Zoom LBS will leverage Zoom products to bring immediate value to travelers and DOTs
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (May 4, 2007) – Fort Wayne-based ZOOM Information Systems has created and staffed a new subsidiary company, ZOOM LBS, to develop applications and services focused on Location Based Services.
ZOOM LBS is led by newly-hired president David Baraniak, one of two new employees. Additional staff will be added based on customer demand. “Our goal is to provide travelers a whole new level of real-time travel information based on the fact that we know where they are, which direction they are traveling and what time it is,” Baraniak said. “In the process, we can also provide a lot of assistance to Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to make the road safer and easier to travel on.”
ZOOM LBS is currently developing advertising and promotional programs for Wi-Fi rest area programs operated by the Iowa and Nevada DOTs. As part of those programs, ZOOM LBS staff is developing web-based technology to enhance the traveler’s experience through the use of laptop computers and kiosks. The ZOOM rest area portal includes features like exit maps, online access to current information such as weather reports, amber alerts, traffic conditions, homeland security alerts, plus soon to come real-time access to information such as truck parking spots and gas pricing.
“The Location Based Services (LBS) market is really starting to heat up,” said ZOOM Information Systems president Mike Fritsch. “By combining ZOOM’s expertise and products in Intelligent Transportation Systems with the ZOOM LBS focus on Location Based Services, we have the opportunity to sign up advertisers and develop a user base that no other company currently enjoys.”
“We believe all DOTs will want to install our rest area technology platform,” added Baraniak. “Based on our advertising revenues, we can typically put it in at no net cost to DOTs and even share the profits with them.”
ZOOM LBS will use products created by the parent company, ZOOM Information Systems, to gain a competitive advantage over other LBS market companies. In the near future, ZOOM sees rest area connectivity expanding to include transfer of data from moving vehicles, including truck fleets, state police cruisers, snow plows and passenger cars. This is where the ZOOM ARTIIS (Advanced Real-Time Transportation Infrastructure Information System) system comes in. ARTIIS gathers and “fuses” real-time data from vehicles to determine traffic, road and weather conditions and report on vehicle status. The development of ARTIIS was partially funded through a $2.75 million grant from the State of Indiana’s 21st Century Research and Technology Fund (www.21fund.org).
About ZOOM Information Systems
ZOOM’s mission is to be the leader in Transportation Informatics, which is the science of information technology in the transportation industry. ZOOM is creating a family of Intelligent Transportation Systems hardware and software products that gather, fuse and analyze vehicle information in real-time to significantly reduce accidents, increase traffic flow, maintain longer lasting roadways and save money for taxpayers. ZOOM has offices in the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center in Fort Wayne (www.niic.net). More information about ZOOM and ZOOM LBS can be found at www.zoominfosystems.com
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Contact: Mike Fritsch, Zoom Information Systems – 260.407.1776
David Baraniak, Zoom LBS – 260.407.1776
Karl LaPan, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center – 260.407.6442
Rob Young, The Alliance – 260.426.5568