RIYADH: Alhamrani Universal Company Ltd. (AU), part of the leading Alhamrani Group in the Kingdom, has joined forces with Diebold Incorporated, a US-based global leader in providing integrated self-service delivery.

The deal will aim to revolutionize the local banking technology and implement significant changes that will transform the role of automated teller machines (ATMs).

The two companies unveiled high-tech plans and products for financial institutions, banks and organizations in the region at a conference on Tuesday.

On the sidelines of the conference, which covered retail banking, deposit automation, next-generation software solution and security, chairman of Alhamrani Group Abdullah A. Alhamrani said Diebold had launched key strategic initiatives in the region including deposit automation and integrated services.

Alhamrani said that AU had been working with Diebold to provide partnership support through its 28 service centers across the Kingdom, manned by about 200 engineers and specialists.

He pointed out that AU was the largest distributor for Diebold in the region.

A large number of Saudi and Gulf institutions have been using Diebold ATMs and many other related products and services.

Diebold has made the large majority of the 10,000 ATMs and 80,000 POS terminals in Saudi Arabia. In fact, the Kingdom has made leaps in terms of automation with the establishment of the Saudi Payments Network (SPAN) back in 1990.

The SPAN system links all ATMs and point of sale (POS) terminals. In 2008, the total number of transaction that went through SPAN was over 459 million, totaling SR235 billion.

In all these transactions, Diebold machines and technology were extensively used. “Diebold has delivered innovative solutions to hundreds of thousands of customers, allowing them to be efficient and create additional value to their businesses,” said Thomas W. Wsidarski, Diebold’s chief executive officer.

The company, with headquarters in Canton, employs over 17,000 people in more than 90 countries. In 2008, Diebold reported total revenue of $3.2 billion.