Is it true that the only thing an ATM is capable of doing is to dispense and receive cash? The answer before now was yes, but today has been proven to be a wrong answer, and basically an act of underestimating the power of technology.
The world’s transition from a cash base world into a cashless and cardless society brings us into the big question of the quarter for 2018. “Will the ATM also transform into an Automated Thinking Machine”, capable of doing more than process plastic bank cards and dispense cash?
When Bank of the Future was unveiled six months ago by Citibank, the ATM lobby was the key branch and centerpiece of the bank. In it were, interactive sales walls with touchscreen capabilities, 24/7 video chat stations, the ATM became a shared multi-media experience. This could be a sign of more innovation to come, currently, there’s an iPad-powered ATM in Spain, also a socially-conscious ATM, etc. But, who said ATM can only be limited to the financial service? How about an ATM that collects e-Waste?
Instead of inserting checks into the machine, you would insert your old electronics and receive a digital receipt. Or how about filling your medical prescriptions via ATM? What happens to the ATM once plastic cards and cash become obsolete? Definitely, ATM will have the multi-functional potential to become an Automated Thinking Machine, available 24/7 to anyone in an area where the new technology will find its expression.
#ATMs #Technology #Inventions #AutomatedTellerMachine
