Now, start shopping at Retail ATM

MUMBAI, INDIA: According to Niche Softek’s co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Deven Limayae, Retail ATM means converting the “Ads into Transact on Mobile (ATM)”, which is a new way to help retailers to take an alternative sales channel.

It can be used for selling items such as pens, gift items, books, music discs, electronic products and other things worth about Rs.1000 to Rs.5000 price range.

“Basically, Retail ATM unit appears same as the digital display or screen but has interactive features using the mobile phone,” said Limayae.

“Unit can be wall-mounted or erected on stands outside the stores, inside the malls, multiplex central halls, cafeterias, hotels, restaurants or other places, so it can display the products ads as well as offer the buy option to its viewers.”

In technological terms, Retail ATM unit has a dynamic digital screen showing ad content on right side, while there are three bars - a vertical bar on the extreme left and two horizontal bars on the bottom. Each of the screens has a code number for identification with a toll free number for interaction with that particular screen via the cell phone.

“Vertical bar displays list of nine different items marked with figures one to nine, same as the cell phone buttons. Below the nine buttons, there are three small buttons with the astrix (*), hash (#) and zero (0) signs that work as transaction area and also act as navigating buttons,” explained Limayae.

There are two horizontal bars, placed one over the other located on the screen’s bottom. While the top bar shows information and instructs the users during transactions, the lower bar scrolls details about best products deals offered by the stores or retailers.

Limayae said it took over three years with 20 people to program the solution, which is framed on Microsoft’s .net platform, embedded Windows XP and Intel’s embedded boards.

On the back end, the displays are linked to Niche Softek’s server, SMS and Payment gateways along with the retailer’s sale terminal via net connection.

About the Retail ATM’s functionality, the user first calls the toll free number displayed on the screen. Then the user is greeted by an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system’s message that asks for the screen’s code number using the cell phone, which allows the interaction with that particular unit.

Then, the user picks the desired item by pressing the item number on the phone, subsequently; the item is purchased via the IVR, ATOM or MCHECK mode using user’s credit card.

On completion of the transaction, user will be asked to SMS his housing address for item’s delivery. During the entire operation, the user is kept informed with audio video instructions on the screen.

“The logic is to use cell phone as an interaction medium with screen, where the user’s cell phone number acts as the customer’s identity, and the retailer can actually come across the potential buyers or customers. Also, the generated customer data helps the retailer to under customer’s behavior and psychology,” explained Limayae.

Interestingly, Limayae hasn’t used the ‘touch screen’ technology. “Touch screen units are expensive and also it might not work as per the intended purpose as along with the potential and interested buyers, it bring lots of users which are not the actual customers,” he commented.

Retail ATM has used IVR system developed by Atom Technologies Ltd. According to company’s marketing head, Niranjan Gosavi, their technology supports all credit cards of all banks and added that it will support debit cards shortly.

“With Atom software, one can store the credit card information securely on the cell phone that allows completion of transactions quickly. Our transaction system meets all the necessary security standards of various regulatory bodies and currently processes transactions of Rs. 1.5 crore per day,” said Gosavi.