ATMs to be modified

JAKARTA (JP): The technology of teleconferencing, widely used in the U.S. and Europe, is soon to be applied by advanced banks across the country for their automated-teller machines (ATMs), an expert said on Monday.

Iwan Aryasetiawan, country system engineering manager for Indonesia of Cisco System, the largest traffic controller of Internet service providers here, said the technology would be applied during the next three years.

He said a teleconferencing system would allow bank customers to converse with bank personnel via a monitor screen about bank accounts and credit card balances.

"Machines (equipped with a teleconferencing system) will also allow the bank's operator, for instance, to maintain a complete view of customers withdrawing cash. In the case of a robbery, teleconferencing could prove vital," Iwan told The Jakarta Post.

"Attached to alarm notification (networks) at the nearest police station, through faxes and e-mails, for instance, the system could instantly notify police of an ongoing robbery."

He said teleconferencing would be part of the "call center management", a multi-functional program for banks to provide services to customers nationwide or worldwide.

Iwan did not specify which local banks have applied for installment of the hi-tech system.

Call center management programs do not possess the Y2K problem and vary in cost. The systems cost between US$300,000 and $600,000 for a mid-range bank and over $1 million for a large- scale organization, Iwan said.

"(The system) will contain a compact integrated system and will be appropriate for banks with global networks, such as Citibank or American Express," Iwan said. (ylt)