All branches uses about 5,500 Omega Pads

Last November, Erste Bank opened its new flagship branch on Graben Street in Vienna, Austria, with technical surprises in store for customers in both the redesigned self-service area and the service desks. Among the various innovations available at the opening is signotec’s second-generation signature pad.

The new Omega signature pad by signotec makes it possible to replace paper documents with electronic signatures when handling deposits and withdrawals at the bank counter.
 
“This product not only has the top quality we would expect, it also offers even better performance and improved ergonomic design, as well as the latest security features,” says Josef Pichler, Director of Banking Software and Solutions at Wincor Nixdorf Austria, comparing the signature pad with the previous model.

Customers like the easy-to-use palm-sized device, which has a high-resolution colour display, is extremely flat, and is powered by USB. The new signature pad will be used initially in bank branches at the counter and till areas as a substitute for the cash payment and withdrawal slips currently issued in paper form. This will save paper as well as the time and resources required for scanning, transport and storage. Multiple encryption for data protection guarantees the highest level of security.

The pilot project with 35 devices, which are currently being tested at the various Erste Bank and Sparkasse Group branches, has consistently received positive feedback. The introduction of digital signature pads simplifies transactions for both bank employees and customers, who are already familiar with this system from having used it in post offices and for parcel services.

“We are convinced that the introduction of digital signatures is a significant step toward even higher security. And the increased efficiency and process transparency speak for themselves,” says Horst Weichselbaumer, who, as CIO, is responsible for Erste Bank Austria’s overall IT infrastructure.

The Austrian Erste Bank and Sparkasse Group have set themselves the goal to deploy 3,500 signotec pads by mid-2012. Wincor Nixdorf will supply both the devices and the associated API software for this project. Experienced specialists at s IT Solutions have been tasked with seamlessly integrating the devices into the Erste Bank and Sparkasse Group software system.