NCR Looks Overseas for New Markets as FBN deploys its 1st biometric ATM in Nigeria

ATM manufacturer NCR is said to be getting 75% of its earnings from international sales, and the firm said it has put together a sales team to both sustain and grow that market. NCR’s emerging markets group will address sales in Brazil, India, China, the Middle East and Africa. China is slated to pass the United States as the world’s largest ATM market by 2015, the manufacturer observed. And in 2009, the Middle East and Africa region reported the highest per-person ATM withdrawal rates.

NCR recently promoted Stelios Fragkos to regional vice president from vice president for NCR Middle East/Africa. Fragkos will head the emerging markets group. NCR is equipped and ready to tackle the job, Fragkos said. “We have a strong brand, relationships, market leadership and insight in the most exciting markets in the world," he said. "We have invested for growth in the regions."

The growing middle classes require NCR to pay more attention to the three countries and one region, said Peter Leav, NCR senior vice president of Global Sales.

“We are driving further growth by focusing a consolidated high-performance team on the most dynamic economies, with growing middle classes that increasingly require self-service to manage their lives,” added Leav, who also heads NCR’s Emerging Markets Council.

And as a boost to its new focus, First Bank of Nigeria plc has deployed the first biometric ATM in Nigeria’s banking sector to serve customers who cannot read or write, as well as the elderly.

“The new technology is available to existing customers, who may wish to add biometric authentication as part of their transaction approval process on the bank’s ATMs in addition to PIN selection, while new cardholders, especially who cannot read nor write and the elderly, will be issued cards with only biometric authentication,” said Chuma Ezirin, group head of eBusiness for First Bank, which is based in Lagos, Africa’s fastest-growing city.

Ezirin said the biometric ATM, which was manufactured by NCR, will build customer confidence in the use of electronic channels by preventing fraud. According to a photograph on the bank’s website, a customer places his index finger on the ATM’s biometric device. The device identifies the individual as a bank customer. The ATM leverages the Customer Identification System platform being developed by the bank’s information technology team.

First Bank of Nigeria tested the ATM before deploying it in the bank’s main office. The financial institution plans to deploy additional biometric ATMs in other strategic branch locations.