Vianet Share Discussion Threads

[xdavid] 04/9/2013 19:27

I would say it was a distinct benefit to us. VNET's Vending Solutions rely on touch-and-pay cards/mobile phones being in circulation and their use being 'routine' so the quicker it gets adopted, the better for VNET. VNET are a potential 'customer' as far as MONI are concerned. I.e., they are just using the technology in a vending machine but rely on others to produce the technology for them to access.
All in my understanding, of course, but I don't think VNET do any of the actual 'cloud-side' of the transaction - that would have been VISA's contribution. Similarly, I would have expected them to source the card-reader from a third party (but I may be wrong).

[jeffian] 04/9/2013 18:26

I'm afraid I'm a tech illiterate. Does MONI's announcement today of a tie-up with IBM to provide a contactless payment system via Visa present a threat to our system or is it complementary?

[janeann] 30/8/2013 14:55

I came acorss this having seen a sticker showing they are monitoring petrol at Sainsburys ........looks quite interesting. Quite a yield!

[aishah] 30/8/2013 14:53

Techinvest had 68p stop-loss in last issue

[glasshalfull] 30/8/2013 14:46

Quite a few buys going through...volume picked up.

Just tweeted:

Glasshalfull ‏@Glasshalfull1

VNET (Vianet)Hit by regulatory worries & now on PER 5 for year. Offering 8% div yield. Helium now over 4% hxxp://tiny.cc/ohwm2w #TMFPP

Good to see you here Mas...I've also bought a few.

Regards,
GHF

[masurenguy] 21/8/2013 15:35

A little bit of buying interest today - made a small top up myself.

[jeffian] 26/7/2013 14:57

"They are aware of one PubCo who used to do this, but now doesn't."

I guess that would be Enterprise. I accept that I may be out-of-date on this - I haven't worked in the business since 1998!

[paulypilot] 26/7/2013 14:05

Jeffian,

I raised this point with the company, and they told me that PubCos are not meant to charge tenants based on the Brulines system, and that generally they don't. They are aware of one PubCo who used to do this, but now doesn't.

The Vianet systems are not designed to be 100% accurate, but are instead there to detect changes in the trend of beer useage. This is an early warning system to the PubCos that a tenant may be introducing illicit barrels of beer, in contravention of the Tie. The PubCos then investigate further, if the Brulines system has identified a problem.

Vianet say that the better pub tenants welcome the system (esp. iDraught) as it gives them valuable management info which helps them spot staff pilferage, and plan staff rotas, etc.

Without a Brulines system in place, apparently the level of illicit beer supplies is typically 7%. So there's no way the PubCos will want to see this system outlawed, and they have considerable lobbying power.

regards, Paul.

[ccraig69] 26/7/2013 12:48

Then would water meters etc have to be brought under W&M as well?
If you ban Brulines offering where would water companies stand.

[c1d] 26/7/2013 09:50

jeffian,
Thanks. Do you have any views on whether the outcome of the consultation is likely to be changes to what pubcos can and can't do with the flow information (e.g. would need other supporting evidence before penalising tenants) or an outright ban on the equipment? Do you know if amendments to how the data can be used would satisfy those people who are anti the equipment?
Regards

[jeffian] 26/7/2013 09:29

c1d,

My post #313 addressed this issue. The problem is the very aggressive way in which the pubco's use Brulines. Most tenanted pubs pay for their supplies by Direct Debit. If Brulines shows a discrepancy between beer sold and beer supplied, they simply put a charge through on DD for the difference! (i.e. they act as judge, jury and hangman). I don't know whether the equipment is completely foolproof but an Enterprise tenant called Simon Clarke, who is also a qualified Chartered Surveyor and a big noise in the Fair Pint campaign, reckons to have shown by example that it is not. If the pubco's were a bit more sympathetic in the application of the system, there would not be a problem IMHO.

[masurenguy] 26/7/2013 08:56

Thanks c1d - some very interesting insight into to the whole issue.

[paulypilot] 24/7/2013 07:33

See my morning report from yesterday deanowls:

Regards, Paul.

[deanowls] 24/7/2013 07:22

Any feedback from the meeting at all?

[paulypilot] 16/7/2013 15:00

Hi Deanowls,

I posted about the key points from my meeting with Vianet last week here:


Also a further comment in today's report, here:


Note that this website doesn't seem to corrupt links if you put them through tinyurl first.

Regards, Paul.

[deanowls1] 16/7/2013 13:22

Paulypilot, you mentioned last week you may do a write up of your meeting with the management?

[alan@bj] 11/7/2013 09:20

PJ - no, it's just that some of them don't like being found out for buying in cheaper beer from outside suppliers. They don't understand that unless the pubco's get a decent return they won't invest in the pubs.

[pj 1] 10/7/2013 10:13

Hmmm
Looks like PP has answered my concerns today on his Report, about John Smiths being used to dilute Old Speckled Hen. i.e. The monitoring system would pick it up through usage.

I wonder if the tennents or is that (Tennants?) are also using Human Rights as an argument against monitoring measurement? Getting interesting

[paulypilot] 09/7/2013 21:24

Hi,

If you think the statutory code could make it into law, then the shares are very risky. If you think the statutory code won't make it into law, then the shares are cheap (yielding 8.4% now). That's the crux, in my view.

I'm leaning towards the latter view, based on my enquiries, whilst accepting that short term sentiment on the shares might remain negative for a while.

Cheers, Paul.