Coca-Cola and Amazon reimagine the future of beverage dispensing experience
Coca-Cola Freestyle has launched a 'pour by phone' contactless experience powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
"We're investing a lot of time to understand how consumer behaviours are evolving throughout the coronavirus pandemic and making sure our tech strategy matches those and future behaviours," says Thomas Stubbs, VP of Engineering & Innovation, Coca-Cola Freestyle.
"Our foodservice and entertainment partners are working tirelessly to create and maintain a safe environment for their guests. And while all Coca-Cola beverage dispensers are safe with recommended care and cleaning, we acted quickly when the pandemic hit to reimagine the future of the Freestyle machine and get ahead of shifting consumer needs."
A new collaboration between @awscloud and Coca-Cola Freestyle is making pouring your favorite beverage a breeze. 📱 https://t.co/p3RZSScizP
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) October 27, 2020
The Freestyle machine is available in 17 countries. Coca-Cola worked with longtime cloud provider AWS to develop a technology solution that enables users to operate them with their smartphones.
When the pandemic hit, the Coca-Cola Freestyle team developed, tested, and deployed software code to the machines, all while mostly working from home. With no app to download or account to sign into, the user scans a QR code to bring the Freestyle user interface to their phone screen.
"The technology behind mobile pour makes the experience so simple and so fast, a common misconception is that everything is happening locally," says Michael Connor, Chief Architect, Coca-Cola Freestyle.
"What’s actually happening is a series of signals and steps taking place in the cloud, verifying that each phone is connected to the right machine, only in-stock beverages are shown as flavour options, and that pours start and stop with the touch of a button on the phone screen.”
“All this needs to happen in near-real time so when users release their finger from the 'Pour' button on their phone, the machine instantly stops pouring to avoid overflows and spills. It's imperative to the user experience that there isn't a delay in the communication between the phone and the machine, which is why we're committed to a serverless approach.”
“What would normally be a complex architecture, with the amount of security, precision, and latency required, is simplified by using services like AWS Lambda to create a magical experience for the user."
More than 30,000 machines currently have the touchless capability and, by the end of 2020, all those in the US will be onboard, with worldwide deployment of the technology to follow.
