Wincor Nixdorf International appoints AST as its service partner

The AST Group has been appointed by Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH Germany, as its sole, qualified Service Partner for Banking Systems for southern Africa.

The agreement, to be executed through AST Distributed Technology Services (DTS), includes support and maintenance of all Wincor Nixdorf banking products systems such as ATMs and Information Kiosks.

"We have clearly demonstrated that we not only have the capacity, but also the commitment, to develop the necessary skills and support infrastructure around the Wincor Nixdorf technology to drive the functionality and reliability that is essential to our clients," explains Willie Stegmann, MD of AST DTS, a business unit of the AST Group. "Being Wincor Nixdorf`s Service Partner is a natural extension of AST DTS` capabilities as a distributed infrastructure service provider."

"Reliability and availability in the banking sector - especially in the Self Service channel - is a critical success factor, as it effects the bottom-line and influences the client satisfaction profile," adds Stegmann. "As a service provider, AST is capable of meeting and exceeding Service Level Agreements which is important in this area of expertise."

"With its strong track record in the southern African IT market as a service provider, the AST Group has ensured compliance with our criteria to become a Service Partner," says Ralf Wendt, International Business Manager for Wincor Nixdorf Services Division Headquarters. "In addition, AST`s geographical footprint within southern Africa ensures that it can service even the remotest of clients."

AST will be able to provide three levels of support: helpdesk, through a competency centre qualified Field Support Engineers and through Wincor-Nixdorf themselves. In addition, through the Wincor Nixdorf relationship AST will now be able to provide support and maintenance on non-Wincor Nixdorf products such as NCR and Diebold.

AST currently supports Wincor Nixdorf banking systems devices in South Africa, Namibia, and Mauritius and have recently been requested by Wincor Nixdorf to investigate support for Mozambique as well. About the AST Group

AST`s intellectual capacity, its business model and strong customer base form the foundation for the Group`s integrated services solutions business. Ideally positioned as a leading technology solutions company and focused on selected industries, AST unlocks substantial value for its customers. The AST Group - a trustworthy and innovative ICT company.