Bank Machines Going Virtual?

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is usually seen just as a way to help enterprises deliver desktops more efficiently. As it turns out, VDI can deliver more than just business desktops, the technology can also be leveraged to deliver business services.

Case in point is the ATM vendor Diebold, which is now piloting an effort that will see bank machines delivered as virtual ATMs enabled by a Cisco backend VDI solution.

Mark Kropf who works in the Emerging Technologies division of Diebold explained to InternetNews.com that the majority of ATMs in the U.S. today have a computer inside of them running a version of Microsoft’s Windows XP. He noted that over time those installations have grown in complexity and become increasingly difficult to manage and maintain. Going the VDI route will enable Diebold and their banking customers that ability to more efficiently deliver ATM services.

“We do have a process do go in and retrofit an ATM with a zero client device and uplift the ATM to extend its useful life,” Kropf said.

Diebold has an OEM relationship with Cisco to help create the zero client device for the ATMs. On the backend, the Diebold server core is now all based on the Cisco UCS server platform. Kropf noted the VDI deployment in the server core is very dense since the memory and CPU specifications for a virtual ATM are much lower than is required for a typical user desktop.

Read the full story at ServerWatch:
VDI Isn’t Just for Desktops

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.