Carlsberg leverages Onomondo connectivity to help bars go digital

Onomondo streamlines data transmission for Carlsberg

Onomondo has partnered with Carlsberg to improve the way a draught installation runs by digitizing it. By leveraging Onomondo’s global connectivity and software, the Carlsberg team is able to obtain real-time data on what’s selling at what time of day in which type of outlet, and obtain early warning of any technical problems.

The Carlsberg team decided to implement Onomondo’s IoT SIMs and core network into their solution to solve three challenges:

1. Operate their devices at a global scale
2. Securely send data to their cloud environments
3. Ensure devices are constantly connected and operational

Connecting DraughtMaster with seamless global coverage

Onomondo’s objective to serve a global client base has always been to provide a simplified and unified network that provides IoT solutions with optimal coverage. In its mission to meet the needs of its worldwide customers, the team at Onomondo collaborated with Carlsberg to provide a solution that could function wherever their beer is consumed. Given the phasing out of 2G and 3G standards worldwide, it was crucial for the network and devices to demonstrate adaptability and remain future-proof. 

Gregory Thomas, Senior Director at Carlsberg overseeing DraughtMaster, shared, “Carlsberg will deploy Digital DraughtMaster in 10 countries starting in 2024, so seamless global coverage is crucial to a successful rollout.”

Ensuring steady signal quality is critical in any IoT project, such as the Digital DraughtMaster. The technical team at Carlsberg partnered with Onomondo to conduct signal performance tests in six different countries to assess the capabilities of Onomondo’s SIMs and network. The result was a consistent and fast internet connection in every location where their devices would be deployed.

By leveraging Onomondo’s global network, Carlsberg can connect to over 590 networks in more than 180 countries via Onomondo’s Network Marketplace. And by linking all devices to a single APN, Onomondo’s solution can assist Carlsberg in managing devices more effectively and swiftly. With the Network Marketplace, Onomondo aids the Carlsberg team in managing the networks that Digital DraughtMaster utilizes. This enables their team to have complete control over data costs and network access for devices that have been deployed. This even includes setting up 2G and 3G network fallbacks when the Digital DraughtMaster can’t connect to NB-IoT networks.

30% data reduction with TLS connectors to AWS Cloud

Most cloud systems require using TLS, which entails using intermediate servers and receiving data without any type of security. This is prone to interception and unacceptable for projects that contain sensitive business data. Additionally, Carlsberg needed its data to be accessible through a cloud platform.

Onomondo Connectors enable Carlsberg to securely send data from Digital DraughtMaster to their AWS Cloud environment. One of the benefits of Connectors is that they simplify device logic by removing the cloud provisioning SDK and putting it into Onomondo’s network. And because Onomondo’s network handles sending device address data to AWS, Carlsberg found a 30% reduction in data transmitted. The lower data consumption results in a significantly reduced cost for the device over its lifetime.

Troubleshooting global devices completely remotely

Unfortunately, most devices will encounter some sort of connectivity issue during the development and deployment of new hardware. This can result in device downtime, a poor customer experience, and potential customer loss. That’s why Onomondo developed software to help companies like Carlsberg troubleshoot any issues that may arise as soon as possible. A major selling point of Digital DraughtMaster is that technicians can use predictive maintenance to fix problems before beer stops pouring. With Onomondo, that maintenance extends to the performance of device connectivity itself.

Speaking about his experience working with Onomondo, Lead IoT Engineer on the DraughtMaster, Ricardo Silva, said:

“Choosing Onomondo as our SIM card provider has proven to be an excellent decision due to its comprehensive toolkit for monitoring and managing our fleet. With their API-first platform, we can seamlessly integrate it with our existing monitoring tools, consolidating all our information in one place. The incorporation of a traffic monitor has been valuable in addressing field issues as it allows us to download PCAP files for individual SIM cards, simplifying the troubleshooting process.”

Onomondo’s Insight Tools have helped the Carlsberg team fix problems that occur when devices connect from anywhere in the world. The toolkit, accessed through Onomondo’s platform, includes Network Logs and Signaling Logs, which provide clear insights into how a device interacts with a network. It also includes Traffic Monitor, which is like running Wireshark live on any device with data packets being captured in real time. Engineers can download this information with PCAP files for further analysis.

Innovating new IoT solutions with a unified network

The partnership between Onomondo and Carlsberg proves what’s possible with IoT connectivity projects. Seamless global coverage, secure data transmission, and efficient remote troubleshooting are the cornerstones of this collaboration.

Onomondo’s extensive connectivity allows Carlsberg to scale its solution, tapping into new markets and opportunities. With robust data protection in place, businesses can manage sensitive information confidently, adapting to consumer needs and industry trends. And remote troubleshooting capabilities minimize downtime and boost user satisfaction, fostering long-term loyalty.

Carlsberg and Onomondo look forward to defining together what an IoT project can achieve as they learn more together.