Cisco Cisco Aironet 1524 Lightweight Outdoor Mesh Access Point Guía De Información
Customer Case Study
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Parking Meter Company Creates New Business Model
with Wi-Fi
with Wi-Fi
Photo Violation Technologies deploys a Cisco
Outdoor Wireless Solution to offer cities new
revenues and services.
Outdoor Wireless Solution to offer cities new
revenues and services.
Business Challenge
Photo Violation Technologies Corp. makes life easier for
anyone who has ever had to feed a parking meter, or
any city that has had to maintain one. The Canadian
company’s PhotoViolationMeter is a “smart” parking
meter that allows drivers to pay with cash, credit card,
debit card, or with a cell phone. The meters even include
a grace period for drivers who overpark by a few
minutes. But if a driver fails to pay the parking fee, the
meter takes a photograph of the car’s license plate.
Then, the meter wirelessly sends the photo to the
municipal agency that maintains violations. Company
officials have proven that the high-tech meters bring in
five times the revenue of traditional parking meters, both
because the technology makes it easier for drivers to
pay, and because it is easier to catch those drivers who
do not pay.
anyone who has ever had to feed a parking meter, or
any city that has had to maintain one. The Canadian
company’s PhotoViolationMeter is a “smart” parking
meter that allows drivers to pay with cash, credit card,
debit card, or with a cell phone. The meters even include
a grace period for drivers who overpark by a few
minutes. But if a driver fails to pay the parking fee, the
meter takes a photograph of the car’s license plate.
Then, the meter wirelessly sends the photo to the
municipal agency that maintains violations. Company
officials have proven that the high-tech meters bring in
five times the revenue of traditional parking meters, both
because the technology makes it easier for drivers to
pay, and because it is easier to catch those drivers who
do not pay.
When Photo Violation launched trials of the meters in
early 2007, the company was using a cellular network for
the wireless transmission of license plate photos. But
company officials discovered several problems. The first
problem was speed: with the General Packet Radio
Service (GPRS) cellular technology, the meters took
several seconds to connect to the central office.
Secondly, Photo Violation officials noticed transmission
early 2007, the company was using a cellular network for
the wireless transmission of license plate photos. But
company officials discovered several problems. The first
problem was speed: with the General Packet Radio
Service (GPRS) cellular technology, the meters took
several seconds to connect to the central office.
Secondly, Photo Violation officials noticed transmission
problems when several meters tried to connect to the network at once, a common occurrence
during peak parking hours. Finally the company was unhappy with the level of customer service
that its cellular carrier provided, not to mention the hefty monthly service bill.
during peak parking hours. Finally the company was unhappy with the level of customer service
that its cellular carrier provided, not to mention the hefty monthly service bill.
“It was difficult to work with the carriers, in addition to being expensive,” says Fred Mitschele, CEO
of Photo Technologies. “We thought there must be a better way. We wanted to be in control of our
own network. So we started to investigate other wireless technologies.”
of Photo Technologies. “We thought there must be a better way. We wanted to be in control of our
own network. So we started to investigate other wireless technologies.”
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Photo Violation Technologies
● Parking management
● Vancouver, British Columbia
● 27 employees
● Vancouver, British Columbia
● 27 employees
Business Challenge
● Encourage sales of high-tech parking meters
to municipal customers
● Find a cost-effective alternative to cellular
technology
● Gain better control of wireless network
operations
● Develop new municipal opportunities beyond
the core business
Network Solution
● A Cisco Outdoor Wireless Solution provides
wireless data connectivity to municipal parking
meters
● Wi-Fi technology provides sufficient bandwidth
for wireless transmission of license plate
photos
photos
● Multiple channels allow the company to offer
both Internet access and parking meter
services to its municipal customers.
● Free Internet access is available within 300
feet of each PhotoViolationMeter™ parking
meter
meter
Business Results
● The Wireless Outdoor Solution eliminates
service charges to cellular carriers and annual
license fees
● Photo Violation has expanded its core
business model to include wireless Internet
and voice over Internet (VoI) services
● For cities, the revenue from wireless parking
meters helps create an incentive for municipal
mesh networks
● The company’s new mesh-based business
model has garnered interest from potential
municipal customers all over the world.