Today the Dutch Floriade 2012 has opened its doors in Venlo. And that reminded me of the Floriade Amsterdam, which was held in 1972. Few people will know that the Floriade of 1972 has a link to the Dutch payment history. Because it almost became the place were the first electronic payments at the point of sale could have been trialled. So what happened in those days....?
In the early 1970s there were some discussions about a possible merger of the Amsterdam Municipal Giro (Gemeentegiro Amsterdam, known as GGA) with the Dutch national Giro (Postcheque- and Girodienst). While the national regulators wished the GGA to become part of the National Postal Giro, the City of Amsterdam was very much opposed to that idea, since the GGA generated a nice revenue. And its director Stofkoper, did everything he could to ensure that the GGA could prolong its life as an independent organisation. And for that, he chose the path of innovation into modern electronic payments and banking.
Stofkoper invested heavily in study trips to the USA and made sure that the GGA was the first to test and adopt new technology. And for the Floriade of 1972, his true goal was to set up an electronic payment system. So he discussed this idea seperately with the technical people of Bijenkorf and Albert Heijn. He tried to convince them to quickly join in this pilot, suggesting that another interested party would also be willing to step in this pilot and demonstrate an innovative approach.
Unfortunetely for the GGA however, the technical staff of Bijenkorf and Albert Heijn were in contact with each other and found out that they were both being courted. And as the idea of setting up a closed-circuit payment system was still too fresh and new to them, they choose not to participate. So the GGA did not have the from then on the GGA chose to focus on alternative uses of the new technology. And in 1976 it became the first to provide all its customers with the possibility to withdraw money from an Automated Teller Machine, using a 'betaalkaart'.
Now, for those interested in film and photo's of the early days; there is a five-part film around on Youtube that provides nostalgic footage of the Floriade 1972.
And for those that are more into the old-school black and white pictures, I would suggest to look at these foto's of the Amsterdamse Beeldbank:
Showing posts with label ATM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ATM. Show all posts
27.6.11
First ATM installed 44 years ago ....
In this article, you can read that 44 years ago, the first ATM was installed by Barclays Bank in Enfield, North London. And there's a picture of that moment remaining, as Reg Varney (who played in the serie On the Buses) was asked to help out in the publicity.
Of course this development was for some time on its way. And the Dutch banks and Postal Giro Services started considering using the ATM as well. Thus, one year later (1968) the banks ABN, AMRO and NMB, started out a trial with a so-called Bank-o-maat at three banks. The ABN AMRO Historical Archive was so kind to provide me with a picture (they actually also have the actual machine somewhere in the cellars) of that machine.
The introduction of the trial was accompanied by the following article in the Amroscoop of June 1968, outlining the workings and details. It was a machine by the Swedish company Metior AB, placed by LIPS N.V. See also (in Dutch):
In the same year (1968: details forthcoming) the Postal Cheque and Giro-Services (PCGD) held a trial with an automated teller machine in Alphen a/d Rijn. I don't have a picture but somewhere hidden in my archive I do have a many-pager evaluation report on its features and future applicability for the PCGD.
Also I am aware of one other trial in 1972, where the Algemene Bank Nederland trialled a Burroughs machine in the Vijzelstraat 20 (which was for internal personnel only).
The first ATM however, to be used for regular customer purposes (not as a trial), was introduced by the former Gemeentegiro Amsterdam (GGA) in 1976. The director of the GGA, Stofkooper, had by that time most likely some hunch that some point in the future he would inevitably have to merge with the bigger Postal Giro Services. So he decided to invest heavily in all new technologies and equipment, to make sure that his bargaining position was as good as possible. And as a result the GGA was also one of the first institutions to have a well functioning on-line verification network between remote-offices and headquarters.
Of course this development was for some time on its way. And the Dutch banks and Postal Giro Services started considering using the ATM as well. Thus, one year later (1968) the banks ABN, AMRO and NMB, started out a trial with a so-called Bank-o-maat at three banks. The ABN AMRO Historical Archive was so kind to provide me with a picture (they actually also have the actual machine somewhere in the cellars) of that machine.
The introduction of the trial was accompanied by the following article in the Amroscoop of June 1968, outlining the workings and details. It was a machine by the Swedish company Metior AB, placed by LIPS N.V. See also (in Dutch):
In the same year (1968: details forthcoming) the Postal Cheque and Giro-Services (PCGD) held a trial with an automated teller machine in Alphen a/d Rijn. I don't have a picture but somewhere hidden in my archive I do have a many-pager evaluation report on its features and future applicability for the PCGD.
Also I am aware of one other trial in 1972, where the Algemene Bank Nederland trialled a Burroughs machine in the Vijzelstraat 20 (which was for internal personnel only).
The first ATM however, to be used for regular customer purposes (not as a trial), was introduced by the former Gemeentegiro Amsterdam (GGA) in 1976. The director of the GGA, Stofkooper, had by that time most likely some hunch that some point in the future he would inevitably have to merge with the bigger Postal Giro Services. So he decided to invest heavily in all new technologies and equipment, to make sure that his bargaining position was as good as possible. And as a result the GGA was also one of the first institutions to have a well functioning on-line verification network between remote-offices and headquarters.
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