CWG Launches ATM-as-a-Service Initiative

Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Plc has launched Automated Teller Machine-as-a-Service, a solution focused on enabling the growth in the financial inclusion to ensure a more thriving society.

This solution is aimed at increasing banks focus on core banking operations, increase bank ATM deployment and coverage as well as ensures cost savings based on ATM volumes.

CWG can provide all these with the vast infrastructure setup the business has to ensure efficient service delivery.

These infrastructures cover Technical Service Centre (ATM Repair Centre) ; Tier 3 data Centre; Satellite uplink facility; Customer Service Centre; Monitoring Centre; Training Centre; Application delivery and support team, and Software development team.

Having such expertise housed in CWG Plc ensures that we are able to provide the following services, through CWG ATM AS A SERVICE; ATM Deployment, Monitoring Solution, Logistics, Handling of spares / parts replacement, Secondary Power solution & support, Value Added Services, Call centre services, multiple vendor Management & Software upgrades.

The greatest assets at CWG are its vast collection of experts, to further strengthen its collection, CWG is pleased to introduce Ridwaan Hansia to the Group.

Ridwaan joins the CWG ATM Service Team as the ATM Services Director. A South-African National, with his vast experience spanning over 2 decades, he is an asset to the Pan-African organization.

Ridwaan has several years of software troubleshooting experience and understands our (CWG Plc) needs having worked in varying technical capacities across various African regions.

His commitment to exceptional service, and passion for technology has seen his career progression since 1994 with IBM South African as the Service Operations Manager - Middle East and Africa, from where he moved to Diebold South Africa as Service Director in 1997; then went on to work with Diebold International as the Service Partner Operations Manager - Europe, ME & Africa; overseeing over about 35 countries.

He was responsible for Service Partner Operational activities for Diebold's partner network in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

This role, included Service Business Development activities, Operational Efficiency and Support and was later assigned to Diebold Asia Pacific (Indonesia) for several months to restructure and improve operational efficiency.

He later joined Wincor Nixdorf in 2007, as the Service Support Consultant to Wincor's Business Partners in Africa.

Whilst in this role, he was responsible for developing processes and procedures to ensure smooth and efficient operational continuity and served as the central point of escalation for out of line situations ensuring corrective steps are taken to prevent re-occurrences.

This he handled successfully and moved on to be responsible for service performance of local and regional customers.

He also was in charge of setting up the Wincor South Africa Service Support Infrastructure – which includes parts sales and parts repair in Banking and Retail sector appointment and management of Service Partners and internal resources to deliver and execute service delivery.; as well as responsible for executing and delivering large Service Projects in South Africa, all serving in the role as the Area Service Manager - South & East Africa Wincor Nixdorf (Pty) Ltd, a position he had held from 2011, till joining the CWG Family, as ATM Services Director, June 2016.

The Nigerian Financial landscape has shifted dramatically in the last almost two decades with the introduction of ATM services making banking transactions easier and easing the pressure experienced by all parties within the banking halls.

Prior to 2006, there was a dearth in the use of ATM in Nigeria; between 2007 and 2009, Nigeria added 10,000 ATMs until CBN imposed a policy on Off-site ATMs which hampered further growth.

In 2011, the CBN Policy was lifted, yet Nigeria has only added 5,945 ATMs till date due to inadequate capital from the Banks; which has led to long queues at the few ATMs and congestion within banking halls as the number of ATMs across the country cannot meet Customers’ demands

With Nigeria ranking as having the largest thriving economy in Africa, our comparative ATM values to other countries are well below average: Nigeria: 16 ATMs/100,000 adult population vs South Africa: 66 ATMs/100,000 adult population vs UK: 130 ATMs/100,000 adult population.

Despite many initiatives by the CBN and other reputable Financial Institutions to ensure 100% financial inclusion of the adult population, quite a number of adults in Nigeria and its environs, have no access to any form of financial services; with an average of 34% and 60% Financially excluded adults recorded in the South-Eastern and Northern parts of Nigeria respectively.