Main Control Centre

A software-based on-screen control interface, the locally installed standard version of the Parking System Control Centre has already a lot of useful features to offer: system operators can instantly see whether or not all barrier gates are working properly, how many vehicles are at the car park, or the current overall POS cash balance. All required information, including customer details for marketing purposes, can be called up at a simple click of the mouse.

Clearly, car park operators have been very well provided for so far. But what about proprietors who operate several parking facilities in the city or all over the country? Are the capabilities of the regular Control Centre sufficient in this case? Or would it rather drive the benefits down and the costs up?

That's where new Main Control Centre (MCC) by SKIDATA™ comes in. It offers a lot more than the standard version: it can control and monitor several car parks at the same time with the same accuracy and reliability as a standard Control Centre, but with even greater economic efficiency. Multiple facilities controlled via a Main Control Centre have several clear advantages.

1. Economy

Not only does the new Main Control Centre eliminate the need for local staff, it also runs independent of locally installed hardware and software. This allows for controlling multiple car parks with different systems, even if they run different management software. In fact, there's no need to update existing software when installing the Main Control Centre, and no need for hardware upgrades either.

2. Familiarity

The parking systems of individual car parks are connected to the Main Control Centre by way of conventional network connections (e.g., ISDN, ADSL, DSL, Ethernet, etc.) at a low, cost-efficient bandwith (e.g., 64 KB lines), which helps to keep monthly fixed costs at an absolute minimum.

3. Stability

Systems controlled via the Main Control Centre run exceptionally stably, as individual car park systems are equipped with their own Administration Unit and Control Centre that allow them to run independently of the Main Control Centre, as and if required.

4. Greater efficiency

Self-controlled system activity ensures improved overall efficiency.

Users operating the standard Control Centre had to check regularly for system changes (e.g., device status changes). With the new Main Control Centre, manual status checks are a thing of the past, as system event messages pop up automatically on the screen, regardless of which program is running at the time. In short, important work processes such as status monitoring are fully automated on the Main Control Centre.

When a system operator processes a system event, all other operators on the MCC are informed on-screen that the event is already being dealt with. As a result, unnecessary operational redundancies are eliminated.

More efficiency through teamwork

The Main Control Centre can be used by several system operators at the same time. This is usually not possible with a standard Control Centre because, unlike the Main Control Centre, standards CCs are usually not installed at the head office of the car park operator. The head office is where several system operators centrally supervise and control all car parks of the operating company.

This way, individual car parks can be administered locally during the day and switched to the Main Control Centre for central control overnight. The master Control Centre then monitors and controls all car parks of the operator, effecting a considerable reduction in staff cost.

Operation of the Main Control Centre can be based on regions and/or functions. For example, one system operator may be defined as the recipient of all system messages from one or more pre-specified regions. Another operator may be assigned to system events requiring the deployment of service technicians; one may be assigned to handling intercom calls, and yet another operator my be defined as being responsible for handling money-related activities (such as cashiering, refilling cashboxes, etc.). Even if several system operators are assigned to the same task, they always know which problems the others are currently working on.

5. Multi-functionality

New on the market: The integrated CCTV and intercom system are easy to operate - no need for complicated switching between programs, as a simple click of the mouse is all it takes.

6. Reliability

The system privileges and activities of each user can be logged for future reference. This also prevents any unauthorized system activities.

7. Ease of use

All devices are clearly indicated on the screen, which provides a full system overview at a glance while allowing for ergonomic device control.

All of this comes with an added SKIDATA™ bonus:

-Easy installation and operation via office PCs running Windows 2000 or XP
-Permanent on-line connection or direct links to individual parking facilities
-Multilingual user guidance (in German, English, French, Dutch, or Italian)
-Smooth, straightforward integration of existing car park management systems (including lift and lighting controls, and building administration): our development engineers are already working on it.

SKIDATA AG – Member of the Kudelski Group

SKIDATA AG is international market leader in access and ticketing systems for ski, parking and event applications, and modular system components.

Currently over 3,000 SkiData applications are being operated successfully in over 30 countries worldwide. SKIDATA is headquartered in Gartenau near Salzburg (Austria) and maintains subsidiaries in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Sweden, Japan and the USA, in addition to joint-venture operations in the UK and Hong Kong. SkiData is represented worldwide by several international partner organizations.

SKIDATA is a member of Kudelski Group (www.nagra.com), a world leader in digital security technology. Kudelski SA is traded on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SWX “KUD”) and listed on the SMI (Swiss Market Index). It is also included in the MSCI (Morgan Stanley Capital International) Index.

Contact:

PR information
Jörg Weisser
Untersbergstraße 40
A-5083 Gartenau
Tel: +43 6246 888 2271
Fax: +43 6246 8887
E-mail: WEJO@skidata.com

Product information
Bernhard Bohusch
Untersbergstraße 40
A-5083 Gartenau
Tel: +43 6246 888 5141
Fax: +43 6246 8887
E-mail: BOBE@skidata.com

For more information please visit www.skidata.com