ATM Owners – It’s time to get Triple DES Compliant. Major processors
like eFunds, Columbus Data, RBS Lynk, Genpass, Élan, and Metavante
are urging their customers to convert to Triple Data Encryption
Standard (DES) by the end of 2006. Triple DES is a widely-used method
of data encryption using a private (secret) key that was judged so
difficult to break by the U.S. government that it was restricted for
exportation to other countries by the end of 2006.
Some have been hesitant to make the change because they saw new ATM’s
as too expensive. Don’t want to spend the money for new ATMs? Pi
Systems International has the solution with its 3 DES Fix, a hardware
application developed specifically to meet Triple DES security
requirements without replacing the machines themselves.
“Our goal was to find an affordable method to extend the ‘useful
life’ of ATMs while meeting Triple DES,” says Sabrina Turner,
President of Pi Systems International. “It’s important for ISOs and
Financial Institutions to demonstrate utmost security for their
customers. We developed 3 DES Fix to provide that security in the
most cost effective way.”
Triple DES for pin encryption has been a priority in the ATM industry
since 2004. Both MasterCard and Visa have mandated a timeline for
network compliance. In turn, networks have issued deadlines to member
organizations to upgrade their ATM portfolios to run Triple DES. To
date, only about 35 percent of the ATMs in the United States are
compliant.
Pi Systems International is the only company in the world to have
developed a fully compliant Triple DES Encrypting Pinpad for older
ATMs with a Class “C” approval from Visa. Pi Systems is also the
only company in the world that has been reviewed and accepted by both
MasterCard and Visa.
The 3 DES Fix is comprised of two hardware components: the control
module and the encrypting pinpad (EPP). The software utilized by the
control module is not sensitive to the make or model of the ATM, thus
creating a complete solution for almost every OEM machine in the
market. Pi Systems has developed EPP’s for all models of Diebold and
NCR machines, except the Diebold CSP series.
No other solution can protect you like the 3 DES Fix, according to
Turner. The solution provides for the Triple DES Mandate without the
need for any expensive hardware and software upgrades from the OEM.
Turner adds that 3 DES Fix is certified by most Network processors
(90 percent and counting).
With thousands of units in production since August of 2003, Pi
Systems has continually evolved the product and added new features
every year that not only maintain the useful life of the ATM but also
provide advanced functionality that firms can usually only get
through ATM replacement.
Another critical advantage of utilizing the 3 DES Fix is Pi Systems’
commitment to ATM owners and Financial Institutions, who while
receiving an affordable answer to the Triple DES Mandate, are also
prepared for potential future requirements, such as EMV and even
Remote Key Processing capabilities if needed. With the addition of
their TCP/IP compatibility, the 3 DES Fix not only works with ATM’s
that already run in TCP/IP, but more importantly, converts any serial
protocol to TCP/IP. This enhancement alone saves the ATM owner
thousands of dollars on monthly communication costs as well as
protocol conversion.
The product support provided by Pi Systems is unbeatable. Each 3 DES
Fix has a full one-year warranty, with 2- or 3-year extended
warranties available. Tech support is available 24 hours per day, 7
days per week. When a customer calls from an ATM site, Pi Systems
tech support will assist in problem solving and installations.
Situated between the communications source and the ATM, the 3 DES Fix
even becomes an aid to trouble-shooting – the 3 DES Fix LED lights
flash as information is exchanged so a customer knows that proper
communication exists.
Strategic Alliances Add Value
Pi Systems International forged an alliance with a team of highly
dedicated and skilled companies to meet the challenges of the Visa
and MasterCard Triple DES Security mandate. Each member of the team
brings its own expertise to meet and exceed the expectations of the
ATM community worldwide.
These alliances continue the evolution of Pi Systems. Pi Systems,
LLC, formed in 1992, a sister company to the newer Pi Systems
International, is dedicated to providing innovative service solutions
for computer systems, POS systems and ATMs. Pi Systems’ clientele
includes such well-known firms as Fujitsu, Johnson & Johnson, Tarrant
County and Gateway. These companies, along with many others, have
repeatedly called upon the Pi family of companies to perform
everything from simple desktop installations to huge nationwide ATM
and computer installations, upgrades and repairs numbering well into
the hundreds of units per request. Pi Systems, LLC is unsurpassed in
its ability to refurbish, install, maintain and bring live ATMs.
A closer look at some of Pi Systems partners:
Sunhillo Corp., an established integrator of mission-critical, real-
time data communications systems using serial data and network
connectivity, was contracted by Pi Systems to further the existing 3
DES Fix software to allow for more communication enhancements.
Sunhillo has built its reputation by implementing, maintaining and
enhancing elements of the most complex air traffic control systems in
the world.
Sagem Denmark, designer, developer and manufacturer of high-quality
OEM EPP’s for outdoor use in ATM’s, self-service gas stations,
vending machines or any other application where safe and tamper-proof
PIN code verification is required, supplies EPP’s for 3 DES Fix.
Greenlink Technologies, Inc., developer of ATMs and banking back
office equipment, has been part of the development process with Pi
Systems since the beginning. Their expertise in understanding the
ATM owner’s needs has made the Pi Systems product line the best in
the world.
Pi Systems Customers
Thousands of ATM owners worldwide have utilized the 3 DES Fix and
other Triple DES products by Pi Systems. Several large organizations
truly believe in Pi Systems Triple DES upgrade solutions and have
made substantial upgrade purchases.
ATM Components and Technology (ACT), provider of ATM parts around the
globe, has been a reseller of the product line since 2004. ACT has
purchased hundreds of units, which they have distributed worldwide.
TRM Corporation, a global consumer services company providing
convenience banking (ATM) and photocopying solutions to retailers
since 1982, recently purchased several thousand 3 DES Fix kits.
“When I think about working with Pi Systems, I think about their
ability to be innovative on new products,” says Gary M. Cosmer, TRM
Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer “When we came to
Pi Systems, they did not have a product offering for us. We were
able to sit with them and talk about our needs. Pi Systems turned
that discussion into a prototype, and then into a product. We are
very committed to the product – we have hundreds of them installed –
we have purchased thousands of them.”
“When I think about the Triple DES kit, the word that comes to mind
is ‘revolutionary’ vs. ‘evolutionary’,” Cosmer adds. “All the other
products on the market really focus on just meeting a regulatory
requirement for Triple DES. They don’t focus on adding any value for
the merchant – our customers operate on a slim margin – they do not
have a lot of extra cash. What we have been able to do, working with
Pi Systems, is offer this kit and explain how this gives their ATM
new life. It gives them new features and functions; and really gives
them a new ATM without having to spend the money. That is why we have
chosen the Pi Systems solution. There are other people out there who
make Triple DES upgrades including the OEM manufacturers, but none of
them seem to get it. PI Systems helped us with a product that really
adds value as well as compliance.”
The Forgotten Added Value
When replacing an ATM, owners tend to forget about ‘other’ costs of
replacement such as de-install, reinstall and the disposal fees. By
the time these expenses are combined with the purchase price of the
new ATM, cost expectation per ATM could nearly double. When
customers are considering ATM replacement, Pi Systems helps them
focus on locations where added functionality might be needed. If
there are multiple ATMs in the portfolio, only one or two sites may
need the additional features brand-new ATMs provide, such as check
cashing and ticket dispensing, while the rest can be upgraded with
the 3 DES Fix.
The key to saving money with the 3 DES Fix is to identify the
locations where adding functionality makes sense and only replace the
ATMs at those locations with new machines. The savings will come in
by utilizing the 3 DES Fix at all other locations where an existing
ATM is still meeting the needs of the customer. Installation of the
3 DES Fix will only take between one and three hours, depending on
the ATM model. An ATM owner can be confident that there are will be
only two costs with the 3 DES Fix, the kit and the installation.
There are no hidden costs.
Companies should contact Pi Systems International for more
information about the 3 DES Fix and how it can save their
organization both time and money meeting these important security
mandates. Turner urges ATM owners to order 3 DES Fix kits now to
meet the end of the year deadline for Triple DES compliance. Pi
Systems, and its distribution network, ensures that the ultimate
customer – the ATM owner – is only one step away from the right
solution.
For more information,
please contact
our Sales Department:
1-800-831-5723,
www.3-des.com
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