The new advances, including large tactile buttons for people with limited dexterity, an additional keypad for easy wheelchair access, as well as a phone link to a central call office or speech synthesis technology, are made possible due to ATM software transferring to a Windows-based platform from OS2 - which will cease to be supported after 2003.
It will also soon be possible for customers who require speech technology to elect an ATM to call their mobile phone if they don't want the transaction details to be spoken aloud. Although calls to mobiles would have to be made through the mobile network, plans are in place to install Bluetooth so ATMs can connect straight to phones, eliminating the need for call charges.
-The mobile phone is a feature that will take off from the response we've had so far," said Scott MacKenzie, an engineer with NCR's Advanced Concept Lab in Scotland.
According to Peter Frielick, NCR's vice president, South Pacific area financial services division, consumers will see these new concept ATMs happening more and more.
-Banks are taking the responsibility to provide access very seriously, and some banks are further ahead than others," he said.
Westpac have installed talking ATMs in nine locations so far, with more locations planned for late 2002. -We got the base application technology from NCR, and then developed that in our own testing room," Julia Quinn of Westpac told ZDNet Australia. -We've spent the last 12 months developing this in consultation with various interest groups."
A contract has also been signed with Perth-based EBS, the largest independent deployer of off-premise (non-bank) ATMs in Australia, as the major reseller of NCR access-enabled ATMs. -This is significant, because last year was the first year off-premise installation exceeded on-site installations," EBS CEO Ken Gaunt said.
How can hearing impairment people can hear that voice talking ATM? They can't!!
I'm hearing impaired person and cannot follow voice talking system and that is ridulous!!
Why can't people think about what affecting other people with disabilities rather not caring about them??