The strategic partnership will digitize packaging across range of Visy products
MELBOURNE, Australia and TEL AVIV, Israel, March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ —
Visy, one of the largest packaging companies in Australia and New Zealand, and Water.IO, the leading provider of Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Packaging solutions, announced today a strategic partnership to bring smart packaging to the region.
Under the partnership, Water.IO solutions will enable Visy to provide highly advanced “intelligent packaging” options to its customers, including brands and manufacturers in the beverage, pharma, and food industries as well as other verticals across Australia and New Zealand.
Israel-based Water.IO leverages a unique combination of sensors, algorithms, cloud servers and mobile apps to provide a complete IoT Platform for consumer packaged brands and for pharmaceutical companies. Its patented Smart Cap technology can convert any bottle into a smart bottle to provide consumers with important personal reminders and alerts, like when it is time to take their medication or to hydrate, or when the product is about to run out and needs to be re-ordered. Through Water.IO, brands and manufacturers gain a direct channel to end-users for access to customer data, real-time analytics and ongoing engagement opportunities.
Richard Macchiesi, General Manager Insights and Innovation at Visy, commented, “As we enter a new era of smart packaging, companies must partner together to solve problems and move the market forward. This is why we’re working with Water.IO – we have found an exciting mature technology and dedicated team to partner with. This new relationship represents our belief that the future of packaging has the potential to improve customer engagement, personalize products, supply data to brand owners, maintain the authenticity and integrity of food and pharma products, and improve convenience for consumers.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Visy,” said Yoav Hoshen, Co-founder and Executive VP for Water.IO. “Together, we look forward to setting a new standard for what’s possible through packaging. As the Internet of Things raises consumers’ expectations for products that anticipate their every need, Water.IO is leading the charge on doing this for consumer goods. For the first time, brands can gain first hand insights on how their customers are using their products. Through our technology expertise and Visy’s extensive production capabilities and global reach, we are excited about bringing the “smart packaging” revolution – and the opportunity – to markets worldwide.”
About Visy
Starting in 1948, Visy has grown to become one of the world’s leading packaging, paper and recycling companies. Now, Visy employs over 5,500 staff and operates in over 120 sites across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam and trading offices across Asia, Europe and the USA. Visy also has a ‘sister’ company, Pratt Industries USA, which employs a further 5,800 staff in North America.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything Visy does. As well as providing packaging to some of the world’s best known brands, Visy also offers recycling solutions. It’s our goal to meet the needs of our customers, while efficiently using and reusing scarce resources.
For more information please visit https://www.visy.com.au
About Water.IO
Water.IO is the leading provider of Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Packaging products and solutions for consumer goods brands and manufacturers. Water.IO uses a combination of sensors, algorithms and Big Data analytics to create “active packaging” that provides direct access to customer data, real-time insights and ongoing engagement opportunities. Consumers benefit from smart products that can be personalized with built-in features for usage reminders, tracking product usage, improving compliance and smart re-ordering. Winner of “Best Cap/ Closure” at the 2016 Global Bottled Water Congress, Water.IO is based in Israel with strategic partnerships in global markets.
