IFX Forum Issues Extensive ATM/POS Implementation Guide

The ATM/POS (Automated Teller Machine/Point of Service) Implementation Guide is the culmination of nearly two years of dedicated work by the Forum’s ATM/POS Working Group, which is chaired by Kendall Draeger of NCR Corporation. The Guide, which includes relevant use case scenarios, is intended to help business and technical personnel understand how to use IFX to implement all or part of an ATM/POS solution. It further explains how to utilize the IFX business messages to communicate information between the parties participating in EFT services. Many of todays ATM and POS environments use proprietary message formats, which can hinder interoperation with other institutions systems, or at best require additional work to make conversations between systems effective (until the next software upgrade occurs). By comparison, standardizing on IFX as a business message specification eliminates the problems with proprietary message formats from ATMs or POS devices. Additional benefits of using IFX include a more competitive vendor marketplace, because vendors can concentrate on their true competitive differentiators; easier integration with other channels and systems; and more detailed network management information. The new Guide will help any implementing companies realize these benefits.