Britannica Money

NCR Voyix Corporation

American company
Also known as: Global Information Solutions, National Cash Register Co.
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
Updated:
A cash register made by NCR most likely about 1910 to 1920
Open full sized image
James and John Ritty are credited with creating the original cash register, but it was John H. Patterson who aggressively marketed them and made them a staple of modern retail.
© Shelly Rivoli/Alamy
formerly:
(1974–2023) NCR Corporation, (1884–1974) National Cash Register Co.
Ticker:
NCR
Share price:
$15.75 (mkt close, Dec. 18, 2023)
Market cap:
$3.82 bil.
Annual revenue:
$7.86 bil.
Earnings per share (prev. year):
$0.55
Sector:
Information Technology
Industry:
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
CEO:
Mr. Michael Dale Hayford CPA
Headquarters:
Dayton

NCR Voyix Corporation, American e-commerce company known for its digital banking and point-of-service retail and restaurant software, as well as its offshoot of ATM (automated teller machine) operations. In 2023 NCR Corporation split into two companies: NCR Voyix and NCR Atleos, which oversees ATM operations. The NCR Voyix and NCR Atleos headquarters are based in Atlanta.

Brothers James and John Ritty invented the cash register in 1879. In the early 1880s, to sell their technology, the Ritty brothers established the National Cash Register Company, soon after renaming it the National Manufacturing Company. But the company struggled to sell its products, operating out of a run-down part of Dayton, Ohio. In 1884 John H. Patterson (1844–1922), purchased a majority share in the company and bought the rights to the cash register’s patent. Through aggressive marketing and innovative production and sales techniques, Patterson made the cash register a staple of modern retail. He improved the cash register, making it simpler to use, and sent out his highly motivated sales force to place the product in stores. He paid his salesmen generous commissions and introduced the idea of exclusive territory for each salesman. To allay customer fears of maintaining such complex machinery, he established a force of repairmen to service the products after the sale.

The company evolved in the 20th century, complementing its production of cash registers with the introduction of accounting machines in the 1920s, electronic products during World War II, business forms and computer hardware and software in the 1960s, and microelectronics in the 1970s. In the latter decade, under the leadership of presidents William S. Anderson and Charles E. Exley, Jr., NCR continued to develop new technology and expand its markets. However, the company also underwent a thorough reorganization during that time that included a sharp reduction in its labor force and the decentralization of its operations away from Dayton.

computer chip. computer. Hand holding computer chip. Central processing unit (CPU). history and society, science and technology, microchip, microprocessor motherboard computer Circuit Board

In 1991 the company was purchased by AT&T and was renamed Global Information Solutions. As part of AT&T’s split into three companies in 1996 the NCR Corporation was spun off to AT&T shareholders and regained its original name. In 2022 NCR revealed plans to split into two companies, NCR Voyix and NCR Atleos. NCR Voyix focuses on digital commerce, such as point-of-sale transaction technology and self-checkout machines. NCR Atleos was created to outsource the company’s surcharge-free ATMs. In October 2023 the company completed its planned division and began operating as two entities, each separately traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

An NCR-owned ATM (automated teller machine), 2021
Open full sized image
NCR Corporation split in part because the company aimed to keep its ATM division separate from its software as a service (SaaS) and self-checkout technology divisions.
© Philip Openshaw/Dreamstime.com
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Tara Ramanathan.