At Venditalia in May 2015, Intel and vending operator N&W Global Vending presented the first prototype of a vending machine using the new Intel retail gateway for intelligent vending.
The Internet of Things (IoT) – described as “a vision of ubiquitous connectivity”, in which data can be shared regardless of whether a screen is involved – has become a powerful driver of business transformation. The Internet of Things will include 50bn units installed by 2020, according to market intelligence firm IDC. This surge in connectivity is making an impact across industries including vending, where global shipments of intelligent vending machines are forecasted to reach around 2m units by 2016, with both new and retrofit markets combined.
The launch of Intel’s IoT retail gateway reference design for intelligent vending will address the significant costs and complexities traditionally associated with retrofitting the large amount of existing equipment that is not currently connected, managed or secured, the California-based corporation said.
Building on previous Intel reference designs, the IoT retail gateway reference design integrates pre-validated building blocks that facilitate the integration of multiple compute workloads. Examples include vending machine controller, touch screen, telemetry, digital advertising, payment and transaction management, as well as simplification of integration with back office applications. Adopting proven compute models enables vending machine manufacturers and vending operators to focus on innovation, reduce development time and investment risk while differentiating themselves by moving to a powerful PC-based platform.
“By consolidating multiple workloads onto a single vending platform, manufacturers can free up time to focus on meeting the increasing expectations of today’s tech-savvy consumers,” said Jose Avalos, worldwide director of visual retail for Intel. “For example, customers can integrate new natural user interfaces, social media capabilities, loyalty programs and nutritional information – all of which will have a positive impact on the consumer’s vending experience.”
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