Restructuring Charge HitsDiebold

NORTH CANTON, Ohio - (04/21/05) -- ATM maker Diebold Inc. said firstquarter earnings slumped 9% to $26.7 million, or 37 cents a share,based on a restructuring charge of $7.3 million for the company'soperations in western Europe. Diebold said revenues rose 8% to$540.2 million for the first quarter, fueled by a 19% increase insecurity systems sales. The company reported strong demand for itsnew Opteva line of ATMs, with $109 million of orders for thequarter, an increase of 80% for the same period last year. But thecompany, plagued by controversy over its electronic votingmachines, reported a 60% decline in election systems revenues, to$5.9 million, from $14.9 million for the first quarter lastyear.