LONDON, November 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Level Four, the supplier of open standards-based ATM software, today announced a new global partnership with Polaris Software Lab Limited (POLS.BO), a provider of speciality application development and testing services in the banking, financial and insurance sectors. The agreement will enable financial institutions to benefit from a complete end-to-end outsourced testing solution, combining Level Four's automated ATM testing application, BRIDGE:test, with Polaris' testing services.

Customers who deploy BRIDGE:test as part of an outsourcing strategy with Polaris can achieve an optimal balance of cost and control as well as greater overall efficiency. Testing phases are shorter through a greater degree of automation and tests will be executed by testing professionals with specific ATM sector knowledge, according to a specially developed methodology by Polaris.

Capitalising on the growing global trend to outsource ATM testing, Polaris has established centres of excellence for ATM testing in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sydney, Australia and Toronto, Canada. As part of the PACE testing practice within Polaris, the need for specialist domain knowledge to handle complex ATM environments was considered essential.

Polaris has built up significant experience in application development, testing and deployment of ATM solutions for banks across the globe. By partnering with Level Four, Polaris will be able to service its clients with automated testing which offers faster and more accurate results, combating the challenge of more regular systems updates and software patches that modern, Windows-based ATMs demand.

Mr. Bikash Mathur, Partner Head, EMEA, at Polaris said: We see ATM testing as a huge growth market and a significant opportunity for us. Having built up a successful testing global practice in the financial services industry, we recognise the significant advantage that an automated testing tool could offer our customers. A key vision at Polaris is to partner with industry pioneers and we view Level Four as a leading player in the ATM testing market. With BRIDGE:test, Polaris' specialist ATM staff will be able to give existing customers an improved offering and also attract new customers through the unique ability to combine faster deliverables with cost efficiencies.

Ian Kerr, CEO, Level Four, said: In the present market conditions, banks are increasingly looking to outsource to make operational efficiencies. ATM testing is a key area in a bank's delivery channel strategy that can benefit from outsourcing. Under the agreement, Polaris test professionals will be certified to execute ATM testing plans using BRIDGE:test, enabling them to gain an advantage over their competitors by offering the benefits of automation in addition to those of outsourcing.

About Level Four

Level Four's integrated BRIDGE suite of open ATM software products have been developed to address the needs of ATM deployers seeking to maximise their investment in the ATM channel. BRIDGE is targeted at banks and ATM deployers who are running, or seeking to run, a modern ATM network based on the industry-wide CEN/XFS open standard. As a true holistic offering, BRIDGE recognises the needs of ATM deployers in the areas of installation, testing and monitoring as well as run-time ATM software.

Since 1995, Level Four has built an impressive global customer base of banks and payments processors including, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB, National Bank of Dubai, Rabobank, Vocalink and Standard Bank of South Africa. Headquartered in Dunfermline, Level Four has offices in Dubai and Charlotte, NC.

For more information, please visit: http://www.levelfour.com

Press contact Alexia Ward Hotwire, press agency Tel: +44(0)207-608-4687 alexia.ward@hotwirepr.com

Press contact: Alexia Ward, Hotwire, press agency, Tel: +44(0)207-608-4687, alexia.ward@hotwirepr.com