n-Logue kiosks to sport ATMs in Indian villages

ATMs will now be seen in rural India too apart from the urban cities. n-Logue Communications, launched by TeNeT will make ATMs available in villages by the beginning of 2005. 

TeNeT has been providing telecom and Internet access to the villages. The villagers will access the Internet and telephone through the kiosks called Chiraag. They are currently running in 10 districts in Tamil Nadu, seven districts in Maharashtra, six in Gujarat, two in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, and one in Andhra
Pradesh. 

The TeNeT group in association with ICICI Bank has developed the ATM, which is specially designed targeting the villagers. The ATM costs Rs 40,000 and comes with only cash deposit and withdrawal option. 

The ATM has sensors to detect if any note has been stuck while performing any transaction. If so, it aborts the transaction and restarts it. For the convenience of the villagers, TeNeT has devised a new system, whereby the user need not remember his PIN number. The web camera and the thumb impression device installed along with the ATM will authenticate the person. 

n-Logue, in association with Bangalore-based Neurosynaptics, has developed a medical kit, to measure all the vital parameters of the patient. Again, as is common with the n-Logue kiosk, the doctor placed in some distant location will study the patient sitting in some remote kiosk via video conferencing. 

The medical kit, costing about Rs 15,000 will comprise a thermometer, stethoscope, Sphygmomanometer (BP measuring tool) and ECG. "The doctor will remotely control the ECG and the stethoscope movement, whereas BP and the temperature will be taken by the kiosk operator under guidance from the doctor," informed Alexander. 

CI NEWS BUREAU

Mumbai