Using cell phones, wireless, IBM takes aim at $26 billion parking industry
Updated: 4:58 p.m. ET Nov. 11, 2005 SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Gary Farrall is a college studentās worst nightmare. As the parking enforcement supervisor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he oversees ten parking officers who write as many as 400 tickets each day.
But when it comes to coin-operated parking meters, Farrall is no fan: ćThe parking meter is over with,ä he says. Over with because drivers now have a way to fight back; a way to beat Gary to the punch by paying their parking meters using a cell phone.
UCSB is the first place in the nation to replace conventional, coin-operated parking meters with a wireless, electronic pay-parking system called Intellipay developed by tech giant IBM.
You park your car, make note of the space and call a toll free number. Then you give your credit card number and youāre good to go.
When the meterās about to expire, the meter will call you, giving you the chance to feed it by credit card before Gary and his gang get a chance to tag you. But you have to be quick: Gary gets the phone call from the meter at the same time you do.
(snip)
