Telcontar announced August 19 Traffic Manager, a new product that, according to the company, integrates real-time traffic flow and incident information
with existing applications and location-based services. Telecontar claims that by using
Traffic Manager with Telcontar's Drill Down Server software platform,
location-based service providers will be able to add
traffic capabilities to their applications. They say this will enable such new
operations as the automatic rerouting of vehicles around traffic jams,
the visual display of traffic conditions, the integration of real-time
traffic with vehicle navigation systems, and the creation of new
traffic applications for wireless cell and PDA users. Early customers
of the Traffic Manager include Pharos, Inc. and a global 3G mobile
network operator.
"The average commuter in the United States and Europe spends
almost 50 percent of their commute stuck in traffic," said Eric Carlson,
president and CEO of Telcontar. "Many large city drivers spend even
more, and the business costs of traffic for professionals such as taxi
or delivery drivers nationwide may very well be measured in billions
of dollars per year. The current radio traffic bulletins help
somewhat, but they are not specific or timely enough to be truly
useful. There's a clear need for location-based service providers to
arm their clients with the ability to avoid traffic problems on the
road and get to their intended destination in a timely manner."
Jeff Curtis, executive vice-president of Pharos Inc., agrees. "In response to building customer
demand, Pharos is committed to adding new traffic capabilities to our
handheld navigation products as well as developing new traffic
oriented location-based services. We believe that traffic information
services will emerge as a complete LBS market segment in the near
future."
"Traffic Manager has the ability to support multiple traffic data
feeds. This is crucial because no one vendor today has traffic
information for the entire United States or European markets," said
David Wood, senior vice president of marketing for Telcontar. "By
using Traffic Manager and the Drill Down Server, LBS suppliers will be
able to address more geographic markets than they could reach
otherwise, and they have the freedom to pick their data feed vendors
or even change suppliers if required."
Traffic Manager will ship later this month and will be available
in the United States for use with Tele Atlas/Smartroute and
TrafficCast traffic data. Coverage for traffic incidents and
construction is supported for more than 100 cities, including New
York, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Flow-based traffic coverage is provided for more than 20 cities
including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco Bay Area.
Future releases of Traffic Manager will support European traffic feeds
and additional US-based traffic feeds, according to the company.
About Telcontar
Telcontar is the provider of the software platform for
location-based services. Telcontar's clients use its Drill Down
Server to offer their own customers such services as driving
directions, real-time traffic information, and maps. The company's
services are also used by emergency response call centers as well as
for fleet tracking and dispatch. The company says it specializes in
integrating digital maps with content drawn from multiple sources.
Telcontar is privately held and headquartered in San Jose, Calif. with
field offices in Los Angeles, Houston, and the United Kingdom.
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