14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft and the National Australia Bank (NAB) have teamed up to create an ATM that works without credit cards without compromising customer security in any way.
In fact, using the two’s new approach, security is actually greatly enhanced, as the automatic teller machine relies on Microsoft’s Windows Hello to verify customers’ identity.
Facial recognition systems have been around for a long time and by bringing it to ATMs, Microsoft and NAB believe managing banking products and services would be substantially easier and more secure.
Just a concept for now
The system relies on Azure Cognitive Services and just scans a customer’s face when they attempt to withdraw cash from the ATM. A PIN may also be required, but a credit card is no longer needed.
“It just reinforced to me the need for banks to be simpler and faster for our customers; we want to deliver great connected customer experiences. Cloud technology allows us to take advantage of features and capabilities that are world-leading and enable us to deliver at pace for our customers,” NAB Chief Technology and Operations Officer Patrick Wright, said.
“Working with companies like Microsoft allows us to develop concepts like this. It’s a look into what the future might hold for the way our customers access banking products and services.”
What’s important to know, however, is that this new concept is still in its early days, so there’s no guarantee it ever becomes widely used. However, the implementation of Windows Hello into ATMs is a substantial step forward to prevent security breaches, and Microsoft is likely to continue investments in this direction.
Windows Hello is already broadly available to customers as part of Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, offering seamless unlocking on devices that support it. The feature requires dedicated hardware on Windows 10 PCs.