WFI and ACS to Deploy Wireless Parking Meters for City of Houston
September 20 2006 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Revolutionary Meters First to Offer Maps, Directions and Ability to
Provide Real Time Credit Card Authorization Over a Mesh Network SAN
DIEGO, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 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) Notice
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains
certain forward-looking statements including, without limitation,
expressed or implied statements concerning the Company's
expectations regarding anticipated operating results for 2006,
future financial performance and cash flows and market developments
that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are only
predictions, and the Company's actual results may differ
materially. Factors that may cause the Company's results to differ
include, but are not limited to: risks that closing conditions,
including expiration of waiting periods under applicable antitrust
laws and regulations, will not be satisfied in a timely manner, or
at all; risks associated with the integration of MRC into WFI
Government Services; risks associated with increased debt leverage;
risks that the anticipated benefits of the acquisition will not be
achieved; changes in the scope or timing of the Company's projects;
changes or cutbacks in spending by the U.S. Department of Defense,
which could cause delays or cancellations of key government
contracts; slowdowns in telecommunications infrastructure spending
in the United States and globally, which could delay network
deployment and reduce demand for the Company's services; the
timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer
contracts and agreements, or consolidation by or the loss of key
customers; failure to successfully consummate acquisitions or
integrate acquired operations; the rate of adoption of telecom
outsourcing by network carriers and equipment suppliers; the rate
of growth of adoption of WLAN and wireless security systems by
enterprises; and competition in the marketplace which could reduce
revenues and profit margins. The Company undertakes no obligation
to update any forward-looking statements. These and other risk
factors are more fully discussed in the Company's Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2006 and in other
filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact:
Michael Baehr VP of Corporate Communications WFI 858.228.2799
Direct DATASOURCE: WFI CONTACT: Michael Baehr, VP of Corporate
Communications, WFI, +1-858-228-2799, Web site:
http://www.acs-inc.com/ Web site: http://www.wfinet.com/
Copyright
Wireless Facilities (NASDAQ:WFII)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2025 to Mar 2025
Wireless Facilities (NASDAQ:WFII)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Mar 2025