Developing an application directly on XFS (making calls to the XFS Service Providers of each device through the XFS kernel) is a task that involves some difficulties (programming in C++, event management, concurrency management, memory management; and above all, very extensive and complex documentation).
Dwide is a Serquo middleware that assists in the development of multi-vendor ATM applications, simplifying communication with the devices and abstracting from the complexity of the XFS standard. Dwide provides a simple and flexible REST interface to interact with ATM devices. It allows developers of any technology to develop multi-manufacturer self-service software solutions.
Advantages of Dwide
The main advantages of Dwide as a solution for XFS software development can be summarized in three aspects, Freedom, Transparency, and Agility.
Freedom of Technology Choice
One of the key advantages of Dwide REST is the freedom it offers in terms of language and technology choice. Other solutions limit development to a specific technology or language and often use proprietary languages or pseudo-languages. However, Dwide REST allows developers to select the tools and languages that best suit their needs and expertise.
Transparency; No Black Boxes
Other solutions create a strong dependence (technical and economic) on the solution provider. Developers can often find themselves trapped in “black boxes,” heavily relying on the limitations, features, and structures provided.
Dwide offers a modular approach that includes some logic to abstract the complexity of using the devices but is also customizable to extend functionality. This, along with the ability to acquire the Dwide source code, allows development teams to maintain control over all layers of their software while benefiting from the simplification advantages offered by the middleware.
Agility: Fast Learning Curve
Using Dwide allows companies to approach self-service developments with widely used technologies in the market and with a very fast learning curve due to the simplicity of the interface (no specific training is required for its use). With Dwide, the integration of new members into the development team is much smoother.
Dwide REST is a middleware that allows new-generation developers to develop self-service applications in a comfortable environment, without training in proprietary tools and without the constraints of other solutions. It enables banks and software companies to tackle the development of multi-vendor ATM applications without extensive specific XFS knowledge and using up-to-date programming languages and technologies.
Self-service Software
Developing self-service software was, 30 years ago, something that only ATM manufacturers could do, as they had privileged information about the communication interfaces with the devices that composed their ATMs. This forced banks to acquire software and hardware from the same vendor or, if they opted for different brands, to maintain different applications depending on the ATM.
The advent of connectivity standards, and more specifically, the birth of CEN/XFS (originally WOSA/XFS in 1995), led to an agreement between banks and manufacturers to standardize the way applications and devices would communicate.
With XFS came the era of multi-vendor applications: a single self-service application working on different brands and models of ATMs. Financial institutions gained the freedom to select hardware and software for their ATM networks. Not without facing some complications.