How many Coca Cola vending machines are there internationally and how
many new machines deployed or upgraded are there each year?  Do Coke
own most of the the machines? - Any related statistics would be
appreciated if you come across any ...

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Clarification of Question by mowgly-ga on 21 Oct 2002 03:22 PDT

Firstly, thankyou kindly for your prompt response!  Secondly, I do
apologise for not being more specific earlier.

1) I am not so interested in how many (all brands) soft drink vending
machines there are worldwide (although if this statistic pops up
during the search I would be interested to know), rather, how many
Coke vending machines there are world-wide and how many of those are
owned by Coca-Cola rather than private
operators (although once again, if the stat's on private operators are
found also that would be interesting).
 
2) By "upgraded", some newly deployed machines are actually old
machines that have had a makeover of some sort - maintainance or
modernisation.  Really, what I would like ot know is how many Coke
vending machines are deployed each year (be they new or second hand)

Many Thanks ...

mowgly,

Per your comment, I am posting my comment as an Answer.

Please be aware that these figures will be VERY rough, but I will do
my best for you. I was unable to find any information on
privately-owned machines.
 
"Coca-Cola, Marconi And The Wild Card" 
StockHouse News Desk, by Mark Stone (June 19, 2000) 
"Coke has 3.8 million machines worldwide and Quarendon believes they
plan to double what they already have."
http://www.stockhouse.ca/shfn/jun00/061900ca_mark.asp 
 
According to Computing Japan magazine, in 1996, Japan had 840,000 of
those machines:
"The company hopes to have at least half of its 840,000 vending
machines nationwide covered by a PHS [personal handyphone system]
network within two years."
http://www.computingjapan.com/magazine/issues/1996/jan96/0196newsbrfs.html
 
"Coke Drops Heavy Coin Into Marconi Smart Vending" 
by Dick Kelsey, BNW Consulting (May 17, 2000) 
 
"Coke plans to link more than 500,000 of its soft drink vending
machines worldwide with technology and data management support from
Marconi Online...
 
'Customers will soon be able to use their cellular phones for
Dial-a-Coke,' Coke spokesman Trey Paris told Newsbytes. 'There'll be a
(phone) number on the machine,' he said. 'Immediately upon
transmission your phone will be charged the amount of a Coke. That
will appear on your phone bill.'
 
The technology will also allow cashless purchases of the soft drink
using credit, debit and smart cards. There are already about 60,000
Coke machines that perform some of these functions, Paris said."
http://www.all-vending-machines.com/hi_tech.htm 
 
****** 
So, if Coke is able to follow through with its 5-year plan: 
2000 - 3.8 million machines 
2002 - ~5.32 million machines 
2005 - 7.6 million machines 
 
2000 - 0 machines upgraded to "Dial-A-Coke" capability 
2002 - ~200,000 machines upgraded to "Dial-A-Coke" capability 
2005 - 500,000 machines upgraded to "Dial-A-Coke" capability 
****** 
Theoretically, this would mean that 2,280,000 new machines will be
deployed in the next 3 years, and 300,000 machines would be upgraded
to "Dial-A-Coke" capability.
 
For an interesting diversion... 
Bennet Yee's "List of Internet Accessible Coke Machines" 
http://www-cse.ucsd.edu/users/bsy/coke.html 
 
Search Strategy 
 
number of Coke vending machines worldwide 
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=number+of+Coke+vending+machines+worldwide&btnG=Google+Search
 
total Coke vending machines worldwide 
://www.google.com/search?q=total+Coke+vending+machines+worldwide&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
 
total number of Coke vending machines  
://www.google.com/search?q=total+number+of+Coke+vending+machines&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
 
If you find this information satisfactory, let me know, and I will
post it as an answer. If you need further assistance, post a
Clarification request, and I will see what I can do.
 
Thanks!

Are you asking how many total (all brands) soft drink vending machines
there are worldwide, and how many of them are Coke machines?

Or are you asking how many Coke vending machines there are world-wide,
and how many of those are owned by Coca-Cola rather than private
operators?

When you ask how many machines are upgraded each year, to what kind of
upgrade are you referring?

If you can provide Researchers with the answers to these questions, it
will greatly improve their ability to provide you the information you
need.

Thanks!

Please be aware that these figures will be VERY rough, but I will do
my best for you. I was unable to find any information on
privately-owned machines.

"Coca-Cola, Marconi And The Wild Card"
StockHouse News Desk, by Mark Stone (June 19, 2000)
"Coke has 3.8 million machines worldwide and Quarendon believes they
plan to double what they already have."
http://www.stockhouse.ca/shfn/jun00/061900ca_mark.asp

According to Computing Japan magazine, in 1996, Japan had 840,000 of
those machines:
"The company hopes to have at least half of its 840,000 vending
machines nationwide covered by a PHS [personal handyphone system]
network within two years."
http://www.computingjapan.com/magazine/issues/1996/jan96/0196newsbrfs.html

"Coke Drops Heavy Coin Into Marconi Smart Vending"
by Dick Kelsey, BNW Consulting (May 17, 2000)

"Coke plans to link more than 500,000 of its soft drink vending
machines worldwide with technology and data management support from
Marconi Online...

'Customers will soon be able to use their cellular phones for
Dial-a-Coke,' Coke spokesman Trey Paris told Newsbytes. 'There'll be a
(phone) number on the machine,' he said. 'Immediately upon
transmission your phone will be charged the amount of a Coke. That
will appear on your phone bill.'

The technology will also allow cashless purchases of the soft drink
using credit, debit and smart cards. There are already about 60,000
Coke machines that perform some of these functions, Paris said."
http://www.all-vending-machines.com/hi_tech.htm

******
So, if Coke is able to follow through with its 5-year plan:
2000 - 3.8 million machines
2002 - ~5.32 million machines
2005 - 7.6 million machines

2000 - 0 machines upgraded to "Dial-A-Coke" capability
2002 - ~200,000 machines upgraded to "Dial-A-Coke" capability
2005 - 500,000 machines upgraded to "Dial-A-Coke" capability
******
Theoretically, this would mean that 2,280,000 new machines will be
deployed in the next 3 years, and 300,000 machines would be upgraded
to "Dial-A-Coke" capability.

For an interesting diversion...
Bennet Yee's "List of Internet Accessible Coke Machines"
http://www-cse.ucsd.edu/users/bsy/coke.html

Search Strategy

number of Coke vending machines worldwide
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=number+of+Coke+vending+machines+worldwide&btnG=Google+Search

total Coke vending machines worldwide
://www.google.com/search?q=total+Coke+vending+machines+worldwide&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

total number of Coke vending machines 
://www.google.com/search?q=total+number+of+Coke+vending+machines&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

If you find this information satisfactory, let me know, and I will
post it as an answer. If you need further assistance, post a
Clarification request, and I will see what I can do.

Thanks!

Dear aceresearcher-ga,

Not sure if this's the right way to get back to you but yes, the
infomation you have given me is fantastic.  I really do appreaciate
you help and fast response.  Thankyou very much!

Cheers,

mowgly-ga