Coca-Cola Customers to Buy Vending Machine Drinks Using Marconi's GSM Dial-a-Coke Solution - Marconi Systems Technology Co - Brief Article

Wireless Internet, May, 2001

Marconi Online Systems and a primary European Coca-Cola bottler announced an important new pilot for Dial-a-Coke, with a possible future deployment to over 6,000 machines. This pilot potentially transforms the way consumers will buy drinks from vending machines.

Eddie King, TCC Europe, manager of retail equipment innovation, said that m-commerce may offer improved choices to its customers. This program is very important to both Coca-Cola Europe and Marconi, and has the full backing of the Coca-Cola Company.

Selected machines will be specifically upgraded to become Dial-a-Coke outlets using Marconi's Intelligent Vending technology -- a solution that allows a consumer to pay for a drink using a GSM cellular phone. Dial-a-Coke means that people won't need the right change in their pockets to make a purchase. The system is designed to be quick and very easy to use, and because it will work alongside existing coin systems, customers will always be able to buy what they want.

The machine will also use Marconi's Intelligent Vending solutions to deliver Online Vending. The system allows vending machines to call in overnight, making sure that the very latest sales and operational reports arrive at the bottler's depot every morning.