Microsoft and South African Internet of Things (IoT) start-up, Consumption Information Real Time (CIRT) have entered into a multiyear strategic alliance in efforts to provide technical guidance, support and access to engineering resources, business development resources and integration of company solutions to Microsoft Azure.
The pact is also aimed at bringing solutions to customers, and once migration has taken place and the solutions are commercial marketplace transactable, the benefits will be made available through its commercial marketplace and associated programmes for which the solutions qualify.
In return, CIRT will integrate Retail Intelligence Solution, Fridgeloc Solution and Temploc Cold Supply Chain Monitor Solution with Azure IoT Central, and other relevant Azure and Microsoft Power BI Services as well as complete on-boarding of all solutions to Azure Marketplace.
Co-founder and Director for CIRT, Ajay Lalu, said: “We are currently engaging with several global fuel retailers and a mobile network operator to deploy our latest solution for retailers – Q-Hop©. Q-Hop© is a contactless and cashless retail experience for grocery, personal care and convenience retailers. The Q-Hop© solution was developed during a hard lockdown in South Africa, virtually and proudly using local technology.
“Our alliance with Microsoft will give us the global platform to accelerate the deployment and continued evolution of our solutions. Microsoft has been an amazing strategic partner from the outset and has supported the development and deployment of our IoT solutions.”
“At a time when the needs of customers and businesses are constantly changing, the collaboration with CIRT is necessary. Many of our retail clients constantly seek innovative IoT solutions to help them create in-store and online experiences that build customer loyalty. The strategic alliance with CIRT will provide our global clients with access to a stream of innovative IoT solutions,” says Tony Shakib, IOT Business Acceleration GM at Microsoft.
