EE and Nokia Siemens team up to offer ‘smart’ vending

Everything Everywhere (EE) and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) have announced a partnership to enable vending machine companies to offer contactless payment and monitor stock remotely.
The machines will be installed with an EE sim card and NSN’s Vend Me app which will allow managers to remotely monitor the efficiency of the machines and offer alternative methods of payment to avoid large amounts of cash being kept in the machines.
Using social media, vendors will also be able to send targeted messages to people in the vicinity of the machines using the app.
The new smart machines will allow payments through Orange Quick Tap and through cards Near Field Communications technology.
EE vice president wholesale and M2M Marc Overton said: “Vending is just one of many areas where we are offering innovative services outside the traditional telecoms remit. There is great potential for M2M technologies to provide companies operating internationally in all sectors with instant access to data, making businesses run better and improving the customer experience.”
NSN head of the M2M business line Bernd Gross added: “Nokia Siemens Networks is committed to driving the benefits of M2M applications into different industries by developing solutions that address a wide variety of requirements seamlessly and cost-efficiently. This partnership with Everything Everywhere means that we can offer our customers a reduced time to market of up to 60 per cent, and with half-a-million vending machines across the UK and many millions more around the world, we see a great opportunity to use mobile broadband and our customer experience management expertise to offer an improved experience to people.”

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