Simple and secure: contactless technology makes its way onto ATMs

The two Upper Austrian companies jointly operate a KePlus Cash Recycling Machine in the outdoor area. In comparison to the usual KEBA ATMs, the focus of the model in the business park is on contactless technology. Together, Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich (RLB OÖ) and KEBA want to evaluate how well ATMs with pure NFC operation, without classic card readers, are accepted by bank customers. This is a first field trial, which will be further expanded if successful.

Safe and easy with NFC
NFC technology has been introduced in many areas in recent years: For card payments in supermarkets, on smartphones and also on the self-service devices of financial institutions. RLB Oberösterreich is a pioneer in this area and is convinced of the advantages of contactless authentication: "Authentication by NFC makes transactions faster, more convenient and also more secure, because bank customers no longer need to insert their card. Simply putting it to the reading area is enough", Stefan Sandberger, IT Director of Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich is convinced. NFC technology has proven to be a relief especially for elderly people and people with motoric disabilities. "Since customers do not give their card out of their hands when they use it, it can never be forgotten," adds KEBA CEO Gerhard Luftensteiner. All these advantages make Near Field Communication, NFC for short, a future-proof technology that will continue to gain in importance.

Design as a customer magnet
The Cash Recycling System was installed at the KEBA Studio Immergrün at the Urfahr business park. This serves KEBA as an innovation workshop for the area of bank automation and now shows, in addition to the existing installation situations, the Through-The-Wall variant suitable for outdoor use. The "contactless" ATM immediately catches the eye. The distinctive design of the self-service machines is intended to draw consumers' attention to the services offered by RLB OÖ.

Partnership-based innovation
The cooperation between the two Upper Austrian companies was already established in 1995. The Raiffeisen Banking Group Upper Austria currently has around 100 Cash Recycling Machines from KEBA in use for its customers. In addition, the automation expert KEBA also supplies account service terminals and access systems for the bank foyer to the Upper Austrian banking institute.

"The Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich and KEBA have a long-standing partnership. We are all the more pleased about this forward-looking cooperation. We at KEBA always set ourselves the goal of learning together with our customers and driving innovations forward with partners - just as we do here," says Gerhard Luftensteiner, Chairman of the KEBA Management Board, happily about the joint project.