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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
WFI and ACS to Deploy Wireless Parking Meters for City of Houston
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 20 -- WFI (Nasdaq: WFII), a
global leader in the design, deployment, and management of wireless
communication networks, information technology solutions and security
systems, announced today that it has been selected by Affiliated Computer
Services, Inc. (ACS) as the systems integrator to design and deploy a
wireless network to support the installation of state-of-the-art wireless
parking meter pay stations, called LUKE payment stations, throughout the
City of Houston. The project will be deployed in phases with the downtown
area being the first to receive 750 new parking meters. Financial terms of
the project were not disclosed.
The City of Houston has ordered 750 multi-space solar powered on-street
payment stations for a 1.9 mile area of downtown capable of accepting
credit cards, coins and paper currency as well as providing maps of the
surrounding areas. For its part, WFI will design and deploy the dedicated
802.11g WiFi network, the first of its kind, to support the parking meters.
This project represents the first municipal parking meter system in the
U.S. that does not rely on a cellular network, but instead communicates
exclusively using a dedicated 802.11g WiFi Network. The City of Houston
will evaluate the performance of this WiFi network to determine if it can
be expanded to assist public safety and public service employees to improve
accuracy and timeliness of their duties.
"Understanding these are evolving technologies, we are glad to have a
proven wireless design and deployment firm like WFI as part of the team.
Using the Mesh Wi-Fi layer for Parking Meter connectivity, and the WiMAX
overlay for connectivity to the network backbone, puts our City at the
forefront in using evolving technologies to gain cost efficiencies in
municipal services," said Janis Jefferson, Deputy Director and CTO, City of
Houston.
"We are pleased to provide the cutting edge parking meters to our
residents and visitors, and equally pleased to have the experience of WFI
to design and deploy the Wi-Fi network these meters will require," said
Liliana Rambo of the City of Houston Parking Management Division. "A
primary goal of this project is to help make parking regulation, management
and enforcement more efficient, and we are confident that the combined
solution from ACS and WFI can help us meet this challenge."
"As the leading systems integrator for municipal wireless networks, WFI
was the ideal choice to assist ACS in the installation of the wireless
parking meters," said Norman Dong, Vice President of ACS Government
Solutions Group. "The Houston project is a large and visible installation,
and we needed an experienced systems integrator who understands 802.11
networks, who can think creatively about how to engineer a network to
support the unique services our parking meters provide and who is familiar
with deploying the Tropos product being used on this network. We look
forward to working closely with WFI on this project."
"I am very pleased that WFI was selected as the lead systems integrator
for this unique and strategic program," said Desmond Wheatley, President of
WFI's Enterprise Division. "This is truly a revolutionary project and
represents a valuable application of wireless technology to assist the
City's transportation department while providing a convenient service to
the community. This project also represents a good example of WFI's ability
to apply its experience with 802.11 networks to emerging IT applications,
and we hope to do more of this in the future. We are pleased to help our
partner, ACS, and the City of Houston in deploying these leading-edge
parking meters."
In addition to the wireless parking meter project with ACS, WFI was
recently awarded a contract with the City of Houston Transit Authority to
design and deploy a high-tech Wireless Mesh and IP Network for surveillance
of 25 of Houston's Park & Ride lots to monitor activities and deter crime.
The network being installed also has the capability of allowing Houston
TranStar to remotely control 156 traffic signals in west Houston.
"This contract illustrates the unique nature of these municipal
projects," added WFI's President and CEO Eric DeMarco. "We have been
actively working with several communities across the country to design and
deploy Wi-Fi networks that can deliver valuable services. For example, our
work in Tucson with the ER-Link project to provide a 'virtual doctor' is
another example of these next generation networks. We are proud to leverage
our network expertise in this area and look forward to assisting other
leading-edge cities such as Houston with their municipal Wi-Fi buildouts."
About ACS
ACS, a global FORTUNE 500 company with more than 55,000 people
supporting client operations reaching nearly 100 countries, provides
business process outsourcing and information technology solutions to
world-class commercial and government clients. The company's Class A common
stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ACS". ACS
makes technology work. Visit ACS on the Internet at http://www.acs-inc.com.
About WFI
Headquartered in San Diego, CA, WFI is an independent provider of
systems engineering, network services and technical outsourcing for the
world's largest wireless carriers, enterprise customers and for government
agencies. The company provides the design, deployment, integration, and the
overall management of wired and wireless networks which deliver voice and
data communication, and which support advanced security systems. WFI has
performed work in over 100 countries since its founding in 1994. News and
information are available at http://www.wfinet.com. (code: WFI-mb)
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