Intercept, an Atlanta-based provider of automatic teller machine and electronic funds transfer services for financial institutions, introduced a controller that converts an ATM-dedicated phone line to a dial-up line. Today, most ATMs run on a dedicated phone line connected to a host 24 hours a day. The cost for the open line, which is needed to stay in constant communication with the host, is about $200 to $400 a month.
The VLM-24 controller lets an ATM operate on a normal phone line, dialing up each transaction to the host as it is entered, instead of remaining perpetually connected. All transactions are entered in real time into the bank's central processing system.
The VLM-24, a single unit consisting of a modem and a controller, retails for around $2,500.
