The automatic teller machine services of Japan’s financial institutions will be linked into a single network for the first time by the middle of next year – currently, the cash-dispenser systems of some banks are linked while others are not and reject your card: there are more than 68,400 dispensers in operation around Japan, not including the post office savings account machines, which number 8,411: the services of each of the banks will be linked in three stages to Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp’s computer system, with the initial stage, involving the linking of commercial and regional banks, to be complete by early February 1990, followed by the 68 second regional banks or mutual financing banks and the seven trust banks; the third stage will involve the linking of credit unions and credit associations – and Citibank’s Japanese affiliate will partipate.
