Courtesy of reader Bala Somasundaram, I see a radical change in the vending machine. No, not just the external design in the new Freestyle Dispensers
As InformationWeek says
“Freestyle will let Coke more easily test new drink flavors and new beverage concepts, such as adding various vitamin combinations to flavored waters and juices. The dispensers each contain 30 cartridges of flavorings that mix up 100 different drink combinations. The cartridges are tagged with radio frequency ID chips, and each dispenser contains an RFID reader. The dispensers collect data on what customers are drinking and how much, and transmit that information each night over a private Verizon wireless network to Coke's SAP data warehouse system in Atlanta. The company will use the data to develop reports that assess how new drinks are doing in the market, identify differences in regional tastes, and help fast-food outlets decide which drinks to serve.”
QSR Magazine adds
“Flavor aside, the machine is just plain cool. It operates on the same Windows CE system used in smart phones. Its body is inspired by Italian auto design and its touchscreen akin to something you might find on iPhone. The Freestyle I used is capable of creating 90 unique drinks from 20 SKUs, yet its supplies require 40 percent less storage. More importantly, the Willy's I visited has seen beverage business increase in the double digits since the machine appeared.
What really has me excited though is Freestyle's potential at the drive-thru. Coke theorizes this machine might be the push the industry needs to move to touchscreen ordering at the loop. Can you imagine pulling into your local drive-thru and customizing not only your meal, but also your beverage.”
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