Walking The Talk: Why Two CUs Have Invested In Speech-Enabled ATMs.

WILLISTON, VT. -- Two credit unions are taking the lead-and proving that technology investment is not always about ROI-as they launch the nation's first talking ATMs via Diebold and NYCE Corp.

"We probably won't get any leverage off of the speech-enabled ATMs," said James St.Peter, manager of Technology and Operations at New England FCU. "We are launching the machines just because it's really the right thing to do. We have a true concern for members with disabilities."

The $490-million CU is the first CU on the NYCE debit card payments network to run Diebold's Opteva speech-enabled ATMs, St.Peter said.

New England FCU began rolling out the talking …