T2 is a thrilling place to work these days. Things are going quite well and the T2 team is growing even faster than we have historically--so fast in fact that our HQ is out of desk space. So, as our current lease expires and our presence in the Indianapolis community continues to deepen, we have a happy announcement to make: we're moving!
By the begining of March, the T2 heaquarters will be relocated to Keystone at the Crossing on Indy's northside, where we'll enjoy close proximity to one of Indy's coolest areas and convenient access to amenities. Major office relocations can sometimes be a little tricky to pull off sussessfully, but in our case, everything is going well--and for good reason:
The new location is closer to a majority of our staff
We gave window views to our staff whenever possible
We designed the space with our parking system software in mind
We incorporated really cool features like a gaming area, reading nook, private glass offices, soda fountains, and a beer tap.
The office is currently halfway through construction, and everything is going as planned so far. We're not quite there yet, but soon enough we will be developing superior parking software solutions from this superior view!
If you would like to learn more about our move, you can find me on twitter @ChrisPalmr.
My first BLOG entry, woohoo! I actually like the word BLOG. Of course, being a data programmer, I had to find out what BLOG means (I mean separate from the obvious of original "Web Log" definition).
So I searched (NOTE: I do not "google" anything, it's called searching and I refuse to use that term, or for that matter use Google. I use Yahoo - besides it just sounds like more fun ... YAHOO)
BLOG Web Log Internet BLOG Better Listings On Google BLOG Bears Little Organizer GUI BLOG Boring Lump Of Garbage BLOG Based Loosely On Groupware BLOG Boring Lesson On Galaxy BLOG Biological Links On the Globe
I like the Boring Lump of Garbage one. Cute. I digress.
I work for a company that writes parking lot software. I enjoy what I do--I enjoy doing the detective work and finding ways to force data from old systems into our newest T2 Flex system. I know many people would think I am crazy, it is tedious and it can be exhausting. But at the same time, it is also challenging and puzzling.
At times, I really have to be a detective. Trying to figure out what the customer needs and how our parking solution will fit their style is rewarding...and they're all so different! For example, cities usually need more citation management and boot/tow capability. Along with that, they need an appeals system. And of course, they need to take payments and report on people and vehicles. Colleges need to have permit solutions and a way to get the students information, give them a permit, and take that payment. Another common need of higher education parking systems is a way to put permit holders on a payment plan for the accademic year, or to take it out of a student account at the bursar. Parking garages need to have lots and facility management along with the ability to park the customers (and know how many spaces they might still have left), manage events that would use the garages, and allow secure credit card payments.
Now I get to Blog about it, this should be a lot of fun!
This was a busy morning for my team. Mark was up a bit before midnight to do security updates in the PCI environment. Scot was up at 4:30 moving customers to newer, faster servers running the latest version of Oracle. I met Grant at the Hosting Facility at 6:30 to install a new server, decommission two older ones, and to meet the EMC engineer to install more drives in the SAN.
It was a busy morning, but we don't mind. That's what we do. We want our customers to be able to focus on managing their hosted PARCS solution and running their parking operations, not have their servers compete for attention. So if early mornings make our sophisticated parking software perform just a little bit better, if they make parking management just a little easier, it is all well worth it.
We all know the benefits of a good employee training program; training has a positive effect on performance by allowing employees to learn advanced techniques to help them complete their everyday tasks more efficiently. More efficient employees feel more valued and appreciated which leads to reduced turnover and less of a need for supervision. Trained employees are motivated employees and the entire organization achieves its goals more readily.
Don't invest in your parking management software and hardware without also optimizing your staff. The T2 Training Department offers several solutions for all your parking permit management, parking access and revenue control and parking citation collections training needs - and at quite a reasonable price! Arm your employees with access to a recorded video library with over 60 courses they can view at their convenience. Further reward their accomplishment by allowing them to become a Flexpert on your parking system software with T2 Flex certifications on Front Line Permits, Front Line Citations, Front Line Supervisor, Access and Revenue Control and Finance and Audit Control.
Training does not have to be costly. Access to the Recorded Video Library is less than $400 a year and every member of the organization can access the courses that are relevant to their roles. For just a little extra, the training team will set your staff up with an agenda and links to tests. Upon successful completion of all 9 courses, the participant is awarded a certificate. It's a win-win solution to the age-old problem of providing a successful training program. You have the peace of mind that your staff has demonstrated competency and your staff has the skills to meet and exceed expectations in their career. Make the investment that will ensure your team’s success - invest in training!
Wow! What an awesome week. I really enjoyed seeing many of you, our customers, at UserGroup - those that I haven't seen in a while, those that I had only previously talked to on the phone, and all the first-time attendees who I hadn't had the opportunity to meet before Training Camp. I know it was a great opportunity for you to learn all those things that Flex can do to make your life easier, save a little time and keep you out of trouble...but User Group was a great opportunity for me, too. I got to learn about your operations - how you are using Flex for your parking permit management (especially as it relates to inventory control), how you are using Flex for your total parking revenue control system, and how you are using the Flex to track your carpool and vanpool participants. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the training table to say "hi" or chat about a challenge.
Remember to take advantage of everything T2 has to offer to make sure you are getting the most out of your parking system software - the free release training, Flex On-line Help, the T2 Listserv and everything you learned in the Training Camp classrooms. But most importantly, lean on all the contacts you made this week. The people who are already using the parking solution you are considering are an invaluable resource.
I'm off to climb some stairs to work off all that good food we ate all week. Hope to see you all next year in Orlando for another event-filled parking adventure!
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Training Camp, T2's annual User Group Conference, in Indianapolis! In attendance at Training Camp this year were players from across the United States. I had the pleasure of meeting customers from California to Vermont, Wisconsin to Texas, and just about everywhere else in between. We even had a customer or two attend from as far away as Alaska.
All of these players came to Training Camp to learn more about T2 Flex, network with their peers in the industry and have plenty of fun along the way.
As I sat in on the different training sessions each day, I was astounded by the knowledge transfer that was taking place in front of me. The T2 employees provided all kinds of useful information about the different functionality inside T2 Flex. Topics ranged from Parking Citation Collections to Campus Parking Solutions, Handheld Ticket Writers, and Parking Permit Management. Customers would often make comments like, "Wow! I did not know you could do that in Flex!" or "I can't wait to get back to show my employees these new tricks in Flex!"
In the sessions, I also noticed how customers would take the time to help each other. Many times, a customer would present a problem they had at their specific college, municipality, university, city etc., and another customer in the room would have an answer to their problem. Questions were resolved, best practices were shared, and connections were made in a matter of seconds. I can't count how many times I saw things like this happen at User Group.
Finally, after spending long days learning about T2 Flex and networking with their peers, our customers got to have some fun. At the customer party, they got to try out their passing skills, shooting abilities, and bowling prowess while supporting the Special Olympics of Indiana and hanging out with T2 staff and customers. Oh, and there were a few thirst-quenching beverages for all of our hard work throughout the week, of course!
After 7 years of working in a major retailer's IT department, I decided I needed a change of pace. While I built up some great relationships with my coworkers, the work itself was monotonous. I needed to work on something bigger and more creative. So when I got a call from one my friends who worked at T2 Systems, I was curious. Two of my friends had left my current company to work there, so I'd heard a lot about the awesome T2 culture. But how would it benefit my career as an Application Developer? How complicated could software that lets you in and out of garages be? I mean, you drive up, press a button, and get a ticket, right? Turns out, there is a whole lot more involved than just that! This week has been eye-opening as I've learned about everything our main product, T2 Flex, does. It is a single unified parking solution covering everything from parking access and revenue control to parking permit management to even handheld ticket writers. It is all highly advanced and fascinating to learn about.
So how will this move benefit my career? T2 has taken pains to stay ahead of the curb--I mean curve--in the industry, and the technology that makes all of those things possible is innovative and interesting. I'm now able to develop and code with experts in the field using software and technology that is industry-leading, be challenged by my work, and have opportunities to be creative!
So now I'm shifting gears and looking forward to the future with T2!
I made the choice to take a position at T2 for a variety of reasons; one of the biggest was the culture. After one day at T2 I was impressed by what this organization has done to create such an exciting and refreshing atmosphere. While many people have moved and changed jobs, moving into this company was like none other. The transparency T2 provides shows great pride within the organization and it’s reflected in each associate. In never having worked for a company that so conciously promotes culture, it has been a wild experience getting involved in T2.
I was also impressed by the industry. At first I didn’t know what to think about access and revenue control, parking garage software and parking ticketing management, but getting more of an understanding of this 25 Billion dollar industry, I see nothing but more potential, growth and opportunity. T2 is an industry leader because of our products, and I am proud to be part of the excitement. I never thought that working in advanced parking solutions, talking about access revenue control and permit management would be my next career move, but after getting learning more and meeting so many of our great customers at User Group, I see nothing but potential. When the staff likes the company and the customers like the company, it creates a really special place of incredible promise.
It’s the people that make this company what it is. It seems like in this economy, business is all about the bottom line. While financials are important, the leadership here at T2 doesn’t forget about their roots and how vital each person is in the grand scheme of things. I was excited to get to work today and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for me tomorrow!
If you had asked me 6 months ago what my ideal marketing career would include, I can tell you I would never have imagined responding by mentioning parking access and revenue control systems or parking enforcement software. It wasn't on my radar.
After just one day at T2 Systems, I can tell you my answer would include parking payment systems and parking permit software. Who knew the parking management industry and even moreso that a parking software company could be so awesome?!
The culture at T2 Systems is one that will foster my creativity, and the people are great! After all, the whole is the sum of its parts.
You've heard the saying "product of your environment". Metaphorically, I believe our product is a "product of our environment". The flexible culture is the foundation of what has built FLEX. I believe it is our flexibility that sets us apart from competition, with our people and with our product.
I was the lucky T2 Systems representative today at a ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the launch of new pay-by-phone services in the City of Houston, Texas. And by lucky - I do mean that! It was a pleasure to meet so many great people - our great customers at the city, our great Parkmobile partners, and Houston Mayor Annise Parker.
For those cities and municipalities out there that may be looking to upgrade and improve your parking solution and your parking management, Houston is an excellent example to look to. A T2 customer for a little over two years, Houston uses the T2 parking enforcement (parking citation) and parking permit management solution. However, the city understands that in order to get more people to its thriving - and beautfiul - downtown area, they need to make parking easy and convenient.
Now drivers can pay for parking through their cell phone. During my very short comments at the event today, I mentioned how our mobile phones are so much a part of our lives; we surf the net, we check e-mail, and we make purchases. Why not use them to pay for parking? The City of Houston - and many other cities - have embraced this technology whole-heartedly, and their constituents are better off for it.
But this solution doesn't just make life easy for customers - it makes life a little easier for the enforcement officers, too! Information about the status of the parking meters is sent to their T2 handheld ticket writers in real-time, making enforcement officers more efficient and reducing errors. It's a great, integrated parking enforcement system that benefits the parking operation and the city's constituents.
Occasionally I still find it funny that I work in parking. The parking industry is something we sometimes take for granted, but it was great to see that my colleagues and my great customers in Houston - as well as city officials - understand the importance of how parking, when managed properly, can make a night out, a shopping visit, or a walk downtown not only hassle-free, but super convenient, too.
Recently, I got a question from a customer about PCI – one of the many that I answer on a regular basis - and it caused me to pause and think about what PCI means for T2 and our customers. One of the things I'm very proud of about the T2 Systems Hosted Parking Solution is that we're a PCI-DSS Level 1 Service Provider. That said, PCI is a *pain*. It is a really big pain to become a Level 1 Service Provider. It is expensive. It is time-consuming. It is difficult. So why do we do it? So our customers will have Parking Access and Revenue Control systems, parking permit and enforcement systems and eBusiness solutions that require a lot less work on their part to become PCI compliant. We're already hard at work on meeting all of the compliance standards of PCI 2.0. It is better that we do the work once, for all of our Hosted customers, than require that each one go through the process on their own.
Most PARCS solutions are validated to PA DSS 1.x. Like T2, they're working on PCI 2.0. The key difference is that the PCI 2.0 compliant version of T2 Flex comes as part of the customers’ subscription at no additional cost. And the substantial hardware upgrades for the server environment, which can cost tens of thousands, are taken care of by T2 as part of our hosting. And no expensive upgrades to peripheral devices like fee computers are required.
Lower cost and less work are always good.
T2's Hosting Environment includes a dedicated PCI Card Processing environment, and it is T2 that does the upgrade work to the hardware and software as all of the compliance work for PCI. For all of the pain that PCI compliance induces, it is intended to protect merchants and cardholders from many of the modern dangers associated with credit cards.
Security is important. Our focus on security makes it easier for our customers to focus on their parking operations.
If your parking lot is full of ghosts, then you've got a problem. But you've got a bigger problem on your hands if your lot isn't full at all.
Luckily, T2 Flex has the hutzpah to deliver quality solutions for all your parking woes. From handheld ticket writers and access and revenue control systems to online payment systems, collections services, and parking permit software, the T2 Flex unified platform equips users with the power to fill their lots with real cars, not ghosts. And, thanks to the powerful reporting capabilities our data wharehouse enables, users can better understand their opperation, optimizing the resources they have and identifying oportunities for growth down the line.
So, if you have a friend with ghosts in their lot, don't tell them to call the ghostbusters. Tell them to Call T2 (317.524.5500).
I just passed my four-year mark working in parking. After nearly nineteen years in banking, it took me a while to really understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a long, long way from being prepared to sit for the CAPP test, but I think I can honestly say "I get it" when taking about Parking Access and Revenue Control, Parking Garage Software, Handheld Ticket Writers, and a lot of what goes into managing them.
For me, all that complexity translates back to computing systems that talk to all of those advanced parking solutions that are out there in the world dealing with all of the parkers. Even in the summer when many of T2's customers that use our software as a campus parking solution are at a relatively low volume of parkers, we're seeing around 20,000 transactions a day amounting to around a million dollars and that's just for our customers that use our hosted parking system software. A similar number run their own computer systems running T2's parking software.
Each of those transactions generated has a "footprint" on the servers that we use to host. They translate to memory usage, CPU usage, and disk reads/writes. As a geek and a numbers guy, it is absolutely fascinating to watch the metrics as the complex transactions are processed and completed. The main reason we monitor everything that goes on in our Hosting Environment so that we can make sure there's enough hardware to support all of our customers efficiently and well, but I still think all of those metrics are just plain cool.
So I was one of those folks that stood in line to buy an iPad 2. I've never been one to do that kind of thing, but this thing just looked cool to me. It is cooler than I ever expected. It has changed the way I access the online world. That got me thinking...
How many of the consumers that are accessing the parker side of T2's enterprise parking management software are using mobile devices? We took a quick and informal look at our the logs from the parker portion of our parking enforcement system and saw that a whopping 17% of our activity was coming from mobile browsers like iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. That's a lot of people buying permits, paying parking citations, and generally doing business far, far away from a desk.
If parkers can pay citations before they even pull out of the parking space where they were cited, that's a lot less Parking Citation Collections to worry about. In some cases, it means that citations are going from Handheld Ticket Writers to completed payments in a matter of minutes.
I'm going to keep watching the logs. I want to see how this changes over time. Happy parking.
As you know T2 Systems develops parking solutions. We offer software like permit management and access control, we offer equipment like revenue control equipment and handheld ticket writers and we also offer parking ticket collection services through CCS. Who do we offer those products to? Glad you asked, last year at our annual User Group conference we put together a short video concentrating on our customer successes. We did this because we wouldn't be here without our customers and we wanted to highlight a few facts and figures from them. Feel free to watch the T2 Customer Success video:
Okay, so lately I have been spending a rather high percentage of my time at the amusement parks of central Florida. The weather has been beautiful and I just like to get out and about...people watch so to speak. What amazes me though, is the parking operations at the different parks. For example, the Disney parks use manned lots to control parking. You pay your $14 fee to gain entrance to the attendant and follow the cones until you get to the designated parking row where several additional parking attendants guide you into your space for the day - ones even on a Segway (which I think is really cool, but...I digress). The same work flow happens over at Universal Studios with one exception, you get to park in a parking garage instead of having the sun beat down on your car in a lot. Other than that, everything is the same - okay no Segway here but everything else is the same.
So I guess what I am getting at is, aren't they even the least bit worried about having that much cash exchange hands without some kind of control? I mean, yeah most times I go through the gates, the parking attendant rings up the money in the cash register so there is no question. But I am sure there are times when it is busy that the cashier doesn't ring up a transaction, for the sake of saving time. I think this would be a perfect location to have a parking management system. Maybe something like T2's PermitNOW (shameless plug inserted here!) I mean, in order for the parking permits to be printed, a transaction has to take place. So whether the customer is paying by cash or credit card, the parking attendant runs it through the handheld ticket writer and out comes a parking permit for the day. The beauty of this is, since payment has to be made in order to generate a parking permit, everything is trackable through the parking management software on the back end.
Well, seeing as Disney has been in business for a few decades, I guess they probably have this parking thing down, but I say, there is always room for improvement:)
Did you know the iPhone 5, expected to be released at some point this year, is rumored to have Near Field Communications Technology (NFC) on it? This has the potential to change your customer's mobile phone into an access control device and a payment method within your Parking Access and Revenue Control system.
How would this change the dynamics of your operation? I drive up to your garage for the first time, wave my phone in front of the reader and the gate vends beginning my parking transaction. Maybe the entry station asks me if I want join your customer loyalty program to entice me into repeat visits. Or upgrade me by purchasing a permit privilege linked to my phone. Parking Permit Management straight from the entry lane.
How would this change how you market your garage parking to your customer base? How would this change the equipment you buy when shopping for garage parking solutions?
I normally wouldn't write about parking technology. I mean although I work for a parking software company, I am technologically challenged. However, I saw an article recently about Washington, DC testing parking occupancy sensors. A small disc is placed in the parking space that sends information telling officials whether the parking space is occupied or not.
As of now, Washington, DC is just using the sensors to track parking habits. However, in the future the information could be funneled to a smartphone or computer telling customers where to find empty parking spaces. Now, that would be awesome!
Since many of you are smack dab in the middle of permit season, I thought it would be approporiate to re-post something our own Maggie Vercoe, Director of Client Engagement wrote last year:
We are in the thick of Parking Permit Season! It requires capitalization because of the sheer craziness of it. Universities especially across the country are bracing themselves for the onslaught of students, staff, faculty, etc to hit their offices and their web pages to get their prime parking permits.
If you are just reading this, and haven't begun your planning, you might be in trouble. Grab the bottle of Jack and hide under your desk until it blows over.
In seriousness, there are a lot of things that you can do to get through the season with little pain.
1. Plan, Plan, and Plan. Run reports over the last year in this date range to see what sales you did, by customer type, by permit location, permit type, and location of purchase. This will help you to plan your communications to your customer. For example, if you had more purchases in your office than online, now is the time to communicate to your customers what a great web page you have and how easy it is to purchase a parking permit online!
2. Map it out! Consider laying out all of your parking permit configuration in a spreadsheet, for example. This will help you identify all of your pricing structures, rules around your permits, and keep you organized. It will make configuring them in your database easier every year if you maintain the copy.
3. Plan out what the week will look like. Staff accordingly. If possible, over-staff. There could be lines out the door. It may be useful to have someone handing out materials while you wait. Rutgers University used to have a tent set up to shield the heat and cold beverages while people waited. If you have to allow people to purchase in your office, this is fantastic customer service for a Department that is not always so liked by its customers!
4. If you do online parking permit sales, make sure that you have tested out everything with your new rules, permits, and pricing in a test environment. This includes test transactions through to your payment gateway and file transfers to payroll or the bursar. If any of your rules or software has changed, testing is key!
These are just a handful of tips. Make sure you plan early and involve all of your key players. Good luck!
Wow...I have no idea what Bob Dylan was trying to say with those words of wisdom(it's a little before my time). However, I think it is pretty cool that someone like Bob Dylan would even reference a parking meter in a song. That being said, let's get to the meat of this blog...
HAPPY 75th BIRTHDAY PARKING METER! Yes, three quarters of a century ago, on July 16, 1935, the parking meter was born in Oklahoma-as was an entire industry. You see, shortly after the first meter was installed, parking tickets came around and of course parking enforcement officers were right there too-only back then, people referred to them as "meter maids".
As seen in some of my previous blogs, joining the parking industry isn't normally your first thought upon earning that college degree, but why not? We have enforcement officers. We work with governments, universities, the private sector and even hospitals. The parking industry is international-just about every country has some sort of parking controls in place. The technology behind parking is constantly being upgraded and tested including things like parking management software, handheld ticket writers, parking pay-by-phone, parking apps for smart phones and of course the new multispace parking meters.
I am pretty sure when Carl Magee developed and installed that first meter, he had no idea he was igniting this industry and in essence changing the world-some think for the better! So, thanks Carl. It is because of you I have a job. And when I tell people I work for a software company that develops parking software, I get that strange look which is always fun.
ce induces, it is intended to protect merchants and cardholders from many of the modern dangers associated with credit cards. 
If your parking lot is full of ghosts, then you've got a problem. But you've got a bigger problem on your hands if your lot isn't full at all.
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