ATM Turns 40

01100111 writes "The world's first ATM was installed in a branch of Barclays in Enfield, north London, 40 years ago this week. Inspiration had struck Mr Shepherd-Barron, now 82, while he was in the bath. The machine paid out a maximum of £10 a time." It struck me there must be a way I could get my own money, anywhere in the world or the UK. I hit upon the idea of a chocolate bar dispenser, but replacing chocolate with cash.""

Comments

Real Innovation

[Ajehals]

Plastic cards had not been invented, so Mr Shepherd-Barron's machine used cheques that were impregnated with carbon 14, a mildly radioactive substance.... "I later worked out you would have to eat 136,000 such cheques for it to have any effect on you." Interestingly, this was arguably one of those inventions that is, in retrospect unbelievably obvious, it really has changed the world. It leads me to wonder what Mr Shepherd-Barron was paid for his idea, and if any attempts were made to limit the implementation of this innovative machine to a single company...

Re:Wrong - Not the "first" ATM.

[dgmrdt]

An invention that fails is not an invention, it is an idea. For example, many people from around the world "invented" electric light before Edison, but Edison is credited with it because he made it work.

demise of cash?

[Orp]

FTA:

"Money costs money to transport. I am therefore predicting the demise of cash within three to five years."

Haven't we heard that before? Like, 20 years ago? Seems that cash is just as prevalent as it always was. I just got back from a vacation to the UK and loved the fact that I could use my debit card to withdraw cash without getting socked with a 3% 'foreign transaction fee' that comes with credit card purchases (rather, there was a $1.50 flat fee from my bank for every withdrawal - so for 200 UKP, or about $400 with today's exchange rate, that's about 0.37%). Along with the fact that *everyone* accepts cash, including that remote pub in Nowhere, Scotland, I don't see cash going away any time soon. Yay cash.

Re:Not quite the same as today's ATMs.

[rkww]

Yes, I remember being allowed to take my father's punched card to the bank to get out ten pounds for him when I was ten or so, which would have been 1971. And it was ten pounds in pound notes, neatly folded into a plastic holder. He still has some of the holders somewhere and I wouldn't be surprised if he still had a punched card. According to this timeline Lloyds launched an ATM using a magnetic strip card in 1972.

Re:Protocols?

[dreamchaser]

My local ATM was never down when they had the old text mode OS/2 version running. They replaced it two years ago with a CE embedded (I think) Diebold machine and that one is down at least once a week.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Question: Patented by...?

[zenwarrior]

So, who owns what might be considered the primary/essential/basic/etc. patent(s) for ATMs? NCR?

I ask b/c I once worked with an inventor who showed me blueprints and a bona fide patent for what he considered to be (one of?) the first ATM(s).