Yodiwo South Africa, an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT), mobile solutions and IoT-as-a-service provider, and Africa representative of Yodiwo AB, creator of the state-of-the-art Yodigram solution for in-store analytics, has formed a strategic partnership with Cold Tech Marketing.

The partnership is set to transform the smart retail sector in South Africa with intelligent IoT platform capabilities, analytics, and machine learning algorithms at a price point versus response time that’s effective for the local market.

The partnership will see Cold Tech Marketing roll out the Yodigram image recognition software to its more than 2,5-million customers in over 19 African countries. Working alongside Cold Tech’s intelligent IoT platform and systems, Yodigram will deliver exceptional in-store SKU image recognition capabilities with high levels of accuracy and reporting functionality.

“The image recognition solution we were using prior to our agreement with Yodiwo South Africa was too rigid for the needs of the local market,” says Lesley Lawrence, Development Director and co-founder of Cold Tech Marketing. “We needed a practical and powerful solution that would allow us to not only scale our African operations, but deliver high-end capabilities to our customers.”

The result of the agreement between Yodiwo and Cod Tech Marketing is a cost-effective, highly reliable and targeted solution allows long-term integration into IoT platforms and reporting systems such as Salesforce Automation tool.

“We are trying to add value to our customers and want to be flexible in our approach, something that Yodigram was able to address,” says Lawrence. “With Yodiwo, we have created a solution that is built on our shared understanding and expertise and that completely harnesses the synergies between our organisations. Yodiwo SA has been able to provide exactly what we need and willing to accommodate our unique requirements.”

Cold Tech Marketing has an impressive footprint across East and West Africa with operations continuing to expand as it moves into new markets and territories. The solution allows for the company to cement its offering within its markets while enhancing its intelligent services and IoT capabilities.

“The partnership is very exciting for both organisations. It combines the innovative features of Yodigram for planogram compliance and inventory management with Cold Tech’s deep knowledge of the African retail market. After the successful launch of Yodigram in Europe, and with the help of Yodiwo SA and expertise of Cold Tech, we will modernise and digitally transform the daily store operation in Africa,” says Rodney Taylor, CEO of Yodiwo SA.