The history of the Swedish ATM: sparfrämjandet and Metior

Björn Thodenius, Bernardo Bátiz-Lazo, Tobias Karlsson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the first decades of the history of the Swedish Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Sweden was one of the pioneers in using ATMs, starting with cash dispensers or cash machines in 1967. The first machine was made operational and shown to the press on 6 July 1967 in Uppsala at Upsala Sparbank, only one week after the first cash machine in the world was made operational in the UK. The Malmo-based company Metior manufactured the Swedish machine. This paper seeks to document the origins and the early development of cash machines by Swedish savings banks, employing oral as well as archival sources. Interestingly, we find that the key actor behind the ATM technology was not Spadab, the computer company of the saving banks, but Sparframjandet, a company most well known for its campaigns to encourage thrift among children.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHistory of Nordic Computing 3
Subtitle of host publicationThird IFIP WG 9.7 Conference, HiNC 3, Stockholm, Sweden, October 18-20, 2010, Revised Selected Papers
EditorsJohn Impagliazzo, Per Lundin, Benkt Wangler
Place of PublicationBerlin
PublisherSpringer
Pages92-100
Number of pages9
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)9783642233159
ISBN (Print)9783642233142
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes
Event3rd IFIP WG 9.7 Conference on History of Nordic Computing, HiNC 2010 - Stockholm, Sweden
Duration: 18 Oct 201020 Oct 2010

Publication series

NameIFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
Volume350
ISSN (Print)1868-4238
ISSN (Electronic)1868-422X

Conference

Conference3rd IFIP WG 9.7 Conference on History of Nordic Computing, HiNC 2010
Country/TerritorySweden
CityStockholm
Period18/10/1020/10/10

Keywords

  • Automated teller machines (ATM)
  • Cash dispensers
  • Savings banks
  • Sweden
  • Technological change

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