Gary Neff, CEO Park Assist: “We see Europe as a huge potential market and we are currently in the process of negotiating several key airport projects in Europe.”
Airport Business first spoke with Park Assist CEO Gary Neff a year ago, when he had been in the role just a few months, bringing 25 years of experience within the parking technology sector. At the time, airports were a comparatively new and developing market for Park Assist. 12 months on from that initial briefing, Neff articulates a continuing vision for a new generation of intelligent parking.
“This past year has been an exciting one for Park Assist,” he says. “We have more than doubled our business worldwide as the sophistication of our M4 camera-based parking guidance system has been enthusiastically embraced. Parking operations looking for more control, more revenue, more efficient parking, and a better parking experience for their customers, have been attracted to our advanced technology.”
Park Assist’s airports business has been particularly active, with new installations at Omaha International Airport and a pilot at Montréal Airport, as well as active discussions with several other major airports. “They are finding our system can position them more favourably against off-airport parking operations, while increasing revenue, enhancing security and improving the parker’s experience,” Neff comments. “We see Europe as a huge potential market and we are currently in the process of negotiating several key airport projects in Europe.”
The M4 camera-based smart sensor combines the “eyes” of a camera with the “brain” of a powerful data processor to deliver both information on parking behaviour, and preferences and speedy guidance to open parking spaces.
Two key solutions are the L4 Smart-Sensors and M4 Smart-Sensors. The M4 camera-based smart sensor combines the “eyes” of a camera with the “brain” of a powerful data processor to deliver both information on parking behaviour, and preferences and speedy guidance to open parking spaces. Meanwhile, the L4 is the same technology as the M4, but is integrated with an energy-saving LED garage lighting system utilising a continuous light pipe throughout a parking facility. “Our M4 system, along with our digital wayfinding signage, helps drivers find open parking spaces quickly and effortlessly,” Neff explains. “In addition, our unique Park Finder kiosks help drivers find their cars when they return from their trips. We have integrations with the top Parking Access Revenue Control Systems (PARCS) providers, including Scheidt & Bachmann, HUB, and Skidata to name a few. This allows us to offer Find Your Car in the pay stations without adding additional kiosks, as well as premium parking rate change features for tiered parking.”
Park Assist is also embracing innovative technologies to enhance the parking experience of today’s connected travellers. Its technology is being integrated with mobile apps that will enable parkers to reserve spaces, enrol in loyalty programmes, and get other services related to parking. “We can also provide a real time security feed from all the cameras to either the parking management or to the security monitoring agency,” Neff adds.
Meanwhile, a big opportunity for airports in terms of new revenue streams is Dynamic Pricing. “Our Park SelectRate software extension allows airports to create premium parking spaces without the need for gates or equipment. It also enables the airport to easily modify rates when appropriate,” Neff concludes.
