NCR sees more interest in its products
NCR, the technology service company headquartered in Duluth, is seeing increased interest in its products as orders rose 13 percent for the fourth quarter of 2010.
The company, which makes ATMs and other self-service kiosks, saw its earnings rise after experiencing losses for both the fourth quarter and the year in 2009.
NCR saw earnings of $39 million for the last quarter of 2010, or 24 cents a share, as compared to losses of $56 million, or 35 cents a share, in the fourth quarter of 2009. The company earned $134 million in 2010, or 84 cents a share, compared to 2009 losses of $33 million, or 21 cents a share.
In the year, the company entered the entertainment business with Blockbuster Express kiosks and rolled out technologies like ATMs where customers can insert checks and cash in the same bunch, saving time on their deposits.
NCR CEO Bill Nuti said in a conference call he is seeing an increased interest in self-checkout from retailers and that the company ended 2010 on a strong note. Customers, such as Wells Fargo, are more than pleased with NCR's technology, he said, and the company intends to continue its focus on innovation.
"One of our key goals is to delight our customers," he said. "Innovation will continue to play a critical role."
Nuti said NCR in the year eliminated $100 million in annual costs, and expects to eliminate an additional $200 or $300 million in the coming years. Still, the company's pension remains underfunded and it delayed installing some of its Blockbuster Express kiosks as not all locations saw the expected traffic.
But business in China and Brazil has been strong and Nuti said NCR continues to see opportunities worldwide.
"The global macro economy continues to be slow, but steady," he said.
About the Author
Arielle Kass covers Gwinnett County for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She started at the paper in 2010, and has covered business and local government beats around metro Atlanta. Arielle is a graduate of Emory University.
