ARLINGTON, Va. – Credit unions looking to upgrade their ATM fleets may find Triton ATMs a more attractive option after the Long Beach, Mississippi, ATM manufacturer announced a deal with fellow ATM manufacturer Fujitsu. The two companies have announced a worldwide licensing agreement under which Triton will be able to put Prism, the software package Fujitsu sells for its machines, onto Triton machines, making them much more the sort of machine a credit union might want to put into their lobby or drive-up. "What this really means is that credit unions that buy a Triton machine are really going to be getting a heck of a deal," said Brian Kett, president of the company. NCR, Diebold, Fujitsu and Wincor Nixdorf all have software packages that they sell with their ATMs which allow their deployers to customize the machines to fit their own requirements, with different screens and different options, Kett explained. "Up to now Triton hasn't really had one which has meant deployers have been limited to the software that came with the ATMs which is more suited to retail deployers," he added. "Now we will be able to offer credit unions interested in Triton machines a software package which will be compatible with the software they already have installed on any other ATMs." Traditionally a manufacturer of primarily retail, cash-dispensing sorts of ATMs, Triton has begun working to make a name for itself in the credit union and community bank market. Also as part of the deal a number of employees of Fujitsu Transaction Solutions will be detailed to Mississippi to help match the software to Triton's machines and to help manage any problems or bugs that might crop up. Kett explained that Triton expects the addition of the software to give it yet another critical part in the credit union ATM market. Kett said that the firm had not yet decided how it would price the software package, but predicted it would cost something since the other ATM manufactures also charge for their similar software packages. Fujitsu's Kent Schrock said the Japanese ATM manufacturer gains a couple of different things from the deal with Triton. First, the firm gains increased recognition and access for its Prism software which will now be considered a much stronger candidate for the cross platform flexibility which many manufacturers have sought but many have found illusive. "Cross platform flexibility is something everyone says they want but then it often seems out of reach," Schrock said. "This deal with Triton will indicate to the market that Prism is a truly cross-platform application," he added. Fujitsu will also benefit from its resellers being able to offer Triton machines, which are generally less expensive, as well as its own. A credit union might be interested in a top of the line Fujitsu machine for its main branch, but might not want one in every branch. With resellers being able to offer Triton machines, Shrock said, the company's credit union and bank customers will be able have one reselling source for their ATMs and service. Triton also said it would benefit from having the Fujitsu resellers offer its machines. Kett estimated that the change would move the number of resellers that offer Triton machines from roughly 15 to roughly 25. But he added that the biggest advantage might come from overseas, where Triton already sells about 40% of its ATMs. -

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