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Level Four Partners with Polaris to Offer Outsourced ATM Testing

 
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    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov 05, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----Level Four, the supplier of open standards-based ATM software, today announced a new global partnership with Polaris Software Lab Limited (POLS.BO), a provider of speciality application development and testing services in the banking, financial and insurance sectors. The agreement will enable financial institutions to benefit from a complete end-to-end outsourced testing solution, combining Level Four's automated ATM testing application, BRIDGE:test, with Polaris' testing services.

    Customers who deploy BRIDGE:test as part of an outsourcing strategy with Polaris can achieve an optimal balance of cost and control as well as greater overall efficiency. Testing phases are shorter through a greater degree of automation and tests will be executed by testing professionals with specific ATM sector knowledge, according to a specially developed methodology by Polaris.

    Capitalizing on the growing global trend to outsource ATM testing, Polaris has established centers of excellence for ATM testing in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sydney, Australia and Toronto, Canada. As part of the PACE testing practice within Polaris, the need for specialist domain knowledge to handle complex ATM environments was considered essential.

    Polaris has built up significant experience in application development, testing and deployment of ATM solutions for banks across the globe. By partnering with Level Four, Polaris will be able to service its clients with automated testing which offers faster and more accurate results, combating the challenge of more regular systems updates and software patches that modern, Windows-based ATMs demand.

    Mr. Bikash Mathur, Partner & Head, EMEA, at Polaris said: "We see ATM testing as a huge growth market and a significant opportunity for us. Having built up a successful testing global practice in the financial services industry, we recognize the significant advantage that an automated testing tool could offer our customers. A key vision at Polaris is to partner with industry pioneers and we view Level Four as a leading player in the ATM testing market. With BRIDGE:test, Polaris' specialist ATM staff will be able to give existing customers an improved offering and also attract new customers through the unique ability to combine faster deliverables with cost efficiencies."

    Ian Kerr, CEO, Level Four, said: "In the present market conditions, banks are increasingly looking to outsource to make operational efficiencies. ATM testing is a key area in a bank's delivery channel strategy that can benefit from outsourcing. Under the agreement, Polaris test professionals will be certified to execute ATM testing plans using BRIDGE:test, enabling them to gain an advantage over their competitors by offering the benefits of automation in addition to those of outsourcing."

    About Level Four Americas LLC

    Level Four's BRIDGE suite of open standards ATM software products has been developed to address the needs of ATM deployers seeking to maximize their investment in the ATM channel. BRIDGE is targeted at banks and ATM deployers who are running, or seeking to run, a modern ATM network based on the industry-wide CEN/XFS open architecture standard. A true holistic end-to-end offering, BRIDGE addresses the needs of ATM deployers in the areas of installation, testing and monitoring as well as run-time ATM application software.

    Level Four Americas has built an impressive customer base of banks and payments processors in North America including Bank of America, CIBC and many of the top financial institutions in the US and Canada. Level Four's global customer base includes Royal Bank of Scotland, ING, National Bank of Dubai, Vocalink and Standard Bank of South Africa. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Level Four Americas' parent company is located in Dunfermline, Scotland, and also has offices in Dubai,UAE. Additional information is available via the company's Web site at www.levelfour.com.

    SOURCE: Level Four Americas

       For Level Four 
       Joy Harper, 678-799-8118 
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       Cristi Murray, 678-935-7135
       
    Copyright Business Wire 2008
     
     

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