The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) has launched the first interactive teller machine (ITM) in the Egyptian market, according to Alaa Farouk, Head of Retail at the bank.
Farouk explained that the machine’s use is to assure the bank’s keenness on offering the best banking services in the way that suits and meets the customers’ needs. It also assures the continuation of efforts carried out by the bank, to develop the network of distributing services and to support it by the most advanced technological means.
Farouk added that the timing of the launch of the ITM system coincides with the bank’s 117th anniversary celebrations.
Entering this machine on the Egyptian market is a great development in the field of technology used in the banks, Farouk noted. It allows the bank’s customers to have access to most of the bank’s services through auditory and visual communication with staff through 24/7 video conference capabilities.
He added that the ITM offers innovative visual technology to customers to conduct their different banking needs. This occurs through the multi-function teller machines that are operated by an employee who communicates with the customer through audio and video means, moment-by-moment, to: offer cash withdrawal and deposit operations; deposit cheques for collection; transfer between the customer’s accounts; in addition to receiving the inquiries about NBE products.
This machine works through the Active programme, the latest version of NCR in the self-service machine operating field. The programme allows the employee to give orders to the machine, and remotely control it through their computer.
According to Farouk, this machine is equipped with a headset allowing the customer to talk to the bank’s employee with complete privacy. The machine is also equipped with electronic signature capabilities and ID card scanning features, which allows the employee to verify the customer and the validity of the documents before completing the process.
The machine also includes cheque receiving capabilities, depending on the most advanced technology to verify the validity of cheques.
Farouk added that the NBE has already activated this machine at its head office during official working hours, as an experimental model for introducing the machine and its capabilities. This is in addition to creating demand on it during the first phases of operation. After that, its working hours will exceed the official working hours, gradually, until it reaches offering the service 24/7.
Farouk asserted that the bank is studying a plan to spread this type of machine at locations where clients need the services the machine offers, especially after official work hours, such as sports clubs and malls.
The NBE owns the biggest ATM network on the Egyptian market, with 2,150 machines. The ATMs offer operations for cash withdrawal, payment of salaries, in addition to paying dues, bills, donations, and giving information about account balances.
This network includes 400 machines receive cash deposits, within the limit of EGP 10,000 per day, with a maximum of EGP 50,000 per month.
The total number of operations that are conducted monthly through these machines amounted to 14.3m operations.
