View source for CEN/XFS


{{Short description|Financial server architecture for Microsoft Windows}}
{{about|a computing standard|other uses|XFS (disambiguation)}}

{{Multiple issues|
{{external links|date=April 2017}}
{{inline|date=March 2025}}
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'''CEN/XFS''' or '''XFS''' (''extensions for financial services'')<ref>{{Cite web |title=CEN Workshop on eXtensions for Financial Services (WS/XFS) |url=https://www.cencenelec.eu/areas-of-work/xfs_cwa16926_340_release/ |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=CEN-CENELEC}}</ref> provides a client-server architecture for financial applications on the [[Microsoft Windows]] platform, especially peripheral devices such as [[EFTPOS]] terminals and [[Automatic teller machine|ATM]]s which are unique to the financial industry. It is an international standard promoted by the [[European Committee for Standardization]] (known by the acronym CEN, hence CEN/XFS). The standard is based on the '''[[Windows Open Services Architecture|WOSA]] Extensions for Financial Services''' or '''WOSA/XFS''' developed by [[Microsoft]].

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 European Committee for Standardization as an international standard.
* 2000 - XFS 3.0 released by CEN
* 2008 - XFS 3.10 released by CEN
* 2011 - XFS 3.20 released by CEN
* 2015 - XFS 3.30 released by CEN
* 2020 - XFS 3.40 released by CEN
* 2022 - XFS 3.50 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:
* [https://www.linkedin.com/company/f1-solutions-sp.-z-o.o./about/ F1 Solutions] - F1 TPS (multi-vendor ATM & POS solution)
* [https://serquo.com/en/xfs/ Serquo - Dwide] (REST API middleware for XFS)
*[http://www.nexussoft.com Nexus Software LLC] - Nexus Evolution
* [[Nautilus Hyosung]] - [[Nextware]]
* [[Cyttek Gen3XFS]] - Multivendor terminal solution for ATM
* [[Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions]] [[Atom (web standard)|ATOM]]
* [[Diebold Agilis Power]]
* [[NCR Corporation|NCR]] - [https://www.ncr.com/product-catalog/ncr-xfs NCR XFS]
* [[Korala Associates Limited|KAL]] - [http://www.KAL.com KAL Kalignite]
* [https://www.aurigaspa.com Auriga - The Banking E-volution]- WWS Omnichannel Platform
* [http://www.phoenix-interactive.com Phoenix Interactive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728035912/http://www.phoenix-interactive.com/ |date=2010-07-28 }} [http://www.phoenix-interactive.com/solutions/atm-software/terminal-software/vista-atm/ VISTAatm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112170844/http://www.phoenix-interactive.com/solutions/atm-software/terminal-software/vista-atm/ |date=2010-11-12 }} Acquired by Diebold
* [[Wincor Nixdorf]] ProBase (ProBase C as WOSA/XFS platform - ProBase J as J/XFS platform)
* [https://www.salzburgerbankensoftware.com/sbs/home.nsf/pages/Home SBS Software] [https://www.salzburgerbankensoftware.com/sbs/home.nsf/pages/KIXXtension_en KIXXtension]
* [[Dynasty Technology Group]] - (JSI) Jam Service Interface
* [[HST Systems & Technologies]] - [[HAL Interface]]
* [http://code.google.com/p/freexfs/ FreeXFS]- open source XFS platform
* [[GRG Banking|GRG banking]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20130930074034/http://grgbanking.com/softs/terminal.html eCAT] (multi-vendor ATM terminal solution)
* TIS [https://github.com/tisrico/xfs-sst-js xfs.js implementation](open source for node.js community)
* [[Türk Ekonomi Bankası|TEB]] Orion
* ibXFS (Multi-vendor ATM terminal solution) - [https://hitachi-dps.com/ Hitachi Digital Payment Solutions] 

== 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:
* [[Cyttek Group]] - [[XFS Middleware]]
* Abbrevia Simplicity [https://www.abbrevia.com/]
* Paragon VirtualATM [https://www.paragonedge.com/products/virtualatm Product Page] [https://www.paragonedge.com/atm-testing ATM Testing]
* FIS ATM TestLab, [https://www.fisglobal.com/en-gb/products/open-test-solutions Open Test Solutions], [https://www.fisglobal.com/-/media/fisglobal/files/PDF/brochure/OTS-Brochure.pdf Product Brochure] (was Clear2Pay, formerly Level Four Software and Lexcel TestSystem ATM)
* Serquo XFS ATM Simulator [https://atmirage.serquo.com/en/ Atmirage]
* [[KAL ATM Software|KAL]] [http://www.KAL.com KAL Kalignite] Test Utilities
* [[Dynasty Technology Group]] - [[JSI Simulators]]
* [[HST Systems & Technologies]] (Brazil)
* [[Takkto Technologies]] (Mexico)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171122125714/http://www.lutzwolf.com/ LUTZWOLF JDST] - Testtool for J/XFS compatibility
* Afferent Software RapidFire ATM XFS [http://www.afferentsoftware.com/]


== J/XFS ==
J/XFS is an alternative [[API]] to CEN/XFS (which is [[Windows]] specific) and also to Xpeak (which is Operating System independent, based on XML messages). J/XFS is written in [[Java (programming language)|Java]] with the objective to provide a [[Computing platform|platform]] agnostic [[client-server architecture]] for financial applications, especially [[peripheral device]]s used in the financial industry such as [[EFTPOS]] terminals and [[Automated teller machine|ATM]]s.

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. J/XFS provides a common [[Object-oriented programming|Object Oriented]] API between a pure Java application and a wide range of financial devices, providing a layer of separation between application and device logic that can be implemented using a native J/XFS API or wrapping an existing implementation in [[JavaPOS]] or CEN/XFS.

J/XFS was developed by the companies [[De La Rue]], [[IBM]], [[NCR Corporation|NCR]], [[Wincor Nixdorf]] and [[Sun Microsystems]] and is now hosted, monitored and maintained by the [[European Committee for Standardization]], CEN.

== See also ==
* Xpeak - Devices Connectivity using XML (Open Source Project).
* [[Automated teller machine]]
* [[Teller assist unit]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
:*<small>{{cite journal |last1=Braeuer |first1=Johannes |last2=Gmeiner |first2=Bernadette |last3=Sametinger |first3=Johannes |title=A Risk Assessment of Logical Attacks on a CEN/XFS-based ATM Platform |journal=International Journal on Advances in Security |date=2016 |volume=9 |issue=3 and 4 |pages=122–132 |url=http://www.iariajournals.org/security/ |access-date=18 March 2025 |publisher=International Academy, Research, and Industry Association}}</small>

== External links ==
* [https://www.cencenelec.eu/areas-of-work/cen-sectors/digital-society-cen/cwa-download-area/ CEN/XFS Home Page]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cen Xfs}}
[[Category:Windows communication and services]]
[[Category:Device drivers]]
[[Category:Embedded systems]]
[[Category:Application programming interfaces]]
[[Category:Microsoft application programming interfaces]]
[[Category:Banking technology]]