Atlanta Transportation Showcase Goes Totally Wireless
SAN JOSE, Calif. — July 18, 1996 — Totally Wireless has completed the delivery and installation of the wireless communication portion of a major transportation project in Atlanta.
Working in conjunction with Fastline, Battelle, Motorola, and Ardis, Totally Wireless provided the personal communications hardware and airtime for Atlanta's Traveler Information Showcase.
The new Traveler Information Showcase is part of a brand new integrated Intelligent Transportation System that enables travelers to receive up-to-the-minute information through several technologies.
Commuters and other travelers can learn about accidents, vehicle breakdowns, road maintenance and other incidents in order to figure out alternate routes to get to where they're going instead of ending up stuck in the middle of a traffic jam.
Using sensors, computerized traffic control systems and electronic navigation systems, many of the technologies developed for aviation, space and the defense program are now being deployed to make the movement of people and goods easier, safer and less polluting. The technologies comprising the Traveler Information Showcase include:
— Personal Communication Devices that receive data through wireless links
— Cars equipped with navigation/information systems
— Cable television programming offered by local cable systems
— Online services
— Interactive television
"We are very pleased with Totally Wireless as a business partner. They put together solutions for both the hardware and airtime that nobody else was able to offer," said John Gianattasio, Senior Research Scientist at Battelle, the project manager. "Totally Wireless provided on-time support throughout the process, and they played a key role in getting an 18 month development project launched on time."
Travelers can access a variety of services using the hand-held devices, including: — Route guidance for automobiles, including traffic congestion and incident location and type, sites of scheduled maintenance, travel speeds and parking availability by location
— MARTA transit bus and train frequency, fares and routes;
— Schedules and locations for sporting and other events
— Wide area bus, train and airline route and fare information
— Electronic yellow pages with detailed information and locations of restaurants, hotels, theaters, shopping centers, ATMs, service stations, and emergency services.
"The Transportation Showcase is a clear demonstration of the power and versatility of wireless communications," said Michael Merrill, President and CEO of Totally Wireless.
"Just a few years ago, this kind of project would have been impossible. Battelle and Fastline have done an exceptional job of taking a very complex problem and delivering a simple, convenient, and easy to use solution."
There are two Personal Communication Devices included in the Showcase. The Motorola Envoy Wireless Communications, a pen-based computer using General Magic's Magic Cap operating system sends and receives information over the ARDIS packet data network using Fast Line software.
The second platform is Hewlett Packard's HP200LX Palmtop computer, which communicates over SkyTel's two-way paging network using ETAK software. Totally Wireless provided the Motorola hardware and Ardis airtime for the project.
The Showcase demonstration of advanced traveler information technologies is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and Cobb Community Transit. Totally Wireless, Battelle and Fastline are part of the private sector team.
Totally Wireless is a leading provider of wireless communications products and services, offering an extensive array of wireless products ranging from cellular phones and pagers to personal communicators and wireless E-mail.
Totally Wireless represents the leading wireless manufacturers and service providers, including: Motorola, RadioMail, ARDIS, SkyTel, Metricom, Sony, IBM, Trimble, RCA, Hello Direct, PageNet, IBM and Cellular One. Totally Wireless is headquartered in San Jose and is privately held.
For more information or a free wireless data catalog, call 800/96-WIRELESS, E-mail: [email protected], or visit: http://www.totallywireless.comon the Internet.
CONTACT:
Totally Wireless
Elizabeth Brown, 408/366-6420
E-mail: [email protected]
Michael Merrill, 408/366-5950
or
Fastline Traffic
Steve Wollenberg, 415/777-2100
or
Battelle
John Gianattasio, 513/258-6762