NCR Launches Its First Linux-powered Cash-Machine Kalpana

ATMs, which largely run on Windows XP will soon be powered with Linux and Android as NCR rolled out its first Linux-powered cash-machine, Kalpana on Wednesday (15 April). The new upgrade will make the process of cash distribute easier and more secure than it has ever been. The Android /cloud approach will further help bank to cut costs and deploy new services. Interestingly, NCR’s new ATMs would also be able to adopt new versions of Android.

With the introduction of Kalpana, the country’s largest supplier of cash machines, NCR India is all set to revolutionize the way automatic teller machines work in India. Kalpana works through customised version of Android KitKat 4.4.4 with chip giant Intel. Also, Kalpana apps are Webbified, which means that they are built using HTML. While Windows XP operated ATMs require gigabytes, the skinny Kalpana just needs 256MB. NCR is also planning a thin architecture for building ATM apps which would eventually make cash machines easier and cheaper to maintain. NCR boasts that Kalpana would be able to cut total cost of ownership to $540,000 from $800,000 per each 100 ATMs.

The new ATMs would come with a secure boot-loader used to validate the kernel and operating system, which means that machines will have improved security. Also, it would prevent hackers booting code not signed by NCR. With the new creation of technology innovator NCR, phone staples such as notifications, keyboard and camera will soon become history.