In this blog post we will walk through the responsibilities for one of the most important roles when purchasing ITxPT-based ITS systems. The role of the integrator and with it, the integration platform.  Rapid development Information technology for public transport and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are under fast development both in terms of new technology […]

When procuring a communication platform for vehicles, you very seldom start from scratch. You might have different solutions for different systems onboard the vehicles. You might also have some back-office solutions for the different systems. So, you need to make a review of what you have and decide what you can keep and what needs […]

Eco-driving, what and why This post will address what to focus on when buying an eco-driving system. Eco-driving in a broader scope is all about education. Or rather education and motivation. If a driver knows how to drive in an environmentally friendly and economical way and is motivated to do so, the battle is won. […]

Why can’t I just buy a Vehicle Gateway? When installing vehicle networks, cloud-based fleet management and back office solutions, you might feel that it’s a bit complicated. You might ask yourself why you just can’t buy a vehicle gateway, build an onboard network and not have to worry about all the rest. Do I really […]

One vendor or a cadre of suppliers? The situation regarding onboard IT solutions a few years ago was one or several vendors that supplied silo-systems, that didn’t communicate with each other. It was natural to start out that way. Then, as possibilities and demand increased the degree of communication between systems, the need for another […]

Life cycle management When investing in an onboard IT solution, you need to think about the whole life-cycle of the system (i.e. more than 10 years for on-board solutions). An important question arises: Exactly what technology is to be installed and what applications are to be used in the vehicle for the next 10 years? […]

Delivery The complete product or solution is delivered to you at this point. Often, this is the time where you make the final payment. Therefore it is important that you have specified the FAT and SAT tests thoroughly and gone through the test process, so you know how to decide if the system works to […]

Developing products and solutions Depending on supplier, it can vary what type of processes is used to deliver work packages that will finally end up in a product or a solution, but they are often is quite similar. For development purposes a process like SCRUM will be used, and for maintenance purposes, typically a process like […]

Starting up The roll-out process stretches over time and consists of several steps. Even if IT solutions within the ITxPT (IT for Public Transport) standard are plug-and-play, there are decisions to be made, including definition of the system, test installation, FAT and SAT tests, end-user testing, educations, installations and configurations, acquiring data, educating personnel, and […]

Why is it so important to specify FMS when ordering a vehicle? What is J1939 and how does it relate to FMS? What solutions are available for integration of buses without FMS, or inadequately specified FMS? Should you store all data you can get your hands on?