On top of the monitoring mentioned by others, it's also to create a centralized log of actual temperatures. This then lets you show inspectors that you are keeping up with refrigeration requirements.

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mrob 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Creating a centralized log is monitoring. It doesn't need write access to the defrost setting.

	▲	rocqua 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yep, but once you have internet connectivity, things escalate and people say "wouldn't it be convenient if we can also...."

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DougN7 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You have to wonder about the monitoring - it apparently wasn’t alerting for someone to do something about it in time. What was the point of the monitoring in that case??

	▲	rocqua 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		It might have dutifully logged that the temperature setting was changed, which will allow regulators to conclude that the safety of the food stored in these refrigerators can no longer be assured. Compliance tends to warp the underlying goal quite a bit.