In our July 21st, 2011 blog post (which coincided with the inauguration of Saint John Transit’s implementation of NextBus), I described the innovation, the need, and the application of Nextbus. Since then, this helpful YouTube video has appeared (courtesy of The City of Saint John, NB) describing how to use Nextbus for finding your next bus when in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

While the Nextbus AVL system is so easy and intuitive to use it hardly needs directions, this video can be helpful if you’re not familiar with computer-based solutions or you would like an overview of how NextBus works from the client end.

Webtech Wireless’ NextBus solution is now the transit technology that municipalities (from Montreal’s Société de transport de Laval to the Los Angeles Metro) rely on to provide accurate real-time public transportation information to millions of riders. Like other AVL solutions, NextBus uses global positioning system (GPS) tracking satellites to display transit vehicle locations in real-time. So what makes Nextbus’ particular solution so helpful?

Tackling the Problem

There is something of a perfect storm closing in on public transit systems these days. Rising fuel costs are driving many commuters to use public transit as their primary method of transportation, and with traffic variations, breakdowns, and other day-to-day problems leaving riders waiting at bus stops and train platforms, they’re increasingly turning to instant wireless communications (such as cellphones, PDAs, text messaging, etc.), to manage their lives. These riders rely on and expect reliable location-based services.

“The need for a predictive transit solution became apparent as a means to encourage ridership and streamline bus routing.”

Designing the Solution

To address these problems, NextBus was designed to “keep your customers on schedule even if their bus isn’t”. Using GPS tracking, NextBus estimates vehicle location information with a high degree of accuracy. Using PCs, landline phones, cell phones, or SMS (Text) messaging, riders get real-time travel information, which helps them decide whether catching the next bus is a sprint or leisurely stroll.

Viewed through a web browser, NextBus uses Google maps to show highly accurate route maps

“NextBus helps riders make the best use of public and university transit.”

From the standpoint of transit authorities, deploying a transit AVL solution helps transit companies improve customer service, reduce accidents, reduce fuel and labor costs, improve operator performance, and improve street-level visibility for transit supervisors and planners.

In the New York Times writer, Joshua Brustein praises the recent deployment of NextBus to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “Los Angeles began using NextBus for its entire bus system in May, the largest transit agency to do so.” Or, according to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority itself, the NextBus solution is “designed to help take the guesswork out of bus arrival and help you to get to your stop at the same time as your bus”.

Using NextBus on Your Smartphone

Just as the adoption of the cell phone became universal a decade and a half ago, the smartphone is now a ubiquitous part of life for most urbanites. According to New York Times writer, Damon Darlin, “historians will remember the advent of the smartphone as something as important as the elevator, air conditioner and automobile.”

The implication for transit companies is clear: adopt an AVL solution or face irritation and disinterest from your ridership. Fortunately, transit authorities are reading the writing on the wall and many of them are choosing NextBus—for its reliability and simplicity.

“NextBus, a wonderful Web site that monitors the arrival of city buses in many big cities, is a godsend.”

While there is no official phone application for Nextbus, the simplicity of the NextBus website makes it easy to use on most smartphones.

NextBus viewed on an iPhone

To access NextBus using a smartphone:

1. Using your smartphone’s web browser (such as Safari), access the NextBus website: www.nextbus.com.
2. Choose the mobile version or the full-featured website.
3. Select your location, your transit agency, your route, and then your stop.
   The most current prediction for the arrival time of the next vehicle is displayed.
4. You also can add your stop info to your home screen so it will be instantly available.
5. If a prediction is already displayed on your smartphone, simply push the ‘refresh’ link at the bottom of the page to get the most up to date information.

Training – “a huge leap forward”

In April, Julia Degen, Training Manager for Webtech Wireless, traveled to Oklahoma City to train a new client, Blue Knight Energy. She facilitated a three-day training session for 14 managers and IT personnel. She comments that due to the training, “they have already realized some great benefits from our system”. One enthusiastic training participant commented that the Webtech Wireless solution and the training represent a “huge leap forward” for their company’s bottom line. She continues, “By the end of our three days together, the participants were able to articulate exactly how to get their return on investment”.

Training Manager, Julia Degen, leads a Quadrant training session.

About Webtech Wireless Training Solutions

Julia has made a career of providing consulting services to high-risk industries where safety is paramount. Her experience providing training to high-risk industries, such as mining, has given her a wealth of knowledge and experience when meeting with the many fleet operators, safety staff (HOS), dispatchers and others deploying telematics solutions for their trucking fleets.

Implementing a wireless AVL solution in a fleet requires much more that installing hardware (Quadrant LOCATORS and MDT IN-CAB devices), or configuring software (Quadrant MANAGER). “Webtech Wireless training programs are not just about product training; they’re about designing a business solution and change management strategy within the company”, she asserts.

Top Three Reasons to Take Training

Training develops knowledge and skills with the objective of uncovering how learners will do their job with a new tool. To ensure an implementation goes smoothly, clients usually cite the following reasons for training:

• ROI/Cut Costs – ensure the company quickly reaps the cost-saving rewards of the new technology.
• Safety – increase awareness of safety standards using new tools and technology.
• Consistency – ensure users understand best practices according to the benchmarks for success set by the company.

How it Works

Webtech Wireless’ Professional Services Group, of which the Training department is a constituent part, works with clients to develop industry-appropriate training solutions to the company they’re working with. Webtech Wireless’ trainers collaborate with the Professional Services Group engineers to meet the same aims as the installation.

Julia describes her training strategy as a blend of formal training (gained from years of experience and customer knowledge) and hands-on experience focusing on developing real-world skills (where participants get to practice different strategies on their computers). This allows her to balance her training between planning and spontaneity—dispelling any notions that systems’ training is inherently boring. “Knowing who will be there is important”, she contends as this informs her about their pain points—what challenges they face.

Their training documentation library now includes materials appropriate for a diverse range of industries; so many documents can be adapted, although the training team often creates custom hot sheets, as required.

“Implementations are becoming more and more complex, especially as Webtech Wireless acquires larger clients”, comments Julia, “so our training continues to be in high demand too”.

After Training Support

Julia states that her post-training strategy is always to follow up with the client. “By providing support through the entire implementation process, I find out who they are and what their concerns are, which of course leads to better customer care.”

As a company grows and changes, she sometimes provides repeat training sessions to support new employees or take the company to the next level in their business development.

Blue Knight Energy: What they do

Blue Knight Energy picks up crude oil from well sites and transports it to a processing location for their many different customers. The fleet is 218 vehicles. They operate in a heavily regulated industry: the drivers must track their hours of service, the product they transport is a hazardous material, some of their jobs sites are considered high risk due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)—a highly poisonous and flammable component of natural gas.

Of the top industry issues in the transportation sector today, many are evident in the day-to-day operations of Blue Knight (economy, CSA (comprehensive safety analysis 2010), government regulations, Hours of Service, fuel issues, on-board truck technology) and Webtech Wireless is able to impact all of these areas for this customer.

For more information about Webtech Wireless training, visit http://webtechwireless.com/en/services/training/ or email training at training@webtechwireless.com

HELCO truck

In addition to the Hawaii Electric Light Company’s (HELCO) success with reducing fuel consumption, using Webtech Wireless’ Quadrant location-based services (LBS) and telematics solutions (see previous Blog post), HELCO has also found Quadrant to be a necessary tool in times of crisis.

With its own home-grown volcanoes, the Hawaiian Islands are no strangers to nature’s fury. At the center of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii must also be prepared for dangers from its far-flung Ring of Fire neighbors—in the form of tsunamis.

Tsunami from Chile

The effectiveness of the Quadrant system in emergency situations was tested in February 2010 after the devastating 8.8 Mw earthquake in Chile, which put all of the Hawaiian Islands on tsunami alert. HELCO’s emergency plan was kicked into high gear, which meant immediately locating all of the company’s mobile resources and redistributing them to key points on the Island and HELCO installations, away from areas that could be vulnerable in a tsunami event. “It made such a difference to have that information available in real-time and on my computer so that I could easily direct our staff, and if needed, share that information with other emergency organizations,” said Kelvin Kohatsu, HELCO’s Fleet Administrator.

Fortunately, Hawaii was unaffected by the quake, but it was a good test of HELCO’s preparedness and the Quadrant system.

Quadrant GPS satellite image showing HELCO truck locations on the Big Island of Hawaii

Tsunami from Japan

On March 11, 2011, the tragic 9.1 Mw Sendai earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan, again demonstrated Quadrant’s usefulness in times of crises. As Pacific Rim nations raced to secure their coastlines before the tsunami hit, Kelvin was able to use Quadrant GPS to allocate trucks and drivers, and to prepare to assist with evacuations and clean up on the Big Island.

With a tsunami bearing down on the Hawaiian Islands, Kelvin rushed to HELCO’s headquarters to check that fuel acquisition, standby contractors, dispatch, and equipment were available and ready. In addition, he hurried to ensure HELCO trucks located in the tsunami inundation zone were relocated to higher ground.

As Transportation & Maintenance Unit Leader for the Logistics Team at HELCO, he credited Webtech Wireless’ Quadrant solution (particularly Dispatch Management) as crucial in supplying needed vehicles to support Operations. “GPS remote vehicle management technology is invaluable in these situations,” he claimed, adding that “having a comprehensive GSP system allows us to instantly locate units and plan for dispatch of those resources. Other organizations would use two-way communications, if they’re operational.”

During tsunami alerts, the Hilo International Airport runway becomes a main evacuation route

This first operational period lasted until the tsunami warning was lifted, which came the following day. After the emergency period passed, HELCO transitioned to the recovery period, where it supported Operations in clearing and cleaning up debris and damage from the tsunami, which fortunately was minimal.

Quadrant has also been of use in more minor situations such as when a localized oil spill affected Hilo Harbor and HELCO vehicles and personnel were involved in containment and cleanup efforts.

Aurora activity is brighter and more vigorous during solar storms

Leading scientists’ warnings that a massive solar storm, which could adversely affect satellite communications worldwide, has had no affect on Iridium satellites.

In an email to partners, Iridium CEO, Matt Desch, said “Low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite systems, such as ours, are actually less susceptible to solar storms than geosynchronous (GEO) satellite systems. Solar storms generate an increase of radiation that can cause issues for satellites and even some electrical systems on Earth.  However, due to our satellites’ robust design, along with our system fault detection and mitigation processes, we have little concern over these kinds of storms. This is because of the altitude at which our satellites fly as well our continued investment in our network.”

WebTech Wireless VP of Quadrant sales, Harald Fritz, said, “We chose Iridium as that critical link when regular cellular coverage is unavailable. Iridium provides the global network coverage as well as best-in-class coverage in northern regions where we service energy, resource, and government customers”. He added that this is important to WebTech Wireless clients, because “customers usually choose this dual mode hybrid solution in mission-critical or worker-safety related applications. This means their staff must always have coverage and be in constant connectivity.”

On February 15, 2011, scientists observed solar flares emitting billions of tons of charged particles that could trigger a $2 trillion global Katrina to communications satellites, electric power grids and GPS navigation systems. It was the largest solar storm in four years. Solar particles interact with Earth’s magnetosphere.

WebTech Wireless’ Edward Kulperger, Vice President Insurance, OEM, and International Business, was quoted in a Times Colonist article dealing with the impact technology could have on the insurance industry, and in particular, how this technology could affect senior drivers. Also qutoed in the article were representatives from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), Volvo cars and the Ford Motor Company. The article can be read online at: High tech to keep your drive alive.

NextBus, a division of Grey Island Systems (due to be acquired by WebTech Wireless in October – see News Release), has just launched a new iPhone application with Washington DC Metro.

Here is an excellent first impression from blogger Eyder Peralta for National Public Radio’s (NPR)  All Tech Considered, published Sep 30th, 2009.

Photo Credit: Palladius on Flicker.

Practical Technology Can Be Sexy
By Eyder Peralta
Few pieces of technology have actually revolutionized my life. But lightening struck when I least expected it.

A few weeks ago I downloaded an iPhone app called NextBus DC. In essence, it predicts when the next bus will hit my local bus stop. Anyone who’s taken public transportation knows the pain of waiting listlessly for a bus that was scheduled to arrive 20 minutes ago. The NextBus app uses GPS positioning, the bus schedule and traffic conditions to estimate arrival times.

Having used it for more than a month, I haven’t waited for a bus more than three minutes.

It has literally changed my life. It means an extra 10 minutes playing with my baby in the morning. It means finishing off my cup of coffee, when in the past I’d drop it off in the sink completely full. It means that I don’t have to curse under my breath when a bus — 30 minutes delayed — finally arrives with three others right behind it. It means I don’t have to agonize about whether I just missed a bus by a minute so I’m stuck.

And I know this sounds trivial. But it also got me thinking, what other piece of technology changed an essential part of my life? The Internet and computers were around by the time I needed them, so I couldn’t immediately think of something that has changed my everyday life.

I can only imagine the first time a car came onto the scene. Or the first time you could flip a switch and BAM, there’s some light. Or for that matter, when microwave ovens made it possible to ditch the gas stove to reheat leftovers. Those are things that change your daily routine.

In some ways, it surprised me that something as simple as a $1.99 iPhone app with more than few bugs could be such a game changer.

Just the other day, I ran to the bus stop a minute before the bus pulled up. My neighbor had been waiting for 10 minutes.

“Now I know the bus is coming, ’cause I see you running up here,” she said looking at my iPhone. “I gotta get myself one of those. I could have had myself a bagel or something.”

Most technology now is about coolness; it’s about ways to entertain your eyes and ears and hardly ever about the simple, practical things in life. But what something like NextBus taught me is that practical tech is the sexiest tech.

To comment or read on NPR website, click here.

NAVTEQ Map Reporter Website

NAVTEQ Maps has launched it’s new BETA version of its online Map Reporter.

Map Reporter allows anyone to suggest edits directly to NAVTEQ via the website, ensuring that accurate and timely local data is entered into the NAVTEQ database and is then available for all users. As an additional check, NAVTEQ assigns its own local agents to verify these edits before they are finalized.

Map Reporter is available worldwide and is one of the most extensive and accurate, real-time mapping data tools available. Check it out here.