Many self-service deployers (ATM and kiosks) are interested in offering non-traditional transactions such as bill payment, mobile phone top-ups and check cashing.

Mike Lee, ATMIA's chief executive, calls kiosks and ATMs "self-service terminals which are cousins, if not brothers of each other."

The upcoming ATMIA Conference West Self-Service Summit, Sept 20-22 in San Diego, hopes to bring the family members a lot closer. The conference will feature a dedicated exhibit area devoted to kiosks and presentations focusing on issues of interest to both kiosk and ATM deployers -- including one entitled "Marriage Between ATMs and Kiosks."

A pre-conference workshop on Sept. 20 is called "Maximizing Multi-Functional ATMs." (What is a multi-functional ATM if not a kiosk with cash dispensing?)

"Both terminals dispense mobility and convenience for the consumer in the 24-by-7 society the ATM helped to create," Lee said. "They both add value to customers close to where they live, work, travel and shop."

A relatively small number of multiple-use terminals have been deployed. Greg Swistak, executive director of Kiosks.org Association, said there has been more convergence of hardware functionality versus feature functionality to date. He cited the new recirculation bill acceptors, which can accept cash or cards and give change back to a cardholder.

A big difference between ATMs and kiosks, Swistak said, is that "kiosk guys are willing to create anything, especially custom." In contrast, ATM companies prefer to modify existing products.

I don't see this as a knock against ATM manufacturers. Rather, it's a sign of their pragmatism; they want to be reasonably assured of market demand before they expend R&D dollars. There's not a lot of profit in custom development. However, there is no question that open-mindedness can yield new business. And with ATM transactions on the decline and debit a continuing threat, new transactions are needed to drive consumers to ATMs.

Probably the most visible ATM-as-kiosk or kiosk-as-ATM is 7-Eleven's Vcom. Though the retail chain has deployed more than 1,000 of the terminals, the jury is still out on their profitability. Transaction volumes are a closely guarded secret. Earlier this year, Certegy Check Services pulled out of the program (and was replaced with CashWorks, a company that has also partnered with Tidel, Triton and other ATM manufacturers).

So what's the silver bullet? Or is there one? No one seems to know.

The key is targeting transactions that consumers will find more convenient and/or appealing in a self-service environment. In recent years, the kiosk industry appears to be doing a better job of identifying these types of scenarios.

Witness airport and hotel check-in kiosks and, more recently, kiosks that allow fast food customers to order and pay for their meals. These are all experiences during which I'd rather interface with a kiosk than a person. It ruined my layover on a recent business trip when I couldn't get a boarding pass at a kiosk and had to track down a live agent to issue one.

Swistak said he believes there are a number of service offerings that will fit ATM deployers' business model -- leveraging their existing customer bases, service and maintenance schedules, etc.

So maybe some crossover deals will be struck in San Diego. At the very least, I'm betting there will be some interesting discussions on the exhibit floor and in the presentation halls.