The International Parking Institute’s conference and expo is anxiously awaited by exhibitor and attendee alike. It is an opportunity for members of the institute and others to network, learn, and basically get a few days of full immersion in parking.

 

The vendors, too, see this event as a place to show off their products and spend marketing dollars in a way to put their company in the best possible light.

 

It’s difficult to capture the look and feel of the event. Throughout this issue of PT you will find snapshots we took in Phoenix, and articles by a few of the exhibitors about their products.

 

Although there are many events that take place during the four day show, the expo floor is where most networking and the ‘buzz’ happens. This year there were 225 exhibitors who placed their wares in booths large and small, on display for the IPI membership.

 

VENTEK

VenTek Introduces Internet-Enabled venMobile Solutions

Over the last 10 years, VenTek International, the perennial automated payment system leader in the parking industry, has made significant technological advancements in the areas of online connectivity and real-time credit card processing for its paystation product lines.

Leveraging on these successes, VenTek introduces its next generation of Internet-enabled solutions, creating a truly complete and fully integrated parking revenue collection system. Dubbed venMobile, these mobility solutions enable our clients to capitalize on the simplicity and ubiquity of the latest in smartphone and tablet platforms.

With its state-of-the-art web-based application suite, VenTek system users can process parking permit payments, verify occupancy rights, and issue violation notices from virtually anywhere in their parking facilities.

To complete this fully integrated solution, patrons can now pay for their parking privileges using VenTek’s pay-by-phone technologies or their violation notices immediately at any paystation. All of these activities are securely processed, recorded and reported with the robust accountability and audit capabilities of our web-based venVue revenue management system.

VenTek International – engineering the future of automated payment technologies. We proudly manufacture solutions to your unattended parking fee collection needs right here in the U.S.A.

For more information,contact VenTek

tel: 707-773-3373 • e-mail: sales@ventek-intl.com

web: www.ventek-intl.com

   

 

TOLEDO TICKET

Toledo Ticket, TransCore Developing RFID-based Hang Tags

The Toledo Ticket Co., one of the nation’s largest providers of specialty tickets, and TransCore, the world’s largest manufacturer of transportation-based radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders, jointly developed an RFID-based hang tag for wireless access control at entry and exit points of parking facilities.

By leveraging Toledo Ticket’s market reach with products in all 50 states and more than 30 countries, and a century of experience providing tickets of all form factors, combined with TransCore’s pioneering RFID engineering capabilities, the two companies will bring a product to market that can expand RFID’s use within the parking and security access control industry.

Said Tom Carter, Toledo Ticket VP: “This type of wireless communication, which triggers a gate to open, will speed through-put at entry and exit; reduce a facility’s carbon footprint by minimizing vehicles backing up; [and] increase personal safety and avoid inclement weather by eliminating the need to roll down a car window.

 “It’s portable, and overall enhances customer convenience. They can now extend the life cycle use of their hang tags over several years.”

Also, he said, “an RFID hang tag has tremendous marketability. For professional sports teams or universities that cater to season ticket holders or semester-oriented parking patrons, they can even make them collectibles.”

For more information, contact Toledo Ticket

tel: 800-533-6620 • e-mail: tcarter@toledoticket.com

web: www.toledoticket.com

   

INTEGRAPARK

It’s Rome – IntegraPark’s Latest ‘Cloud-Based’ App

Rome, from IntegraPark, extracts real-time information from revenue control systems and uploads it to a cloud server. Using any web browser, parking operators and property owners can then analyze their occupancy and revenue data using a large set of reports and charts.

These data can also feed IntegraPark’s Geneva application, which updates the parking operator’s general ledger. In other words, data flow from the payment in the garage to the financial statements with no key entry.

Rome makes it easy to track multiple garage in real-time and to compare historical data from multiple garages. It enables auditors to access detailed ticket and payment information without having to travel to the garage; alerts managers to problems at the garage via email; and highlights ticket losses.

Further, using Rome and Geneva together automates the bank reconciliation process and instantly reports any difference between cash that should have been collected and cash deposited at the bank.

If you’d like to see Rome in action, just go to www.IPRome.com and log in as guest@integrapark.com; the password is guest. You’ll see two locations, one using Federal APD equipment and one using WPS equipment. (The company is in the process of adding support for DataPark garages, and hopes to add other manufacturers in the near future.)

Note that you don’t have to know how to use each manufacturer’s software to get these reports: Rome provides standardized reporting, regardless of the equipment where the data originate.

For more information,

contact IntegraPark

tel: 888-852-9993 ext 1

e-mail: ruth.beaman@

integrapark.com

web: www.integrapark.com

   

TCS INTERNATIONAL

TCS and Parking Guidance – The Market Leader

What happens when drivers search for an available parking space, never realizing open spaces are nearby? When drivers are stuck in traffic, circling the area, or waiting in line at a full facility, everybody loses. Instead, direct those parkers quickly and efficiently to where it benefits you the most.

TCS International is truly the market leader in parking guidance systems, with more than 100 systems installed. CEO Greg Parzych introduced its newest equipment at the IPI Expo in Phoenix.

TCS, the only complete North American manufacturer of these systems, has integrated wireless encrypted communications throughout all its designs.

With features such as mobile apps, web interface, radio, reservations and SMS text messaging, TCS system designs are second to none. The multiple technologies employed are truly leading the market.

Advantages include less time wasted looking for spaces; fewer incidents/accidents; less fuel and emissions wasted; and improved customer loyalty in a competitive market.

TCS parking guidance systems provide strategically located signs displaying real-time parking space availability. Imagine having a reputation for easy parking and helping the environment at the same time.

For more information,

contact TCS International

tel: 978-443-2527

e-mail: info@tcsintl.com

web: www.tcsintl.com

 

DIGITAL PAYMENT TECHNOLOGIES

Digital Payment Technologies Adds Parking Sessions by Phone

Digital Payment Technologies (DPT), a leading supplier of parking technology and solutions, has rolled out its Extend-by-Phone service to enable consumers to receive parking expiration notices and extend parking time via text (SMS) messaging.

Extend-by-Phone is the only mobile payment solution of its kind that works with paystation-initiated purchases and does not require the consumer to set up an account.

Using the service, consumers paying with a credit card at the paystation are prompted to enter their mobile phone number, which gives them the convenient option to extend their parking session later.

When their parking time is about to expire, consumers receive a text notification asking if they would like to extend the session, and by how much time. Consumers simply respond to the text with the amount of time to add. The extra time is then automatically charged to the card used to make the original paystation purchase. No credit card information is exchanged by phone, and the transaction is securely handled at DPT’s PCI-compliant paystations.

This feature has the dual benefits of increasing consumer satisfaction and generating operator revenue by promoting greater compliance with parking policy.

DPT’s Extend-by-Phone is already deployed in Lake Geneva, WI, and numerous other cities will be rolling out the service in the coming months. It’s also used by many private operators such as Vinci Park and Concord Parking.

For more information, contact Digital Payment Technologies

tel: 888.687.6822 • e-mail: info@digitalpaytech.com

web: www.digitalpaytech.com

   

SCHEIDT & BACHMANN

Scheidt and Bachmann Means Innovation

Scheidt & Bachmann, celebrating its 140th anniversary in 2012, continues to be the leader in providing innovative solutions to the parking and revenue control industry. From the first successful introduction of Pay on Foot machines in the early 1970’s to the first commercially viable application of integrated LPR in the 1990’s to the continued success of the reusable ChipCoin based systems, Scheidt & Bachmann remains the technology benchmark of the industry.

And the innovations continue. Available for demonstration at this year’s IPI exhibition is the embedded entervo analytics module, the e-commerce print at home validation module, the redesigned open-access automated pay stations, and the integration of 3rd party parking Apps products.

At Scheidt & Bachmann, we attach great importance to being more than just a supplier for our customers. We see ourselves as a long-term partner with the responsibility for the success of our customer’s business. We always go a step further so that you are satisfied with us and your Scheidt & Bachmann system without any exceptions.

See what it’s like to be at the front of the pack. See what it’s like to work with a business partner that truly understands what that means. See what it’s like to work with Scheidt & Bachmann.

For more information, contact Scheidt and Bachmann

tel: 480-567-2949 • e-mail: jsparrow@s-b-usa.com

web: www.scheidtbachmann.com

   

PAY BY PHONE

Pay By Phone Has over 150 Locations, Worldwide

Pay by Phone is a Pioneer in the on and off street parking fee collection by cell phone business. With over 10 years of service, the Vancouver BC based company has led the industry service to its customers.

In the past six months Pay by Phone has been rolling out a NFC (Near Field Communications) based enhancement to their installation in conjunction with SFPark in San Francisco. The PayByPhone NFC sticker has a passive electronic chip that does not require a battery and stores information such as the parking space number that can be read wirelessly by any NFC-enabled phone.

Since each meter in San Francisco will have a PayByPhone sticker, users can simply wave or tap their NFC-enabled phones over the NFC sticker on the meter to automatically launch the parking application. The mobile payment system recognizes the user, identifies the individual parking location, and the driver enters the desired parking time to complete the transaction. The system then sends a text message reminder before the parking period expires, and if needed, allows additional time to be purchased by phone from any location (subject to time limit restrictions). A receipt is automatically sent to the user’s email account. Payment is processed against a credit or debit card associated with the mobile phone number.

Pay by Phone has processed over 100 million transactions. Who needs a meter? Pay by Phone.

For more information, contact Pay By Phone

tel: 866-783-7787 • e-mail: sales@paybyphone.com

web: www.paybyphone.com

 

   

PARKEON

Parkeon Introduces Whoosh! Mobile-Pay Application

Parkeon officially launched Whoosh!, its recently introduced mobile payment solution, at the IPI Expo in Phoenix. It allows users to pay for their parking on all types of mobile devices and secures greater revenues by increasing payment compliance.

Whoosh! also provides motorists the convenience of getting text alerts when their parking time is running out, and the capability to extend their parking time from anywhere. Parking payments are stored online for easy recordkeeping.

The mobile payment solution provides users with all the advantages of purchasing parking tickets by phone (remote time extension, end-of-stay reminder, expenses overview), while maintaining good coherence with the parking terminal installed base.

Whoosh! is described as a natural extension to the portfolio of services Parkeon offers, fitting seamlessly within the existing range of parking integrated services and payment methods. It is inter-operable with the company’s multi-space meter systems.

All parking payments made via Whoosh! are recorded in Parkeon’s back-office system, myParkfolio, so parking operations can easily keep track of transactions, no matter how they happen.

For more information, contact Parkeon

tel: 800-732-6868 • e-mail: ussales@parkeon.com

web: www.parkeon.com

 

QUICKPAY

QuickPay Moves Revenue Control to the Clouds

Pay for parking with your phone using the QP QuickPay mobile payment platform. All you do is sign up, either on line or with your smart phone. Download an app and you are ready to park. Anywhere. Garages, lots, valets, airports, even parking meters that have QuickPay’s logo are ready for you.

Just scan the QR code or tap the NFC ID at entry in lots that have entry controls, and again on exit and that’s it. Your mobile payment is done and you are on your way, no ticket, not pay on foot, just your phone and you are done.

If the lot is prepay, or has no controls (like an honor box lot) just scan the code on the QP QuickPay sign and that’s it. Your presence is acknowledged and your status is sent to the lot checker. Likewise, if there is a code on that parking meter, scan and you are done.

Don’t have a smart phone?, Simply use your standard cell phone to text or call in the space or lot code and you are on your way.

Garage and lot owners have no equipment to install, except a small, inexpensive interface unit in lots with in and out gates. This entire system is run in the cloud.

You can get email or text acknowledgements of your transactions, monthly summaries, and of course, complete payment and statistical information is available to the lot owner.

Mobile parking payments are here with QP QuickPay! Find out more at www.qpme.com.

For more information,

contact QuickPay

tel: 650-394-7763

e-mail: support@qpme.com

web: www.qpme.com

 

COMMEND

Commend Features Easy-to-Install Intercom Systems

Commend manufactures digital and IP intercom systems it calls ideal for parking installations. The systems are renowned throughout the industry for superb audio quality, superior reliability and ease of installation.

Its intercom stations allow for simple, instant communication between the parking office and remote locations (e.g., barriers, ticket machines and pay-on-foot machines). They can be installed either on twisted pair, fiber, IP or a combination.

In addition to audio, the company offers integrated video, with perfect lip sync. This lets parking visitors see the person with whom they are speaking, and parking personnel view visitors and, if necessary, review their ID documents and passes.

The intercom systems can be installed in a single location or networked from locally to globally to provide a truly enterprise-wide communication solution. They interface seamlessly with access control, CCTV, P/A and voice recorders.

failure, they provide alternate routing. In event of a disaster, they are an emergency notification/evacuation system.

For more information, contact Commend

tel: 201-529-2425 • e-mail: office@commendusa.com

web: www.commendusa.com

 

SKIDATA

Skidata’s Dynamic Pricing -- With ‘sweb’

   

The latest in Skidata’s access management “cloud” computing services, called sweb, debuted dynamic pricing – which it calls a great solution of special events and yield management – at the IPI Expo in Phoenix.

Management of a parking facility defines the rules to affect the rates – this could be based on date, day, time or occupancy. Variable message signs can display the current rate based on these rules, with a description informing the customer before they enter the parking facility.

The Skidata system monitors occupancy and adjusts the rate being charged accordingly. When the count reaches a certain amount, it can change a dynamic sign, send messages to the control center, and issue a ticket at the entrance that’s tied to the appropriate rate.

The entrance column issues a machine/man readable ticket linked to the current rate with a printed description.

Skidata’s sweb cloud solution monitors the counts, sends the appropriate message to the signs and controls which ticket is issued at the entrance.

For more information, contact Skidata

tel: 908-243-0000 • e-mail: info@skidata.com

web: www.skidata.com