Editor’s Note: This is a cross post from the STB News Bytes Blog.

Last week, Microsoft announced an exciting (and tasty) example of its work in intelligent systems, business analytics and cloud computing. Costa Coffee’s iconic red Costa Express vending machines are the UK’s leading self-service bar, with more than 2,500 machines in the UK since launching 18 months ago. When Costa decided to build its next-generation coffee-serving machine, they wanted a flexible, end-to-end solution. Windows Embedded, Windows Azure and SQL Server helped Costa meet their exact needs, allowing them to track all aspects of the machine including diagnostics and sales data.

Read the full Windows Embedded blog post to learn how Microsoft and Costa are delivering a better cup for coffee lovers.