India's largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) plans to introduce 7,000 voice enabled ATMs across the country for visually challenged customers beginning next month.
"Out of our 18,500 ATMs, 7,000 will be made voice enabled for visually challenged people. We expect to launch these talking ATMs starting next month," SBI's General Manager (Alternate Channels) Amitabh Kumar said at a CII seminar in Mumbai on Thursday.
These voice enabled ATMs, customised with headphones and braille key pads, will offer services like funds transfer and downloading of account statements, Kumar said.
Presently, SBI is testing voice enabled ATMs with its partners NCR and Diebold and expects to make these operational in a month's time, he said.
SBI plans to install these ATMs in metro, urban and semi urban towns across the country.
"The country has 10.6 million visually challenged people and it is the duty of the banks to help these people to meet their banking needs," ICICI Bank's CEO and Managing Director, Chanda Kochhar, speaking at the seminar, said.
ICICI Bank has installed its first talking ATM in 2003. Over the years, the bank has also ensured that the basic banking facilities can be used by physically handicapped people.
8 Jan 2010, 0245 hrs IST,ET Bureau
MUMBAI: With automated teller machines fast turning out to be the primary channel for cash withdrawals, banks are working on ensuring that even handicapped customers have access to these machines. For starters, around 7,000 ATMs of State Bank of India are being readied for use by blind customers for most banking transactions.
Amitabh Kumar, general manager, alternate channels at SBI said the bank has completed a pilot project for ATM while the software to internet banking for visually-challenged is in place. Both the projects will be implemented in a month’s time, he said while speaking at a seminar on banking access for visually-challenged, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
The move to do so follows a dictate from RBI to banks early this year that all its branches and ATMs should be made accessible to persons with disabilities.
RBI had also said banks should make at least one third of new ATMs installed as talking ATMs with braille keypads and place them strategically in consultation with other banks to ensure that at least one talking ATM with Braille keypad is generally available in each locality for catering to needs of visually-impaired persons. Banks may also bring the locations of such talking ATMs to the notice of their visually-impaired customers.
Speaking on the sidelines of the seminar, Mr Kumar said of its 18,000 ATM, its 7,000 ATMs would be accessible to the visually-disabled. However, it has not yet activated since the bank has issued special debit card to the visually-impaired to access these ATMs. However, he could not indicate the number of cards that the bank is likely to issue since the bank does not have the data on the number of visually-impaired banking with them. He indicated that the bank has been in talks with both NCR and Diebold — the two ATM providers to procure the such ATMs.
With regards to internet banking, Mr Kumar said they have also acquired a software called Jaws to enable internet banking for visually-impaired. The key features under internet banking include checking the balance, funds transfer and download account statement.
It will also have a ‘deadman’s switch — wherein the user can enter this key if he fears intrusion to his privacy while he is doing online transactions, following which the page will collapse and the account will not be accessible for three days, or till such a time the account-holder approaches the bank to activate it. Mr Kumar also said banks are looking at putting ramps at some of their ATMs to help the physically challenged access ATMs.
Speaking at the same seminar, ICICI Bank managing director and CEO Chanda Kochhar said banks should be sensitive to the special needs of these people and that it was the responsibility of the banking industry to see to it that they are able to conduct banking activity independently.
Aug 12 2009
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) directive to banks asking one third of their automated teller machines (ATMs) to be enabled with systems for people with various disabilities has set the ATM manufacturers on task.
NCR Corporation and Diebold Systems, two ATM manufacturers, have unveiled their machines designed for the visually challenged in Mumbai on We-dnesday.
The machine that is voice-aided and has Braille keyboard — which can be read by the visually challenged — was unveiled after the two companies worked with the Xavier’s Resource Centre for Visually Challenged (XRCVC) on the sp-ecial requirements and difficulties of the visually challenged people.
Early this year, RBI had asked the banks to ensure that one-third of their offsite ATMs be enabled with systems that can help people with visual or other orthopaedic disabilities in its quest for financial inclusion.
According to an official from NCR, not many people with disabilities have an ATM card and are savvy enough to use ATMs and, hence, a voice-aided Braille would prove useful. When asked, XRCVC director Sam Tarporevala said he himself does not have an ATM card and having such a machine would motivate him to have one. Of the existing 40,000 ATMs operational now, only 2 per cent are voice-aided. “The existing ATM machines can be upgraded to the needs of visually challenged and the voice aided systems are inbuilt and need to be just enabled in every existing machines,” said Anurag Nigam, director-managed services, Diebold Systems.
The cost of the normal ATM machines are anywhere between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh and making up-gradation will cost ar-ound Rs 50,000.
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IndiaTechonline.com
http://www.indiatechonline.com/atms-for-disabled-77.php
As banks are prodded by RBI, leading ATMs makers showcase disabled-friendly machines One of India’s more shameful statistics – the almost total neglect of physically ( especially visually) challenged customers’ needs by the banking establishment – might hopefully change for the better: Last week saw two leading international manufacturers of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) demonstrate special disabled –friendly machines at the Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (www.xrcvc.org/) – a unit within Sr Xavier’s College in Mumbai.
ATM maker Diebold –the pioneer with ATMs in India -- has installed an ATM at ZRCVC which boasts the following special features: wheel chair access; large display for users with partial vision; Braille-enabled function keys and guide labels for other functionalities including card reader, receipt, cash dispenser, depositor; bunch cash presenter for ease in collecting cash ; personalized headphone jack with voice control features;Voice guided transactions integrated digital video recorder for enhanced security. Based on feedback at this location, Diebold plans to scale up and tweak the design before offering these ATMs to India-based banks for deployment.
“We are proud to offer ATMs for the specially abled and are looking at deployments across India per banks requirements.”, says Naresh Hosangady, Managing Director, Diebold India www.dieboldindia.com
NCR who also have a major presence in India with their ATMS, are also known to have put up a special ATM at ZECVC – and between the two, they can be depended on to provide solutions that will make banking disabled-friendly – if Indian banks want to go that way: today, only a minuscule fraction of over 40,000 ATMS nationwide, can boast even such global given’s like wheelchair access, let alone special features for the visually challenged. Pradeep Sen, Managing Director for NCR in India said, “We are happy to showcase this ATM with features that would make banking easier for the visually challenged, thereby, reinforcing our commitment of making ATMs accessible to all types of consumers."
Says Sam Taraporevala, Director, XRCVC: “ATMs today have increased convenience banking for the able-bodied customers. For the same effect to take place involving disabled people, ATMs will need to scale to meet accessibility standards. The ATM industry, as well as the banking industry all over the world, has made accessibility an inherent part of its production and deployment” .
Indeed, Indian banks have been routinely refusing to issue ATM cards to their customers with poor or no vision. That may soon change: In June 2008, that the Reserve Bank of India issued its first circular onBanking Facilities for the visually challenged , which said: “Banks are advised to ensure that all the banking facilities such as cheque book facility including third party cheques, ATM facility, Net banking facility, locker facility, retail loans, credit cards etc. are invariably offered to the visually challenged without any discrimination.” http://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/English/scripts/Notification.aspx?Id=356
And in a circular on April 29 this year, RBI subtly changed advice to mandate: “Banks should make at least one third of new ATMs installed as talking ATMs with Braille keypads and place them strategically in consultation with other banks to ensure that at least one talking ATM with Braille keypad is generally available in each locality for catering to needs of visually impaired persons”. http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_CircularIndexDisplay.aspx?Id=4961
One in three new ATMs is a tall order – and a huge leap for the Indian banking industry. But it might see it also as a huge opportunity: According to Retail Banking Research ( www.rbrlondon.com ) India is one of the world’s fastest growing ATM markets, with their number poised to touch 100,000 by 2013. Put that number alongside another – the number of India’s visually challenged, which various estimates place between 12 million and 15 million – and one can see why last week’s tech showcase in Mumbai is not a day too soon. ( Aug 24 2009)
TALKING ATM : No necessity with Pin number. Give directions with voice. These are the features of the latest ATMs. Bangalore company trail is going on. And these ATMs will be available by this year ending.
At the time of using the ATM, the individual, has to follow the procedures like card swiping, pin entry, as per the instructions displayed on the screen. If the pin number is forgotten the individual could not complete his transaction.
Some times this procedure may cause confusion even to the educated individuals. So if we imagine about the illiterate persons and villagers, the present procedure is definitely found as complicated nature. Now the Integra Micro systems, Bangalore has designed a new ATM terminal. It is having very latest features. If thumb impression has been recorded, the ATM terminal it self give guidance in the language of individual about the next action to be taken by him.
On the name IMFAST branchless solutions, this organization has already brought a portable ATM model for use of village people. At present the terminal and the Cash dispenser are made available separately. This company is making efforts to provide these in one part. The final touches are doing by the company to the new design. This project will be completed by this year ending and the new ATM terminals will be available in the market.
How it works: The cash dispenser with an operator (Business Correspondent – BC) will be established in the business commercial areas of Metro cities like New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata. The candidate who is appointed as BC, he may be small shop vendor or he may be the PCO owner. The customers in these centers can use the services like balance enquiry, withdrawal, mini statement, print from this cash dispenser. If cash is required, on behalf the customer, the BC can use the smart card provided to him and put his thumb impression and then he can go for login, so as to complete the customer transactions.
Talking ATM
The present designed Cash dispensers are useful for Rs. 50/- and Rs 10/- notes. BC is eligible to fill the cash in the dispensers. The company is making efforts to upgrade the system so as to use other denomination notes.
At present, the Integra Company has established 1,300 terminals. The clients to this company are Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central bank, Corporation bank, Indian overseas bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Mysore, Syndicate bank, Vijaya bank etc.
