Duluth-based financial technology giant NCR said Thursday it has acquired a Utah developer of a video conferencing system that NCR uses in automated teller machines.

NCR acquired uGenius for an undisclosed sum. NCR previously teamed with uGenius for the development of NCR’s APTRA Interactive Teller system that allows customers to deal face-to-face with a live teller via a ATM video screen.

NCR said in a news release it expects to start pilot programs with the interactive teller system with several major U.S. banks in the first half of this year. NCR bought a minority stake in uGenius in early 2012.

“Video banking – or, as we prefer to call it, remote assisted service – will continue to gain momentum in the U.S. and other countries in 2013,” Peter Leav, NCR executive vice president, said in the release.

Many banks are trimming their branch networks as consumers use them less often and move to mobile and self-service banking technologies.