Odyssey Software – Enabling Coca-Cola Freestyle Machines

 Odyssey Software has been in the MDM (Mobile Device Management) space since 1996,. Their primary business to date has been in the enterprise space with apps and enabled access between thin client devices and private, public and hybrid cloud configurations. Recently the company has added end device management and channel security to their offerings. This expansion has allowed them to create a new wired & wireless embedded solution into the direct customer POS and digital signage markets.

Odyssey Athena Architecture

One of the first high profile major projects in this area is the new Coca-Cola Freestyle Machines. This is an advanced touchscreen based dispensing system that can create custom drinks for patrons based on flavoring ingredients rather than prepared syrups. The Athena software from Odyssey used an agent based system to monitor the functions of the machines and report it to the network. Most of the current fountain based systems are not network connected and require manual intervention for inventory management, refill servicing and failure related maintenance. These machines also do not track use models or “custom” combinations that may be created by the patrons.

Coke Freestyle machine

The new machines are connected to a network with a standard open agent design the is based on XML and SOAP. The end machines can be remote controlled through the network with standard stack control and part of the network signature for the devices includes GPS location information. The device management includes automated notification for use models, need for refill and maintenance, and agent mangement and updates. The end units are remotely software supportable, so the central office can push function and control updates to all deployed machines without local intervention. The machine supports Wifi & 3G connections to be able to talk to the central office. In this setup, the machine can detect mobile devices and identities of the patrons and communicate these with the central data as well as connect in locations without network infrastructure. The machine’s central data collection is based on tagging custom dispensing recipes with an individual as well as regional aggregated use information.

The software also support local printing by the patrons, of the recipes that are dispensed. This information and all the other business intelligence related to the both the local installation and the central office. The Odyssey system supports all of the data security and access security to the Microsoft network and database environment. This embedded application of the advanced embedded infrastructure for smart thin clients and cloud based control that can now be managed in a MDM structure. End deployments using a mix of ARM, Mips, x86 and multiple OSs can be handled in this environment with the point specific agents format that is being used.

Future projects will support smart digital signage applications that will use these same capabilities on thin clients with higher data use patterns and possible streaming content to and from a centralized location.