobile ATMs, Andhra Bank can be termed as a pioneer.  To take banking services to the doorsteps of the customer, Andhra Bank had started Mobile ATMs a few years ago. Then it started ATMs with voice guidance and finger print based biometrics for illiterate customers. The biometric concept was used as a substitute for the conventional numeric PIN on ATMs. To cater to the needs of local customers, the voice guidance was given in local languages. In May 2007, it introduced biometric features on mobile ATMs and thus became the first bank in the country to introduce switch linked networked Biometric ATMs.
A major issue
The use of ATMs in the country is increasing by leaps and bounds and certainly the ATMs have made life easy for the customers. However, there have been a few problems linked with the usage of ATMs in the country. At times, the ATMs display message- ‘The request can not be processed now.’ It confuses the customers as it may have at least three meanings - the server of the ATM is not working, the ATM doesn’t have enough cash and the account of the customer has some problem. Besides this, ATMs sometimes do not print receipts even if the customer has opted for a printout. At times money is debited from the account without the withdrawal of cash. In such instances, the customer doesn’t exactly know what to do. Thankfully, banks have now started thinking on this front as well. The State Bank of India has started ‘Happy Room’ in its local headquarters of Andhra Pradesh. The rooms process the ‘Unhappy’ SMSes sent by the customers. For instance, if a customer withdraws Rs.5,000 from the ATM but the amount is debited twice from his account, all he has to do is to type ‘Unhappy’ and send it to 8008202020. The message from the customer lands in the Happy Room. The staff takes details of the complaint and punches it into the system. The person concerned in the branch is then informed for inspection of the complaint which is automatically displayed in the branch system. Then the branch head looks at the complaint, inquires on the lapse and types his comments in the system. The Happy Room accesses his comments in real-time basis and informs the customer about resolution of his problem. It is a purely paperless green banking initiative which works on SMS, tele-calling and web-based system.
What next?
The next - generation ATMs are set to be more interactive. Nowadays ATMs behave uniformly with all customers but these have to be focused for specific customer needs. In future, the ATMs will be able to suggest solutions to the customers according to their needs. ATMs would not only have convenience of present day ATMs but also the diversity of branches. With the innovative technologies, ATMs are now set to be developed as self service branches.
D. Alok