Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise Adopts TransCore’s eGo Plus RFID Sticker Technology for Statewide SunPass Electronic Toll Collection System, Orders 1.5 Million Tags

HARRISBURG, Pa.--(EON:Enhanced Online News)--Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE), which manages the statewide SunPass system used on 460 miles of Florida’s toll highways, selects TransCore’s eGo® Plus radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker tag to upgrade its current technology that has been in use since the late 1990s. The paper-thin, batteryless tags will be sold as the SunPass® “Mini” and be available summer 2008 at regular SunPass outlets. The multimillion dollar order is for 1.5 million eGo Plus tags.

“After a decade of providing SunPass RFID technology, TransCore recognized the need to provide FTE with next-generation technology to support evolving transportation needs.”

The newer, more versatile and affordable tags overcome the cost barrier to widespread adoption of electronic toll collection technology, making it more attractive to migrate to all electronic toll roads and increase the number of customers who pay tolls wirelessly versus manually. The more than three million hardcase SunPass tags currently in use will work alongside the new “mini” tags. Around the country, the eGo Plus technology has also been adopted for high speed tolling by Houston’s Harris County Toll Road Authority, the Texas Department of Transportation, and the Washington Department of Transportation.

As technology continues to erase boundaries and convenience becomes central to customer service, acceptance of wireless payments systems for other applications such as paying for parking or access to gated communities has grown. Throughout Florida, the use and ease of the SunPass system has spread to airport parking operations with airports in the midst of deploying interoperable payment systems in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach.

“Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving motorists’ experience by implementing innovative open road tolling designs and providing newer interoperable technology,” said John Simler, president of TransCore Intelligent Transportation Systems Group. “After a decade of providing SunPass RFID technology, TransCore recognized the need to provide FTE with next-generation technology to support evolving transportation needs.”

With the growing interest in “greener” technology, the newer, sleeker, batteryless technology provides environmental benefits as well. As more customers shift to paying tolls electronically, this reduces congestion and eliminates idle times at toll plazas, significantly reducing vehicle emissions and improving air quality. The smaller profile tag also consumes less petroleum based raw material to manufacture and reduces transportation and shipping requirements. The batteryless design of the tag eliminates the additional cost and demand for batteries’ and subsequent storage and disposal requirements.

About eGo Plus Technology

The eGo Plus sticker tag is a 915 MHz radio frequency programmable, beam-powered, windshield-mounted tag. Packaged as a flexible sticker, this tag is ideal for applications that require low-cost, easily installed tags and is appropriate for electronic toll collection, airport access and ground transportation management systems, parking access, and security access. The tag supports multiple protocols, making it easy to migrate from a mixed-tag population to a common tag. Each eGo Plus sticker tag comes equipped with a factory-programmed unique tag identification number that prevents the tag from being duplicated.

The eGo Plus, batteryless sticker tag offers a read range of up to 31.5 feet (9.6 meters) and 2048-bit read/write memory at a fraction of the cost of older, less flexible RFID technology. The tag provides the capability to read, write, rewrite, or permanently lock individual bytes. Custom printing and labeling is also available. eGo Plus tags are manufactured in the United States.

About TransCore

With installations in 46 countries, more than 100 patents and pioneering applications of RFID, GPS and satellite communications technologies, TransCore's technical expertise is unparalleled in the markets it serves. TransCore's 70-year heritage spans the development of RFID transportation applications at Los Alamos National Labs to implementation of the nation's first electronic toll collection system.

TransCore’s extensive global experience with tolling systems includes more than 6,200 installed electronic toll collection lanes worldwide and 22 customer service centers. TransCore offers an extensive suite of enterprise software applications, business process outsourcing, system integration, and maintenance services to provide complete solutions, configurable to customers’ requirements. In 2007, TransCore received the TEAMFL (Transportation and Expressway Authority Membership of Florida) Chairman’s Award for the most innovative transportation project of the year for the design and installation of the tolling solution for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority (THCEA) reversible express lanes. This project is the world’s first reversible lane, open road tolling system in the world.

TransCore operates as a unit of Roper Industries (NYSE: ROP). Roper Industries is a diversified growth company with an enterprise value of more than $6 billion, and is a component of Standard & Poor’s S&P Mid-Cap 400, Fortune 1000, and Russell 1000 Indexes. Roper provides engineered products and solutions for global niche markets, including water, energy, radio frequency and research/medical applications.

For more information, visit www.transcore.com or www.roperind.com.

View All Releases from This Organization