ATLANTA — Self-service kiosks from NCR Corp. are helping provide U.S. Army soldiers with a less stressful way to manage their finances while stationed at selected overseas locations.
The NCR EasyPoint kiosks are part of the Treasury Department's "EagleCash" Stored Value Card Program. EagleCash is designed to reduce the amount of U.S. currency required to support the personal financial needs of U.S. soldiers deployed in contingency areas overseas.
Military and support personnel are issued EagleCash cards to use in lieu of cash for purchases at exchange stores, post offices, dining facilities and other military-operated concessions in contingency areas. The kiosks — which are being deployed at U.S. military facilities in the Middle East, Asia, Central America and Europe — are equipped with smart card readers that allow users to transfer personal funds between their designated U.S. financial institution and their EagleCash card, or make transfers from one smart card to another at their convenience.
"Previously, soldiers waited in long lines at the post finance office to cash checks or load funds to their EagleCash cards," said Graham Mackenzie, program manager for Stored Value Solutions at the Treasury Department's Financial Management Service. "The kiosks provide soldiers with an easily accessible way to recharge their cards. They can make balance inquiries and transfer funds to and from their accounts — all with the convenience of self-service."
The Treasury Department and the U.S. Army began deployment of the kiosks in August 2005. To date, installations have been completed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Honduras, Kosovo, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
"Having fast and easy access to money is something we often take for granted, but for soldiers deployed on foreign land, it has always been a challenge," said Juan De Jesus, program manager for the U.S. Army Finance Command. "These kiosks provide a convenience that soldiers are accustomed to at home. It's one way to ease the stress of their everyday activities."
Remote support for the kiosks is provided by NCR during customer installation. To assist with ongoing basic maintenance, NCR Human Factors Engineering specialists developed task-aligned training modules that are integrated into the kiosks. This tool includes instructions accompanied by a visual demonstration on how to service the kiosk.
