Automated teller machine with virtual bank sharing

An automated teller machine (ATM) comprising:

• a host operating system to host a plurality of virtual automated teller machines (VATMs) resident in the ATM;
• a plurality of peripherals including a user interface for interacting with a user providing user information;
• each VATM of the plurality of VATMs is identified as being affiliated with a different financial institution of a plurality of financial institutions, the VATMs networked to the plurality of financial institutions such that each VATM is networked only to its affiliated financial institution, each VATM having its own operating system separate from the host operating system, its own ATM software application resident in the ATM, its own menu of banking options resident in the ATM for providing to the user, and its own virtual peripheral modules to control access of the each VATM to the plurality of peripherals;
• and
• an interface to communicate between the VATMs and the plurality of peripherals, receive the user information from the user interface, identify the user's financial institution, link the user with the user's financial institution through a selected VATM corresponding to the user's financial institution and provide the menu of banking options to the user as if the user were using an ATM dedicated to the user's financial institution.

A method of handling a financial transaction at an automated teller machine (ATM) including a host operating system to host a plurality of virtual automated teller machines (VATMs) resident in the ATM, the VATMs networked to a plurality of financial institutions, each VATM having its own operating system separate from the host operating system, its own ATM software application resident in the ATM, its own menu of banking options resident in the ATM for providing to the user, and its own virtual peripheral modules to control access of the each VATM to the plurality of peripherals, the method comprising:

• responsive to a user providing user information, interacting with the user to learn an identity of a user's financial institution;
• identifying the user's financial institution to the user from the plurality of financial institutions having VATMs resident in the ATM;
• loading resources in the ATM for the VATM affiliated with the user's financial institution into the ATM, such resources including the ATM software application, automated teller applications from the user's financial institution and virtual peripheral modules to enable peripheral resources to be controlled by the VATM affiliated with the user's financial institution;
• displaying to the user a menu of banking options from the user's financial institution, the banking options being provided by the VATM affiliated with the user's financial institution;
• responsive to the user initiating a financial transaction with the VATM affiliated with the user's financial institution, executing by the financial institution the financial transaction;
• and
• releasing the resources for the VATM affiliated with the user's financial institution;
• wherein the method is performed on one or more computing devices.