ST. LOUIS, Oct. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In bars and
restaurants around the country this fall, touchdowns and home runs
will be celebrated in a new and unique way: with Bud Light and
Budweiser beer tap handles and neon lights that flash and display
dynamic messages every time the home team hits pay dirt in the end
zone or crosses home plate. This unique form of revelry is the
result of collaboration between Anheuser-Busch, Sprint and Mesh
Systems.
"As the leading sponsor in football and baseball, Anheuser-Busch
is always looking for ways to enhance our fans' experience," said
Lucas Herscovici, vice president of
Anheuser-Busch consumer connections. "When you're out with friends
it's exciting when all these tap handle lights start flashing when
your team scores. It's as if the bar or restaurant itself is
celebrating with you."
Anheuser-Busch brought the idea for these "Interactive Tap
Handles" to Sprint, asking its long-time business collaborator to
develop a distinctive technology that would make Anheuser-Busch an
inherent part of watching televised sporting events at bars and
restaurants. Sprint teamed with Mesh Systems to launch a system
that would connect thousands of on-premise locations to the
on-field action at stadiums across the country.
Utilizing Sprint's M2M (wireless machine-to-machine) expertise
and Mesh Systems' cloud based IoT/M2M platform, a test of the
interactive application was first performed in 100 bars and taverns
in Denver in the fall of 2012 and
at Bud Light Hotel in February 2013.
After these tests proved successful, Anheuser-Busch began
installing the interactive tap handles in bars and restaurants
across the country where permissible by state law.
Since then, the tap handles have been enhanced with technology
that allows them to display a message that is dynamic based on the
sport and team. Restaurant and bar managers can also program them
to display specific promotional messages. In time, they will also
interact with social media platforms to create even more fan
involvement. More than 8,000 are expected to be in place this fall
in select states.
"The interactive tap handles are an ideal example of unleashing
technology for millions of people to enjoy in a compelling way,"
said Bill Esrey, Jr., vice
president, solutions sales, Sprint. "We're excited to team with
Anheuser-Busch and Mesh Systems to make it happen."
As the platform evolves, it will also be used during other
sports, such as basketball and motor sports. The teaming of
Anheuser-Busch, Sprint, and Mesh Systems is a collaborative first
among the three companies.
"This joint initiative is an incredible opportunity to take
wireless M2M mainstream and demonstrate the mass potential for this
interactive technology," said Richard
Baxter, president and CEO, Mesh Systems. "There's so much
that we can do with this platform, and it makes the experience of
watching games at bars and restaurants even more exciting than it
already is."
The technology was recognized by Connected World Magazine
in June 2013 when it presented
Anheuser-Busch, Sprint, Mesh Systems and Microsoft with a Gold
Value Chain Award in the M2M and Connected Devices category for
Consumer Packaged Goods.
About Anheuser-Busch
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading
American brewer, holding a 47.6 percent share of U.S. beer
sales to retailers. The company brews Budweiser and Bud
Light, two of the world's largest-selling beers.
Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has
been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The
company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the
leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the
Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit
www.anheuser-busch.com.
About Sprint:
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications
services company that creates more and better ways to connect its
customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served more
than 54 million customers as of June 30,
2014 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering
and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless
4G service from a national carrier in the
United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin
Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and
Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk
capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American
Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint as the most improved U.S.
company in customer satisfaction, across all 43 industries, over
the last six years. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (DJSI) North
America in 2011, 2012 and 2013. You can learn more and visit
Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and
www.twitter.com/sprint.
About Mesh Systems
Mesh Systems is an industry-leading
Internet of Things/Machine-to-Machine solutions company serving
original equipment manufacturer customers across a wide variety of
industries and applications. The Company's MeshVista Hydra™
cloud-based software platform is a best-in-class framework for
providing low-latency and highly scalable device-to-cloud and
cloud-to-device information exchange and control actions across
wired, wireless and hybrid networks. Operating in a number of
vertical industries, the company provides a turn-key solution to
its customers looking for speed-to-market with their connected
product or service. Its connection of devices, data, people, and
processes is transforming how businesses operate, leading to
increased operating efficiency, enhanced customer service, new
interactive experiences and energy conservation.
To see the Interactive Tap Handles in action, please visit
YouTube: http://bit.ly/11uCnou.
Contact:
Nick Kelly
314-765-4580
nick.kelly@anheuser-busch.com
SOURCE Anheuser-Busch