Atlantik Elektronik Router and Gateways from Cradlepoint
10. February 2021 | Planegg
The worldwide kiosk system market is valued more than 5.8 billion USD and will grow to nearly 7 billion USD in 2024, according to the MarketWatch. The habits of the people are changing. Due to the faster pace of life, everybody is trying to save as much time as possible. This leads to a shift in buyer behavior; more and more customers buy drinks, food, and other products from e.g. vending machines since it is simpler and way faster than going to a grocery store.
Knowing that the 3G infrastructure will be shut down this year, there is actually need for new 4G capable, reliable and cost effective solutions in terms of routers & gateways, antennas and services.
Challenge
Because the market is so big, many companies are focusing on installing and maintaining kiosk systems. These operations require many different employees, starting from engineers who will program the kiosk system or personnel who will refill vending machines with beverages or food if it runs out. All of those companies are trying to cut expenditures to make their businesses more profitable and find new ways how to improve the maintenance of kiosk systems. Some are trying to put sensors for monitoring the content of kiosk systems, some are using innovative payment methods, and some companies are using kiosk systems with digital screens, which opens up possibilities to generate additional income from advertisements. All vending infrastructure innovations have something in common; they require reliable and secure internet connectivity, which empowers all smart devices used for operating and maintaining kiosk systems.
Solution
Connection reliability is the most crucial feature for the kiosk system market since all parts of the solution are connected to one single device. As we can see in the topology above, the main elements that are connected can include Bluetooth sensors for temperature, humidity and stock levels, digital screen for advertising, payment terminal for electronic payments, and the controller responsible for the overall operation of the vending machine. If the machine lost connectivity to the Internet, most of these solution components would stop functioning. Installing a professional cellular router, like the IBR600C, kiosk system operators and integrators can connect all parts of the vending solution to a single device and have internet backup because IBR600C is equipped with 4G LTE Cat 6 with 2 SIM cards supported. The whole solution can be monitored via NetCloud (Remote Management System), which gives the possibility to get notifications and alerts if something unexpected happens. Also, IBR600C works as a gateway to the service center, allowing operators to monitor the stock levels inside the vending machine and make efficient decisions for refilling the machine.
Cradlepoint products and customized complete solutions can be ordered at Atlantik Elektronik Webshop now.
