Banking Review

Google Maps in ATM

Catalan bank, La Caixa has embedded Google Maps into its large screen display ATMs. La Caixa has placed the Google Maps within the help section of their ATM service. The maps show the location of the closest branches or service centres to the ATM.

La Caixa has taken the initiative and recognised that the ATM may not service the needs of every customer. The inclusion of Google Maps provides the customer with a familiar mapping service to provide an additional level of customer service.

By using Google Maps, La Caixa provides a familiar yet new customer experience in a familiar device. This mix of familiar technology and services is a simple demonstration of innovation that benefits both the customer and the brand.

The popularity and thus familiarity of Google Maps is a global phenomenon. The blog GoogleMapsMania follows the amazing and innovative inclusions of Google maps around the world.

It has been widely reported that Sensis has admitted defeat and joined the Google Maps party rather than persisting with its own. However, in reality Sensis has partnered with Google to provide Yellow Pages business listings to all users of Google Maps; an innovative solutions for both Google and Sensis customers. Sensis is taking their listings to Google customers; in return businesses listing in the Yellow Pages will get a Google Map of their location for free.

In the US, Bank-Anywhere.com uses Google Maps to provide the details of all bank branches in a given geographic location. Unfortunately it does not appear to have been updated since the October collapses and buyouts of US banking giants.

Many Australian banks are offering SMS services to locate their nearest ATM or branch including St George and Bank of Queensland. While ATMs can perform a vast majority of transactional needs they do have limitations. Beside some ATMs signage is placed indicating where the closest branch is located.

The Commonwealth Bank offers similar SMS services and has attempted to include ATM locations on Google Maps into its offering. However, once arriving at Google Maps the ATM search yields no results, worse yet you are displayed the default US satellite map. The same search for Branches intriguingly returns only a branch in New York City.

The inclusion of Google Maps into ATMs signals the changing function of these machines to customers. Just as Google has changed the way we read screens, the impact of Google Maps on ATMs may indeed see these terminals transform into multi functional devices. Mobile phones transformed with the inclusion of cameras, MP3 functionality and internet connectivity. Are ATMs headed the down the same innovative and transformational path?