SatADSL – a Belgium based service provider dealing in satellite solutions, has unveiled new solutions for supporting deployment of nation-wide ATM networks in East Africa at the on-going AITEC Mobile Money Conference, COMESA being held at Nairobi’s Intercontinental Hotel. SatADSL’s latest solutions are expected to enhance Automated Teller Machines (ATM) operators and banks with the ability to deploy cash machines in small urban areas across East Africa where terrestrial communication services are either not available, unreliable or too expensive. SatADSL offers specialized products and services that are aimed at boosting the operations of financial institutions in Africa independently from any terrestrial infrastructure.
Speaking at the conference, SatADS Chief Operations Officer Caroline De Vos said the new solutions are specifically tailor-made for the African banking and financial community. The company is also in the process of recruiting partners distribute its products and services in the region. “Financial institutions often offer excellent service in the main cities where adequate telecommunications means are available: fiber connections, WiMax, etc. However, in remote locations where the population is less dense, telecommunication links may not be as reliable and are much less adapted to the requirements of financial institutions. That is where SatADSL comes in with specialised services to support the financial institutions’ remote offices as well as cash machines in performing according to their customers’ expectations,” she said
Though traditional VSAT services, Caroline De Vos noted that the company is in a position to offer similar technical solutions at much cheaper rates and higher reliability than fiber connections and WiMax which are typically much more expensive and obviously secure enough for ATM networks. The new service has been successfully demonstrated and is now commercially in use in three West African countries by several African banks that are planning large scale ATM deployments over the continent. The company is currently leading three new pilot projects for ATM deployment with banks in Ghana, Cameroon and Zambia.
The service allows for financial transactions to be carried out over satellite link in a reliable, secured and cost-effective way. SatADSL service connects the client applications in remote offices to the servers located in the company headquarters and other servers located in Europe and the US. SatADSL corporate service offering is built around SES Broadband service platform which provides high-speed broadband internet via satellite. SatADSL is already offering reliable and low-cost satellite networking solutions to more than hundred money transfer offices of Express Union and EMI Transfer that are located in remote areas, bringing those financial services closers to African citizens.
According to Caroline De Vos, the company prioritizes the business-critical transactions with the guarantee that these transactions will always go through, with a reliable and financially affordable solution in both investment (CAPEX) and operational (OPEX) costs. Finally, SatADSL offers the most optimized solutions for reliable and cost- effective connection for off-site ATM terminals. Caroline De Vos will be speaking on Thursday the 12th of September at the AITEC Conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya. SatADSL will also welcome the visitors, potential partner-distributors and customers at its booth A7a located just alongside the conference room.
