Standard Bank launches mobile-based ATM/branch locator

Magnus Rademeyer, AfriGIS MD, says the product was developed by geo-coding (merging) all of the bank's ATM and branch information onto AfriGIS' map server and then making it available to customers through the mobisite, www.standardbank.mobi.

How to get there

"The mobisite not only locates the nearest ATMs and branches for the customer but also provides directions on how to get there as well, either on-screen or via an SMS. On Vodacom, the ATM locator picks up which base station the cellphone is connected to and then looks for the closest ATM or branches in that area. MTN is currently implementing similar technology, while on CellC, the customer has to specify their location," he says.

The nearest nine ATMs or branches are then listed or alternatively, the customer can enter in a starting point and then search for ATMs or branches closest to the point they have entered.

Should the location of an ATM or branch be incorrectly positioned on the map, the customer can send feedback through the mobile site so that AfriGIS can ensure that the co-ordinates are corrected, Rademeyer says.

"Applications like this will become increasingly important to consumers on the move, as the need to conveniently find specific locations grows. We should soon see retailers, healthcare facilities and petrol stations offering similar applications," he says.

Benefits of key findings

Angus Robinson, CEO of Brandsh Media, Standard Bank's mobile and social media agency, says that Standard Bank is the first financial services company in South Africa to launch such a service.

"What is key about location based services like the ATM and branch locator is that they enable companies to analyse which areas requests are coming from or what manual searches are being made. This information can then be integrated with the company's planning to determine where future infrastructure could be rolled out to customers. Mobile-based utilities such as locators and finance calculators will make mobisites that much more useful to both existing and potential customers," he says.

Given that anyone can buy airtime from a Standard Bank ATM, customers from any bank can use the service to locate an ATM to top up their airtime, without the need for a GPS enabled cellphone, Robinson adds.