It is Cantaloupe’s vision to be the global technology leader powering self-service commerce.
And as we continue this journey, it’s important to note that our strategy emphasizes global reach – as we continue to expand across the U.K. and European markets.
In this spirit of growth, I am thrilled about Cantaloupe’s recent acquisition of SB Software, a recognized leader in vending and coffee management software in the U.K. and Ireland, with over 30,000 licensed subscriptions operating on their platform.
The “why” behind our joining forces
Historically in the U.S., where Cantaloupe serves the vast majority of small to enterprise- level vending operators, we’re known for being a single partner to help our customers manage their entire estate of vending, micro market, coffee service and smart store solutions. In the U.K. and Europe, we’ve introduced a modern cashless payment device to market, and our U.K.-based team has made impressive strides in helping operators adopt new technologies like micro markets, self-service kiosks, smart fridges and smart stores.
At the same time, SB Software brings a unique and tailored approach to building their vending and coffee management software, which supports the specific needs of the U.K. and European operator. That ethos shines through in the SB Software team’s extensive knowledge of the European vending space, their dedication to hard work and their unique focus to always be serving the customer with the highest standards.
Bringing our two companies together allows us to create a “one-stop shop” for operators in the U.K. and beyond who are looking for innovative technologies to deliver more convenience to their customers and to have greater visibility into their business performance through advanced, feature-rich software solutions.
In Cantaloupe’s conversations with the SB Software team, it was clear that we have distinct synergies on who we both are today and where we want to go in serving the broader European market. Together, Cantaloupe and SB Software will operate as a single partner for our collective customers – providing them with the technology and software to grow and optimize their business. And we will do that while ensuring that service and innovation are at the forefront of everything we do.
What’s on the horizon for our customers?
Product integration will be key.
We understand the importance of giving our customers an integrated solution so they can run their business as efficiently as possible. The good news is that Cantaloupe card readers already integrate into Vendmanager. We even provide specific cables connected to our terminals inside of machines, so engineers can leverage SB Software’s Datakey solution while on-site at locations.
What our customers can expect moving forward is a continued focus on integrating our full stack of solutions, such as micro markets and smart stores. This opportunity will present efficiencies for our clients as they grow into new areas of their business with new technologies. Regardless of the point-of-sale solution our customers use, we will be giving them a single engine to report against when managing their day-to-day operation.
We will continue to focus on service excellence.
Together, our teams strive to serve our customers with the highest level of support. I’m personally proud of Cantaloupe’s recent recognition at the AVS Conference in June for Best Micro Market Service and SB Software’s recognition at the Vendies 2024 for Best Customer Service and Best Ancillary Product or Service.
Our intention is to continue to grow our support functions and bring on more customer success managers as we continue to grow across the European market. I am passionate about delivering service excellence and this will continue to be a focus into the future. This means that the two teams located in Birmingham and Sheffield will stay as-is and we will cross-train our teams to create even broader customer support for all our solutions.
I believe our future is bright.
This coming together of Cantaloupe and SB Software will leverage both companies’ strengths in innovation and customer service, promising enhanced solutions and support for our European customers.
This is an exciting moment for Cantaloupe as we continue to expand our reach in the U.K. and Europe. I look forward to seeing how our work with SB Software will positively impact our clients and contribute to their growth and success.
Ravi Venkatesan is Cantaloupe’s Chief Executive Officer. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia.