ATMs to be modified

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)