Welcome to edition 3 of Vending Insight, a regular feature from Planet Vending that focuses on today’s cashless, connected, IoT (Internet of Things) society. There’s no product news in Vending Insight and no stories about the providers of those products. On the contrary, it’s our intention to provide those vending operators, who are hungry for information on developing technologies, with some satisfying food for thought.
Each week, PV Editor Ian Reynolds-Young will comment on an aspect of this fast changing world and each week, we’ll provide our Ten Top Links that will take you to stories that have appeared across the Internet. They won’t all be about vending: in fact, we’ll steer you, through these stories, in the direction the world is heading. We hope that Vending Insight will inspire you to investigate how to apply the features of cashless payments, data collection and connectivity to the advantage of your vending business.
Data, the whole data and nothing but the data.
We’re talking about the trends within a given location or type of business; we’re talking about what sells and what doesn’t sell in any particular niche. Operators don’t need a consumer to tell them that; they get that real granularity of insight thanks to the robust data that can be harvested from multiple points of consumption. Ian Reynolds-Young provokes reaction again, and it’s exclusively HERE
Vending Insight From The Web
Digital Transformation 3.0: Enter The IoT Blind Spot (Forbes)
The internet of things (IoT) is taking us through the biggest digital transformation the world has ever seen — bigger than both the PC and mobile revolutions combined. Currently, there are an estimated 8.4 billion connected devices in use worldwide this year, and that number is expected to reach at least 20.4 billion by 2020. Get your head spinning, HERE.
Connectivity worth just 5 per cent of total IoT revenues by 2025 (Telecom TV)
“The IoT revenue opportunity is shifting away from simply connecting devices to addressing specific sectors with tailored solutions,” said Sylwia Kechiche, Principal Analyst, IoT, GSMA Intelligence” says Sylwia Kechiche, Principal Analyst, IoT, GSMA Intelligence. Guy Daniels’ report is HERE
London to introduce world’s first contactless card payment scheme for buskers (The Guardian)
The last bastion of cash breached?Busk In London, a Mayor of London initiative, has partnered with technology company iZettle to give card readers to performers. The project will allow street musicians across London to accept payments via cash, contactless cards, wearable technology and chip and pin. Wonderwall anybody? HERE
Why implement an IoT solution (Network World)
Everyone’s talking about the IoT. And there is no question that, today, all the technology needed for the transformation of businesses – from the most industrially focused to the most consumer-facing enterprises – is readily available. Clear headed information, HERE.
Why China is finding it so easy to go cashless (Highsnobiety)
Unlike the U.S., credit cards never became a mainstream form of payment in China, but the Asian country is already leading by example by leapfrogging many other countries in cashless tech. An intriguing video, and it’s HERE
Fancy Yourself As A Futurologist? (IBM)
How can you improve quality, prevent downtime, and increase throughput in your manufacturing environment? The obvious answer. You bring in a robot (meet ARMonk, ARMie for short), the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence. Course you do. Just when you thought we were ‘advanced’… Woaah! HERE
Going Cashless? (Talking Tech)
If you’re fed up with reading, here’s a good listen: Jeremy Allaire, the founder of the Circle digital payment app, discusses a cashless future with Jefferson Graham on Talking Tech, loud and clear, HERE.
So what on Earth is Cryptocurrency? (CNBC)
Nope, us neither! WHen there’s no longer any cash and notes and coins are no longer required, what else could count as money. You may need to wear your nerd hat to read this, but just in case, it’s HERE
Internet of Things: When objects threaten national security (The Conversation)
We all know personal devices can be hacked, but a whole country’s security could be at risk too. With the rise of the IoT) the risk to national security is increasing. Get out those worry beads before you click HERE