Some financial institutions, banks and ATM operators are opting to migrate from Windows to Linux. The reason for opting in a free operating system is because Linux has a better control over hardware and software upgrade cycles.
Computerworld reports that Microsoft is solely responsible for pushing them down that path due to its decision to end the support for Windows XP on April 8th 2014. The above statement was out after a concern shown from David Tente, executive director of the ATM Industry Association in USA. "There is some heartburn in the industry" over Microsoft's end-of-support decision, added Tente.
ATM operators would definitely choose to synchronize their hardware and software upgrade, but it gets difficult when Microsoft dictates their software upgrade timetable. As a result, "some are looking at the possibility of using a non-Microsoft operating system to synch up their hardware and software upgrades," Tente said.
The interest in a Windows alternative is presently from a small group of larger operators - which is what one might expect, as they are the most heavily impacted," he said.
Many institutions have already moved on to Windows 7 or Windows 8, or are in the process of upgrading for their ATM systems. However, there are a few others who are considering the Open-source OS, Linux, as a cheaper and feasible alternative, Tente said.
