ATM technology and innovation shine and scoop six awards

Spark ATM Systems, South Africa’s leading independent ATM deployer, won five awards at the 2020 tt100 Business Innovations Awards held in November.

The tt100 Business Innovation Awards programme was launched in 1991 to create awareness of the role of technology and innovation in South Africa, while the Africa Tech Week Awards celebrates innovators, leaders and game changers who represent the best in the African tech landscape.

“We are delighted that the recognition of the tt100 awards reflects the dedication and commitment of our world class team” says Marc Sternberg, managing director of Spark ATM Systems. “To be recognised for the management of people, systems and technology, as well as sustainability, confirms that we have our finger on every pulse that is required for business success. The greatest honour was receiving the Minister’s Award for Overall Excellence, which reaffirms our values of integrity, passion and excellence.”

Spark ATM has walked a long road with the tt100 Business Innovation Awards. In 2009 it was a finalist in four emerging enterprise categories and won in two, namely Excellence in the Management of People and the Director General’s Award for Overall Excellence.

In 2011, Spark ATM Systems won the Management of Technology award in the established enterprises category, and in 2012 it brought home the overall Sustainability Award.

“It is most gratifying that 10 years after our first awards, we can still impress the tt100 panel,” says Sternberg. “They recognised us early on and we have continued to shine throughout our growth cycle from an emerging enterprise into a large company. tt100 recognition at various stages along this journey supported the goals and objectives we had set ourselves when Spark ATM Systems was established.

Spark ATM Systems was founded in 2005, and today owns and manages a network of more than 4 300 independent ATM installations across the country. Its ever-growing network of ATMs can be found in every conceivable type of bank branch, retail, hospitality, leisure and convenience location for one simple reason – consumers expect them wherever they need cash, and merchants recognise their many benefits.

The company is owned by Cardtronics, the world’s largest ATM deployer, who brings global expertise and unprecedented financial backing to Spark’s operations in South Africa. Spark ATM Systems, in turn, has grown into the technology development hub for Cardtronics’ operations in North America and Europe.

The recognition continued when Spark ATM was awarded the Fintech Company of the Year in the Africa Tech Week 2020 awards presentation. Sales and Marketing Director of Spark ATM, Russel Berman received the award on behalf of the company said “our data analytics suite of software was under the spotlight and we were able to showcase our excellent home grown system innovations to an esteemed panel of judges. These ground-breaking innovations have catapulted Spark ATM into a position of market dominance and industry leader.”

Casting an eye to the future, Berman says that within the next five years, Spark ATM Systems will own and operate 30% of all ATMs in South Africa. Supporting this vision is its recently established capability to assemble its own ATMs on home soil.

In the next year, Spark ATM Systems will launch the exciting new Touchline ATM. Assembled in South Africa, it has a Linux operating system and touchscreen functionality that is state-of-the-art technology.