LEIPZIG, Germany – Microsoft brought together all its partners for the Deutsche Partnerkonferenz (DPK17) in Leipzig. Rancilio Group took part in the event presenting the high-tech services offered by IoT Connect technology, developed in partnership with Microsoft, and applied to the fully automatic Egro One coffee machine.
It was an important meeting for the Redmond-based giant, the largest ever organised outside the United States, centred on the new industry 4.0 developments, with a particular focus on the new business opportunities offered by Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
With over 2000 registered delegates and more than 80 hours of workshops, meetings and roundtables, DPK17 took a detailed look at “Smart World” issues through presentations made by many Microsoft Corporate executives, aimed at promoting networking, with excellent levels of participation.
The exhibition area hosted over 40 stands with the best examples of IoT applications in a variety of industries ranging from automotive to catering, offering visitors the opportunity to discover how Microsoft partners have implemented technology solutions for their customers.
Among the various showcases, Rancilio Group showed how to get real-time coffee brewing data from the Egro One machine and demonstrated the benefits of Connect for manufacturers, distributors, maintenance personnel and end-users of the machine.
Connect is an application designed to optimise the use, efficiency and profitability of coffee machines. It uses telemetry systems to collect data generated by each coffee machine.
These data are then transferred to the Microsoft Azure cloud, allowing selective remote access to authorised personnel.
A smart gateway provides connectivity for the machines, enabling them to connect to 2G and 3G networks rather than sending the data via the Internet. The gateway is a device with enough processing capacity to ensure constant monitoring of machine behaviour and alarm messages.
Turning a coffee machine into an Internet-enabled device capable of generating and processing data in real time gives Rancilio Group a greater competitive edge in the global marketplace and, thanks to substantial investments in technological research, the company has industry 4.0 standards firmly in its sights.
