CEN/XFS

CEN/XFS or XFS provides a client-server architecture for financial applications on the Microsoft Windows platform, especially peripheral devices such as EFTPOS terminals and ATMs which are unique to the financial industry. It was initially known as WOSA Extensions for Financial Services or WOSA/XFS.

With the move to a more standardized software base, financial institutions have been increasingly interested in the ability to pick and choose the application programs that drive their equipment. XFS provides a common API for accessing and manipulating various financial services devices regardless of the manufacturer.

History

Chronology:
* 1991 - Microsoft forms "Banking Solutions Vendor Council"
* 1995 - WOSA/XFS 1.11 released
* 1997 - WOSA/XFS 2.0 released - additional support for 24 hours-a-day unattended operation
* 1998 - adopted by CEN as an international standard.
* 2000 - XFS 3.0 released by CEN
* 2008 - XFS 3.10 released by CEN

WOSA/XFS changed name to simply XFS when the standard was adopted by the international CEN/ISSS standards body. However, it is most commonly called CEN/XFS by the industry participants.

XFS Middleware

While the perceived benefit of XFS is similar to Java's "Write once, run anywhere" mantra, often different hardware vendors have different interpretations of the XFS standard. The result of these differences in interpretation means that applications typically use a middleware to even out the differences between various platforms implementation of XFS.

Notable XFS middleware platforms include:
* Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions ATOM
* Diebold Agilis Power
* NCR Corporation Aptra Edge
* KAL Kalignite
* Phoenix Interactive VISTAatm
* Wincor Nixdorf Protopas
* SBS Software KIXFS/Terminal Control

XFS Test Tools

XFS test tools allow testing of XFS applications and middleware on simulated hardware. Some tools include sophisticated automatic regression testing capabilities.

Providers of XFS test tools include:
* Level Four Software BRIDGE Test
* KAL Kalignite Test Utilities

Related links

* J/XFS - a Java implementation of the CEN XFS API. [ [http://jxfs.net/ J/XFS Web Site - Welcome to J/XFS ] ]
* [http://www.xpeak.org Xpeak - Devices Connectivity using XML (Open Source Project).]
* Automated teller machine
* Teller assist unit

External links

* [http://www.cenorm.be/cenorm/businessdomains/businessdomains/isss/activity/wsxfs.asp CEN/XFS Home Page]
* [http://www.nayadegroup.com WOSA/XFS driver developers (http://www.nayadegroup.com) Spanish]

References