Vending

Pharmabox taps smart power management device to ensure continuous connectivity

Pharmabox founder and CEO Alejandro Rodriguez faced connectivity issues as the company grew. A smart power management device, Switch Always On, continuously connects power and automatically reboots in the event of a connectivity loss.

April 26, 2023 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Everyone can relate to the cliché, "Technology is great as long as it works."

And for today's Internet-of-Things technology, reliable connectivity is unconditional.

In growing Pharmabox to 150 Wi-Fi connected machines in 44 cities, company founder Alejandro Rodriguez learned the importance of reliable connectivity.

Alejandro Rodriguez

"One of the major issues we have is that sometimes we lose the Internet," Rodriguez told this website in a phone interview. Restoring a connection not only costs time and money, but can compromise customer satisfaction.

Connectivity challenges arise

Pharmabox machines, launched in 2015, dispense over-the-counter pharmacy products and also allow the customer to order products online that are not in the machine.

As the company grew, so did the challenge of maintaining connectivity.

"We have certain locations where it will happen with more frequency," Rodriguez said. Hence, it was necessary to monitor the power connections aggressively to respond to connection issues.

"Sometimes the payment devices that we use lose signal," he said. "We have to send someone over to unplug and plug back in."

Sometimes the display screen overheats and causes a power failure.

To address outages and connectivity failures, Rodriguez used a power reboot device, also known as a power cycler, that plugs into the power outlet and connects to the machine's cellular router. The device is able to restart all of the electrically-powered components in the machine.

A better solution emerges

During last year's Self-Service Innovation Summit in Hollywood, Florida, Rodriguez saw a device on the exhibit floor that piqued his interest. Smart Charging Technologies exhibited a device called Switch Always On that continuously connects power and automatically reboots in the event of a connectivity loss.

"We liked it, and we started ordering," he said. And he has not looked back.

"We don't have to be on top of the machine to see if we have Internet or not," Rodriguez said.

Micah Larsen, director of sales at Smart Charging Technologies, described Switch Always On as a smart power management device.

A network switch, to the left of the main device, enables other devices to communicate via network cables and transfer data among devices. A cellular modem and antenna provide access to the Internet.

The Switch Always On plugs into a power outlet while the Ethernet port on the device connects to a spare port on the Ethernet switch, cellular router, Wi-Fi router or broadband gateway, Larsen said.

"Your cellular router, Wi-Fi router and broadband gateways are plugged directly into the Switch Always On 12V or 5V ports using supplied cables and adapter connectors – the original power supply bricks are no longer used," he said.

Once all the machine's components are powered, the Switch Always On is configured using a smartphone app. The user can then configure the Wi-Fi network to monitor local access points, Internet connectivity and its direct Ethernet connection to the broadband gateway.

The app, available on iOS and Android, displays the connectivity status and the power supplied to all connected 5V and 12V networked equipment.

A built-in battery continuously powers connected network equipment up to 90 minutes. Should the device detect connectivity loss from either the Wi-Fi, cellular or Ethernet networks, it can be pre-programmed to automatically reboot the network equipment to restore connectivity.

A more versatile solution

Rodriguez appreciates the system's versatility. He no longer needs to unplug the machine when a component loses connectivity.

"When someone calls and says the payment system is not working, instead of rebooting the whole machine, we only reboot the payment system," he said. "They don't see the machine going off."

This supports a positive customer perception of the machine.

"It looks professional," Rodriguez said. "It gives more credibility for us."

"We do receive an alert when that happens," he said. "But the Switch Always On does it automatically. We don't have to do it."

Nor will his service orders get interrupted by a connectivity issue.

"If we lose Internet (connectivity) our software will still be able to relay the order," he said.

In addition, "I do it from my phone if I want."

Rodriguez also likes being able to sequence the order in which the machine's components reboot.

"In many cases, there may even be a sequence in which this has to be done, such as the cellular router, cable modem or optical network terminal booting up first before the gateway device," Larsen said.

Improved connection security

Connection security is another benefit.

By securing the connection, Switch Always On can assure a local area network that an unattended machine doesn't present a hacking liability.

"The LAN administrators are concerned about someone hacking into their network through an unattended machine on their network," Larsen said. "More and more companies are not allowing unattended machines to be on their network for security reasons, and even when they are allowed, firewall settings will change that will knock the unattended machine off the network."

Switch Always On also reduces the need for vending, kiosk and ATM operators to rely on LAN administrators to help address connectivity issues or unplug and plug back in the unattended machine.

It also provides line conditioning, which performs a function similar to a surge protector.

"It will protect from a surge and it will keep power at a consistent level going into the machine," Larsen said.

Going forward, Rodriguez plans to use Switch Always On for all of his future placements as his company grows. He also plans to offer it to customers in his custom unattended equipment business, Amerikiosk.

Image provided by Pharmabox and Smart Charging Technologies.