Pepsi gets social with new vending machine

Drinks maker launches high-tech vending machine for users to gift drinks to one another

Pepsi is attempting to push technological boundaries and embrace the trend of social networking by launching a "Social Vending System".

The brand's parent company PepsiCo has created a networked unit that features touch screen vending technology, and enables users to send drinks as a gift to a friend by selecting a beverage and entering the recipient's name, mobile number and a personalised text message.

The gift is delivered with a system code and instructions to redeem it at any PepsiCo Social Vending system.

There is also the option to further personalise the gift with a short video recorded right at the machine.

A prototype of the new technology will debut at a trade show this week in Chicago.

In 2009, rival Coca-Cola started testing its Freestyle vending machine, which has a digital touch screen and can dispense more than 100 flavours of beverage.