The Internet Meets the Taxicab: Hundreds of ''Interactive Taxis'' Hit the Streets in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco
--Interactive Taxi and PeerDirect Team Up to Redefine the Passenger Experience with Full-Featured, High-Performance Internet Portals in Every BackseatWHAT: Boring taxicab rides are a thing of the past, thanks
to Interactive Taxi and PeerDirect Corporation, a division
of Progress Software . These two companies
have teamed up to create a new kind of Internet portal
designed for deployment in the backseat of taxicabs.
Initial deployments of hundreds of these new "cybercabs"
have begun in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.
Passengers can now access the most accurate, up to date
news from major national and local outlets, get fully
localized listings of special events and happenings in and
around the city, book restaurant and show reservations,
buy movie tickets and pay their cab fare with a credit or
debit card...right from the back seat of the taxicab. They
can also access real-time traffic information, emergency
news and Amber Alerts, GPS tracking and mapping
information, as well as advertisements and public service
announcements.
And, the performance of the Interactive Taxi portals will
make passengers think they are hooked up directly to a
broadband Internet connection, thanks to PeerDirect's
innovative data synchronization and database replication
technology. PeerDirect works "in the background" to
eliminate the impact cellular data networks have on
application performance, enabling lightening-fast access
to Internet content, even when no connection is available.
WHEN: On Monday, February 7, Interactive Taxi will
officially launch its PeerDirect-enabled portals in
Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. This initial deployment
will encompass 600 taxicabs in these cities by February
21. This month, Interactive Taxi and PeerDirect will be
offering "ride-alongs" to members of international,
national and regional media as well as the IT and
financial analyst community.
HISTORY: In September 2002, the New York City Taxi and
Limousine Commission (TLC) launched a one-year test
program of passenger service enhancements for the taxicab
industry, which was met by mass public interest and
appeal. In March 2004, following a six-month analysis of
passenger feedback and public opinion on the program, the
TLC Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a list of
enhancements and specifications for a standard user
interface to be installed in the City's more than 13,000
taxis.
In October, Interactive Taxi
(http://www.targetedmediapartners.com/index_itpage.htm), a
division of Targeted Media Partners, LLC, was one of over
60 vendors to respond to a request for information (RFI)
issued last June by the TLC with regard to these
specifications. The goal of the TLC's "Taxicab Service
Technology Enhancement Project" is to improve the riding
and driving experience through such enhancements as
additional cab fare payment options and the ability to
communicate useful information to passengers and drivers.
New York City plans to select a vendor solution and begin
installing new taxi services this spring, with a citywide
deployment deadline of November 2005.
CONTACT: To speak with Interactive Taxi CEO Corey Gottlieb
and PeerDirect CTO Britton Johnston about this rollout, or
to schedule a demo of the new Interactive Taxi portal in
your area, contact:
Matthew Card
SparkSource, Inc.
781-274-6061 ext. 211
mcard@sparksource.com
About Interactive Taxi
Interactive Taxi is a subsidiary of Targeted Media Partners, LLC. Targeted Media is an emerging media company committed to developing the types of technologies that allow marketers to utilize the benefits of sight, sound and motion, as well as interactivity, to make their out-of-home messages timely, relevant and compelling to consumers. More information can be found at http://www.tmp-llc.com.
About PeerDirect Corporation
PeerDirect Corporation is the leading innovator in distributed application and database replication, deployment and management technology. The company's flagship product suite, PeerDirect(TM) Distributed Enterprise, allows companies to centrally manage distributed applications with fully synchronized databases deployed across widely distributed locations and mobile users. PeerDirect Distributed Enterprise accomplishes this with a core technology that replicates, distributes and synchronizes data and applications across multiple locations, giving customers more responsive and reliable applications with less dependency on network connectivity to a central data center.
Based in Bedford, Mass., with additional development operations in Toronto, PeerDirect Corporation is a division of Progress Software and provides customers with a comprehensive range of enterprise technical support, consulting and training for its products. More information on PeerDirect can be found at http://www.peerdirect.com or by calling +1-781-280-4080.
About Progress Software Corporation
Progress Software Corporation (PSC) supplies industry-leading technologies for all aspects of the development, deployment, integration and management of business applications. PSC, headquartered in Bedford, Mass., operates through the Progress Company, Sonic Software Corporation, PeerDirect Corporation and DataDirect Technologies. PSC can be reached at http://www.progress.com or +1-781-280-4000.
PeerDirect is a trademark or registered trademark of PeerDirect Corporation in the U.S. and in Canada. Any other trademarks or service marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
