At Venditalia 2026, EVA introduced SmartLink, an open and secure specification aimed at improving interoperability between machines, payment systems, and management software.
Image Source: European Vending & Coffee Service Association (EVA)
During Venditalia last month, the EVA was proud to officially present the new EVA SmartLink specification to the wider industry. EVA SmartLink is a new open and secure interoperability architecture designed to modernize communication between unattended retail solutions, such as vending machines, professional coffee machines, payment systems, and management software.
The presentation of the background, context, and technical details of the specification attracted significant attention from both operators and manufacturers looking for future-proof solutions for the unattended retail ecosystem. A constant flow of visitors to the EVA stand thereafter witnessed live demonstrations of several machines and peripherals already integrating EVA SmartLink technologies.
With the industry currently fragmented and using multiple legacy protocols—such as MDB, Executive, and others—there is a general lack of interoperability between machines and peripherals. Suppliers sometimes also place their own customizations on top of these protocols, further increasing integration complexity and ultimately raising costs for machine operators. Combined with new market expectations for connectivity, a seamless user experience, and regulatory pressure regarding cybersecurity, data access, and fiscalization, a working group of EVA members has been working intensively over the last two years to write and develop the new SmartLink specification.
This development work follows several years of detailed research to fully document the limitations of the current situation, as well as capture industry needs and requests.
EVA SmartLink, built on OPC Unified Architecture (UA), is designed to be an open and freely accessible specification so that all industry companies can access and implement it without restrictions. The EVA hopes that this strategy will encourage industry adoption both in Europe and worldwide. With its ability to reduce complexity, promote faster innovation, and ultimately shorten the time to market for new products, it should certainly prove attractive to operators and manufacturers.
Over the coming months, as part of a communication campaign, the EVA will present the specification at a range of national vending association events and discuss its benefits with many industry stakeholders.
The EVA working group—chaired by Alessandro Ratti (N-and Group) and comprising a range of machine manufacturers, payment suppliers, and operators—will continue to make further adaptations to the specification in the coming months and is seeking feedback from the industry. The aim is to publish a final version of the specification by the end of this year.
The release candidate of EVA SmartLink can be downloaded directly from the EVA website by members upon login, along with a presentation outlining its benefits. Non-members can contact the EVA to request a copy at: vending@vending-europe.eu.
About the European Vending & Coffee Service Association (EVA)
Founded in 1994, the European Vending & Coffee Service Association (EVA) is the pan-European trade association representing the self-serve coffee, food, beverage, and Point of Use (POU) industry. As the leading voice of the sector in Brussels, EVA promotes and protects the industry’s interests before EU institutions, provides authoritative data and standards, and fosters collaboration among national associations and companies across Europe. Learn more at vending-europe.eu.
Share this Story
Related Posts
