First Data will implement the joint ATM Network for three Lithuanian banks

First Data, a worldwide leader in electronic commerce and payment processing services, will manage and maintain the joint ATM network of three Lithuania banks. Two of the banks – Nordea Bank Lietuva and Danske Bankas already have an ATM network which was carried out by First Data in 2006 and the ATMs of the third bank – Ukio Bankas – will join the network in a few months. Owing to this new agreement all three banks will be able to reduce their ATM management costs and provide greater convenience to their customers, who will be able to access card services and withdraw cash at ATM locations in towns and cities across Lithuania. The joint network of Nordea Bank Lietuva and Danske Bankas includes more than 100 ATMs now. The addition of Ukio Bankas' ATMs will increase the network to almost 150 ATMs in the coming months. There are plans to expand the network to include approximately 200 ATMs by the end of 2010. Commenting this new agreement, Zanda Brivule, general manager of First Data in Lithuania said: “This is the first agreement of its kind in the Baltic States and one of the best examples of how the implementation of a joint technology solution can help banks reduce overheads in the current economic climate and deliver additional value to their customers. Connecting and leveraging networks in this way typically allows banks to save substantially on their ATM maintenance costs."