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Diebold plans offshore software centre in India

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, March 7

DIEBOLD HMA Private Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Diebold Inc and HMA Data Systems Private Ltd and market leader in ATMs and cash dispensers, is planning to source software from India.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Walden W. O'Dell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Diebold Inc, said that the US company was determined to set up an offshore development centre in India, for which plans are still at the drawing board stage.

He said that Indian software professionals were being used to customise the automatic teller machines (ATMs) and cash dispensers for global operations. There is also an increase in software content that goes out of India to Diebold's overseas operations.

Mr. Harish K. Murthi, Managing Director of the Indian operations, said: ``We would be happy to have the software development centre under the existing set up.''

Mr. O'Dell was in Chennai to inaugurate a training-cum-display centre. He said that India was a very important market for Diebold's future. The market, according to him, is ``rapidly growing'' and is expected to clock a 100 per cent growth in each of the next two years.

He said that Diebold was ready with the software capability to get the ATMs Internet connected.

Mr. Murthi said that Diebold HMA has 15 customer banks and has a manufacturing facility at Pondicherry that has a capacity to produce 80 to 100 machines per month. So far, an investment of Rs. 5 crores have been made in the infrastructure, according to M r. Murthi.

In the last calender year, Diebold HMA had sold 266 ATM machines. In India, there are 1,300 ATMs either installed or ordered, of which Diebold has set up 800. The company has a market share of 60 per cent.

By way of a worldwide acquisition, Diebold has acquired Bull of France, which also has a presence in India. Bull has less than 10 per cent market share in India in the ATM business.

Mr. O'Dell said that the entire acquisition process of Bull would get completed by March 31, and after which an `acquisition integration team' would be set up. ``We still have not talked to the Indian operations of Bull, but would chalk out the details a s soon as possible.''

Pic.: Mr. Harish K. Murthi (left), Managing Director, Diebold HMA Pvt. Ltd. and Mr. Walden W. O' Dell, President and CEO, Diebold Inc. at a press meet in Chennai on Tuesday.