Mission Data Blog

To compete with evolving consumer tastes, supermarkets are stocking up on tech

Last month, the grocery and CPG industries came together in Las Vegas for Groceryshop, a spinoff of the Shoptalk retail conference. Content focused on the intersection of food retail and tech, with buzzworthy sessions diving into robotics, personalization, and in-store experience. One clear takeaway from the event was that when it comes to adopting new technologies, the $650 billion grocery industry is rapidly playing catch-up.

The asphalt material association’s new platform is an industry game-changer

Five years ago, Mission Data built a brand new SaaS platform for Asphalt Institute, a U.S.-based international trade organization promoting quality management for construction materials laboratories.

A recap of our FSTEC 2018 panel discussion

(L-R:) Stuart Gavurin, Michael Zettler, Stephen Smittle, and Josh Patchus. Photo credit: W. Scott Mitchell Photography

The headlines filter into our inboxes daily: “Blockchain Will Save Retail.” “Why You Desperately Need to Hire a Data Scientist.” “Brick-and-mortar is Dead!”

To cut through the noise and hear which digital solutions operators are actually investing in and planning to investigate, Mission Data recently hosted an Innovation Forum at FSTEC 2018 titled “Store of the Future: Beyond the Hype.”

 Guest- and employee-facing technologies are transforming the travel experience

The hotel and travel industry is poised for a wave of innovation. Emboldened by a strong global economy, consumers are booking more excursions as they seek experiences over goods and services. To remain competitive, established industry players are seizing the opportunity in the upswing to invest in technology that keeps them nimble in the face of a changing market.

Slicing through the hype at one of food tech's biggest annual gatherings

Hospitality professionals will soon gather for the annual Foodservice Technology Conference (FSTEC),  where Mission Data is leading a breakout session on the newest tech coming to the industry. The conference takes place in Orlando, FL, from October 1-3, 2018.

We explore the possibilities of an augmented reality interface using QR codes and Internet of Things sensors

While wearable technology usually calls to mind devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, one exciting new avenue of research is augmented reality glasses. Virtual reality (VR) takes the user to a whole new virtual space, but augmented reality (AR) instead aims to enhance the real world by providing software interactions with physical things, through mediums like phone screens or glasses. This allows for a whole new approach to user interfaces, because programs can now interface with the real world in more meaningful capacities.

We dive into Amazon’s new machine learning platform

In the last two months, Amazon released their new machine learning camera to the public, the AWS DeepLens. The DeepLens is a unique video camera because it carries an onboard Intel Atom processor, meaning that not only can it run a full OS (it runs Ubuntu 16.04 by default), but it can also process video in real time using a machine learning model deployed to it over Amazon Web Services.

The Latest Research on IoT and Cloud Computing

I recently had the opportunity to attend a research conference focused on projects related to computer networking, the IEEE LANMAN conference hosted at George Washington University. Researchers travelled from all over the world to showcase their projects, resulting in a three-day experience comprised of six speaker sessions, a panel, and a demo/poster session. I was particularly drawn to speaker sessions that shared new research in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT), given how much work we do with IoT at Mission Data.

What will an automated supply chain look like in 2025?

Ocado's warehouse in Andover, UK.

Kroger’s recent agreement with robotics start-up Nuro, on the heels of its deal with Ocado to bring the British e-grocer’s automated fulfillment capabilities to the U.S., has got us thinking — how will artificial intelligence (AI) and robots accelerate digital transformation in retail warehouses?

Could the bar industry benefit from a dash of emerging tech?

As the weather heats up for summer, those of us that enjoy an adult beverage every now and then might find ourselves thirsty for a crisp summer cocktail, like a minty mojito or a frothy margarita. Most likely, we’ll sip away at the drink while perched at our favorite bar, not giving much thought to how this little luxury arrived in front of us. And no, I’m not talking about the techniques the bartender used to make the drink—while captivating, no doubt—but rather the journey of all the ingredients, from farm to glass.