Costa Coffee taps IoT connectivity specialist to upgrade its vending machines
The move allows the coffee chain to enact real-time data collection.
Costa Coffee has tapped IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity specialist Eseye in a bid to improve its vending machines.
The initiative saw Costa Coffee equipping its Express coffee machines with the Eseye AnyNet Secure multi-IMSI SIM, which connects to any available mobile network instantly, enabling cellular data access anywhere and communication to the back-end systems as soon as one of the 10,000 plus machines are powered on.
The SIM also provides health-monitoring, local time synchronization and data route information.
Costa Express is also utilising Eseye’s new AnyNet Active Management service, which provides a real-time data feed to enable Costa to make changes to its IoT device profiles, such as device uptime, and maintenance status. It is also able to push new commercial and marketing offers directly to the machine over the network.
Through Eseye’s technology, Costa Coffee can act faster to ensure site staff replenish milk and other consumables, with machine functionality such as coffee grinder or boiler performance is monitored in real-time. It also reduces the need for specialist engineers to physically connect every machine to local Wi-Fi or cellular networks, and ensure uptime.
