Telemetry Talk » Strategy http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog Welcome to MEI's telemetry talk blog – the first site 100% dedicated to vending telemetry technology. On this blog you can post questions to MEI experts and read the latest information on telemetry hardware and software. Browse through the posted content, or click on the links on the right side of the screen to get started. Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:10:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 To Tap or Swipe…That is the Vending Question http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog/2011/05/to-tap-or-swipe%e2%80%a6that-is-the-vending-question/ http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog/2011/05/to-tap-or-swipe%e2%80%a6that-is-the-vending-question/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 12:45:48 +0000 Bob Martin http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog/?p=20 Contactless payment in a wide range of self-service retail applications is catching on, but how quickly? A representative of USA Technologies recently predicted contactless dominance in all retail venues, including vending, within just two years. That’s a pretty big statement, considering that the majority of cards in people’s wallets today have a mag stripe…and those people are not yet familiar with tapping. It has taken Americans over a decade to really embrace “swiping” and feel comfortable with the security of this type of payment method. We think a safer bet is the growth of contactless mobile payment, especially considering the fact that most people today carry a mobile device. This is where the opportunity for contactless payment growth lies, yet even so, it may be still too early to make any certain predictions.

Here are two different contactless technology options:
1) RFID – with this method, a RFID sticker is applied directly to the mobile device, and can be waved in front of the contactless payment bezel just like a contactless card.
2) Application – with this alternative method, an application is downloaded to the phone that enables the contactless payment through the cloud. This is the less expensive, more convenient method but one that is most foreign to consumers.

The question remains: will consumers accept either method as secure? Only time will tell. To hear more on this topic, tune in to VendingMarketWatch.com’s latest AudioConnect podcast, “MEI’s Bob Martin Examines Vending Payment Options” http://www.vendingmarketwatch.com/podcast/ or Ask the Experts here at MEI.

]]> http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog/2011/05/to-tap-or-swipe%e2%80%a6that-is-the-vending-question/feed/ 0 Telemetry and “Green” http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog/2008/07/telemetry-and-green/ http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog/2008/07/telemetry-and-green/#comments Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:32:42 +0000 MEI http://www.telemetrytalk.com/blog/?p=7 Everyone is going ‘green’ these days and vending customers are no exception.  They are looking for partners who can help their business move forward as a more responsible corporate citizen.  A vending operator can be a clear contributor to this ‘sustainability’ effort by incorporating telemetry technology into how they run their operations.  By only visiting machines that require service, an operator can dramatically reduce their energy consumption.  Whether an operator monitors sales or alarms via telemetry, nothing is more efficient or more ‘green’ than only visiting machines that truly require servicing.

So incorporate into your sales and operations strategy the use of telemetry to not only save your business ‘green’ cash, but help differentiate your company as recognizing the importance of going ‘green’ for your customers.

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