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WMF's CoffeeConnect: IoT-Enabled Coffee Machine Management - Case Study
The promise of connectivity
In WMF’s world of IoT-connected professional coffee machines, facility managers can keep their machines running smoothly. WMF CoffeeConnect helps them keep track of any errors or tasks and act on them instantly—before office workers even notice. Managers in restaurants, bars and fast-food chains can generate revenue for their companies as WMF’s connectivity and digital tools offer them a clear overview of everything from machine data, revenues from different branches and drink quality checks, peak-period performance drops, wait times and service/maintenance schedules. Engineers are also connected, sometimes with up to 40,000 devices connected to a single service engineer.
WMF’s CoffeeConnect digitalisation and networking offering is poised to dominate the professional coffee machine segment. It allows for an innovative, easy and powerful way to manage the performance of machines, with increased uptime. It makes it easier than ever to manage machines, thanks to the overview of usage and sales figures, service information and error messages—all on a single live dashboard. As a result, WMF offers its customers a better understanding of consumer preferences, which is a powerful driver for any business.
40,000
Devices per Identity
250,000
Business Customers
40
Countries
State-of-the-art security & IAM
To connect its customers to their coffee machines, WMF needed a future-proof standard SaaS-based service that would fit its cloud strategy—a SaaS solution with as little customisation as possible that could cooperate seamlessly within the existing IT-infrastructure.
At the core of CoffeeConnect and WMF’s role as a provider of centralised coffee machine management is an integrated database for all product and process data. WMF clearly understood the importance of data security and chose to apply state-of-the-art standards for infrastructure and data security, as well as IAM.
WMF needed a top-notch industry-standard IAM solution that supported its IoT requirements. This system would have to provide a state-of-the-art security infrastructure, with End-to-End data protection and advanced rights management. With its focus on data privacy and control, WMF compiled a long wish list that included: support for standard protocols; fully API-ready (Registration API, Workload API and Password-Reset API); and Single Sign-On.
Finding Thales
WMF found that the Thales OneWelcome Identity Platform was exactly what it had been looking for. Thales ticked the boxes on the long list of API requirements. It is a frontrunner in offering IAM that supports IoT environments, responding to a clear and growing demand in the market.
Among its competitors, Thales as one of the few that offered data storage outside the US, which is a clear advantage for enterprises in Europe who are wary of privacy/security problems. But perhaps one of the decisive strengths was the enthusiasm and readiness to be a development partner Thales demonstrated, in the relatively new realm of connected coffee machines. Although Thales is known for its proactive and speedy implementation procedures, it did not shy away from the more complex task at hand here.
With all the boxes checked, WMF concluded that Thales was the best European supplier to meet its requirements: a local player with an impressive track record in designing and implementing IAM solutions that operate seamlessly and comply fully with European regulations and standards.
The implementation: a matter of months
After choosing Thales as its IAM partner, WMF kicked off the project right away. Just three months later, deployment and connectivity were already complete. It took just one month more to run integration tests, followed by a successful go-live.
Compared to many other projects, the roadmap required crossing quite a few bridges before the goal could be reached. Although the Thales OneWelcome Identity Platform is fully API-ready, the team entered uncharted areas that required expertise and creativity to invent robust, secure solutions. Operating as true partners, WMF and Thales set out and implemented a clear IT architecture that successfully crossed the finish line in February 2018.
Looking forward: a business enabler
Thanks in part to its collaboration with Thales, WMF has secured a powerful solution that is revolutionising the world of professional coffee machines. And best of all, its CoffeeConnect machine management platform operates with total security and full compliance with EU data protection requirements.
Identity and access management for connected professional coffee machines
WMF is a global producer of culinary products, known for continually bringing new innovations to the world of coffee making. The company is now leading the coffee machine revolution by connecting machines and enabling them to communicate—a powerful proposition that helps WMF’s customers to better manage costs and drive efficiency and profitability. WMF chose Thales as its development partner for Identity and Access Management (IAM) on its ground-breaking CoffeeConnect platform.
© Thales - March 2024