NORTH CANTON, Ohio — A well-known French credit institution has chosen Diebold, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) as its sole supplier of automated teller machines (ATMs).
Cofinoga Group, a primary grantor of credit to department store customers across Europe, has appointed Diebold as the exclusive provider of its off-premises ATMs. The Opteva ATMs are powered by Agilis, Diebold's software, which is capable of interfacing with a variety of multiple-vendor products, reducing the need for back-end support.
The first of the ATMs, placed in Cofinoga's commercial partners' store locations, have been installed. Dozens of additional orders are expected to be formalized early in 2005. The agreement includes both Diebold ATMs and maintenance services.
Denis Irigaray, head of payments technology services for the Cofinoga Group, said the agreement will enable Cofinoga to refresh its existing ATM pool, as well as install equipment at new partner sites.
"Through its Opteva family of ATMs, Diebold will help Cofinoga bring self-service solutions to the specific and constraining environment of department stores," Irigaray said. "The Opteva line — with its advanced technology and the detailed market study that went into its conception — is perfect for addressing the needs of our users."
"Most people recognize Diebold because of our bank-based equipment," said Henrik Funch, division vice president for Diebold Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA). "Cofinoga is helping us bring our superior self-service solutions to venues beyond the bank environment. We are proud to provide these off-premises installations, and we believe our Opteva family of ATMs will help Cofinoga provide a new level of service and convenience to its customers."
