Intel, with the help of Vendors Exchange International Inc., has built a second-generation, touch-enabled vending machine on its Folsom, Calif. campus that offers more features, a larger capacity of computer supplies and gathers user data. Called the “IT on the Go,” this new advanced machine is expanded from a self-serve IT vending machine pilot program that ended in December 2012. The machine runs on an Intel Core i5 vPro processor and uses Intel’s AIM suite, which captures data including a person’s gender using anonymous sensors and computer algorithms. The vending machines allow self-service purchases 24/7. During the initial pilot, 12 percent of sales were made outside regular business hours. It also reduced billing time by 98 percent and streamlined the purchasing process to four steps. Employees embraced the program with a 95 percent satisfaction rating. Full article.
