i-design, the Scottish firm that pioneered the use of cash machines for marketing, said it hopes to win more banks as customers after making a good start to the current year.

Dundee-based i-design said trading in the first three months of the new financial year to September 30, 2012, was in line with management expectations helped by strong sales of its software.

Founded by its chief executive Ana Stewart, i-design develops technology that allows banks to use automated teller machines for marketing and to run adverts for third parties.

Efforts to win new customers were complicated by the banking crisis that started in 2008, which prompted some lenders to reduce the amount of money they invested in new systems and technology.

However, conditions have since improved in key markets.

I-design broke into profitability in the year to last September after winning a number of big contracts from companies that operate lots of cash machines, including Barclays Bank.

The company made a £105,000 pre-tax profit. It lost £962,000 in the preceding year.

Turnover increased by 60% annually to £3.5 million, from £2.2m in the previous year.

In the first quarter of the current financial year the company won its first contract with a Canadian bank through IBM.

This established i-design in a new territory.

The company's chairman Jim Faulds told yesterday's general meeting: "We are optimistic of further new contracts for our customer engagement software, joono, over the remainder of the financial year."

He added: "We believe that growth opportunities for the Group remain significant and i-design is well positioned to continue to enlarge its banking customer base as well as expand revenues from third-party advertising sales."