Latest Innovations Include Contactless Technology Integrations – Starship Delivery Robots and Panasonic Smart Food Lockers and Apex Order Pickup Solutions
As college campuses modify operations in response to the ongoing pandemic, Transact, the leader in innovative credential and payment solutions for a connected campus, continues to develop and release technology solutions to benefit students, faculty and staff members’ health and safety. Today Transact announced three new software integrations with Apex Order Pickup Solutions and Panasonic Smart Lockers, which provide automated, contactless order pickup solutions for food service and retail, and with Starship – a mobile technology and autonomous robot platform that allows for fast, cost-efficient and green food and goods delivery.
“The integration with Transact’s payment system makes ordering food that much easier for students – they can use funds they’ve already designated for campus spending.”
“Our team is dedicated to providing solutions for the rapidly evolving needs of college campuses,” said Transact Campus Vice President of Product Management Erica Bass. “These systems integrations will help mitigate overcrowding in some heavily trafficked parts of campus, provide students with additional food service options, and offer a safe delivery option for those who may need to isolate or quarantine. We are committed to putting the safety of students at the forefront of all our work at Transact.”
Transact’s integration with Starship’s app and robot delivery platform allows users to order from any restaurant or store that partners with Starship and deduct funds through Transact’s closed loop payment system. Transact is currently installing systems for up to 10 colleges and universities. New and existing Transact clients will easily be able to enable this functionality and the integration is already available on some campuses.
Read More: DeFi Enabled, Enterprise Grade Hybrid Blockchain, XDC Network, Gains Compliance Edge
“While our robots were doing deliveries long before the pandemic began, they’ve never been so important as right now, making life a little bit easier, especially in settings like college campuses,” said Chris Neider, Senior Manager, Business Development, Starship. “The integration with Transact’s payment system makes ordering food that much easier for students – they can use funds they’ve already designated for campus spending.”
Transact also collaborated with Panasonic to develop a closed loop payment integration with Panasonic’s Smart Food Locker solution. Higher education campuses that deploy these locker systems offer streamlined food pickup facilitated by a QR or pin code. This contactless order and retrieval process allows students to receive their food without waiting in long lines or interacting with restaurant or dining hall staff. With heavy foot traffic around campus, Panasonic’s Smart Food Lockers stand in as a solution to reduce crowding during peak times when social distancing is a top priority.
“Campus life is increasingly busy and colleges and universities are turning to solutions to help students streamline their days. Integrating Transact’s payment solution with Panasonic’s Smart Food Lockers enables students to order and pick up their food at their convenience,” said Eric Symon, Vice President of the Enterprise Process Innovation Center, Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. “Our Food Smart Lockers host enclosed and temperature-controlled environments to help reduce cross contamination for certain allergies and dietary restrictions while keeping food at peak freshness – hot or cold. We’re excited to work with Transact to offer this streamlined dining solution to students so that they can spend more time experiencing the important parts of campus life.”
Read More: Financial Services are Experiencing Massive Adoption in the Philippines Through GCash
Transact has developed a similar closed loop payment integration with Apex Order Pickup Solutions. Each of these integrations allow students to use their campus card funds to make purchases through the vendor’s system or app. In addition to convenience, these partner solutions are secure – keeping payment information private and ensuring that goods get to the intended recipient.
“Colleges and universities continue to turn to Apex for guidance on how to offer streamlined, contactless pickup solutions that fit their specific campus needs,” said Mike Rizzo, Chief Growth Officer for Apex Order Pickup Solutions. “We believe our innovative solution paired with Transact’s payment capabilities, gives students fast, digital options that not only will outlast the pandemic environment, but also will better position campuses to serve their communities in a more seamless way in the future. Contactless pickup is a long-term trend that will continue to evolve over the coming years.”
[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com ]
