Microsoft Customers Are Putting IoT Tools to Work to Drive Results

by Darryl K. Taft

Five Businesses That Are Using Microsoft Tech to Power IoT

Royal Caribbean International sought to cut costs, increase revenue and improve workflow with a better point-of-service system and by automating checklists for food temperature inspection. The company deployed a solution from Agilysys and ParTech that connects Windows Embedded devices including 325 point-of-service terminals, 50 tablets and 300 digital signs with back-end servers running Microsoft SQL Server and Windows Server. The result is integrated data from POS, tablets, signage, TVs, photo galleries and ticketing systems; automated alerts for cooler malfunction; reduced time to complete checklists; generated temperature compliance reports; and temperature check times that are cut by 60 percent.

Coca-Cola Amatil, a large Coca-Cola bottler in the Asia-Pacific region, implemented a solution from TKM9 and Microsoft based on Windows Embedded, Kinect for Windows and Microsoft Azure that uses digital signage to create an immersive experience at point-of-sale locations. The TKM9 im digital cooler works with multiple data streams to personalize the flow of content in real time for a memorable encounter that boosts brand loyalty and increases product sales an average of 12 percent in the grocery channel and up to 20 percent in the off-premises licensed channel. Coca-Cola coolers are installed with interfaces that customers interact with in multiple ways, including gesture and touch. For example, they can use their mobile phones as a remote control, as well as listen to music, take photos of themselves, and share the moment with others through Facebook and other social media.

Great River Health Systems, a regional provider of specialty and primary health care, wanted to improve medication distribution and management without adding employees. The medical center connected Windows Embedded-based devices, including two anesthesia workstations, a pharmacy carousel and 28 medication-dispensing cabinets, with a central server running Windows and Microsoft SQL Server. The result is a reduction in delivery time of patient medication from 1.5 hours to 30 minutes, a $400,000 reduction in inventory costs, rapid ROI and ongoing annual savings of $300,000.

KUKA, a manufacturer of industrial robots, needed an automated manufacturing solution that could produce multiple car models on the same assembly line while meeting a rigorous production schedule. It implemented an intelligent system anchored by Windows Embedded and Microsoft SQL Server that connects 259 assembly-line robots, a controller, more than 60,000 device points and back-end systems. The result is a production line that is flexible, reliable and productive—cranking out 830 Jeep bodies a day.

Orleans Parish Communications District, administering emergency calls for the city of New Orleans, wanted to respond better and faster to incidents by improving the flow of data between multiple agencies. OPCD implemented Motorola Solutions’ PremierOne CAD and integrated call control based on Microsoft technology including embedded versions of Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server. The system connects disparate police, fire and emergency medical services applications; a 911 call system; mobile devices; and a data warehouse. It also automatically routes incident reports and updates, continuously pushing data to EMS tablets and mobile police terminals.

10 Reasons Businesses Need an IoT Strategy

With IoT, businesses can cut the time to do processes in half and access records in record time. Microsoft customers are already taking advantage of the Internet of things by connecting their devices to create new insights from data that help them transform their business.

Businesses can start with their existing IT assets and build upon them. They can add a few new devices, connect them to the cloud and enable them to talk to each other, to their employees and to customers. The data those devices generate can have a significant impact on a business.

The Internet of your things starts with identifying the one process, product line or location that matters most to a business, then making small changes for big impact. The Internet of things doesn’t have to be overwhelming—a few key improvements can make a big difference.

Connecting devices and systems can help you shave minutes from a user’s log-in process, hours from restocking inventory, or days from routine system upgrades and enhancements.

IoT can help businesses visualize emerging patterns and predict behavior to anticipate trends and give their customers what they want before they even know they want it.

Connecting devices, data and people gives you faster processes and fresh insight, resulting in new business opportunities. The insights you get from your data will help you see new possibilities.

Data insights can help a business respond more quickly to competition, supply chain changes, customer demand and changing market conditions.

The Internet of things lets you scale from the smallest data point to global deployments.

From sensors to handheld scanners to surgical instruments, the devices in your business can create efficiency and insight if you enable them to talk to each other, your employees and customers.

When you have a strategy in place to take advantage of the Internet of things, you can transform your business in real time.