New software-based, cloud-hosted priority control solution gives local agencies greater flexibility, reduces the need for hardware and leverages existing infrastructure
Global Traffic Technologies today unveiled the latest of its industry-leading Opticom™ traffic signal priority control solutions.
Leveraging existing hardware and network connections, centralized Opticom Priority Control as a Service™ (PCaaS) is a software-based, cloud-hosted priority control solution. For a predictable annual fee, first responders and transit agencies worldwide get the green light with less hardware, a full suite of comprehensive services and no technological risk to them.
With centralized preemption, vehicle data is sent to a cloud-hosted server and transmitted to the intersection. GTT manages the entire project from site survey to go-live, including all necessary installation and training; installs and maintains the software on a remote, secure, cloud environment; and ensures operational status and deploys repair resources as needed.
According to GTT Product Management Director Chad Mack, PCaaS gives customers more flexibility when designing a priority control solution.
“By shifting the core Opticom software from devices to the cloud, we offer more ways to connect to a city’s infrastructure,” Mack said. “Cities are investing significant time and money to upgrade their traffic and communications infrastructure to make smart cities a reality. It’s imperative we align our solutions to leverage those investments wherever possible rather than asking our customers to purchase more hardware.”
That GTT handles all installation, hosting, monitoring, repairs, reporting and optimization gives fire personnel and first responders one less thing to worry about.
“[It] helps first responders focus on their mission of providing safe and timely emergency response and enables transit agencies to concentrate on moving passengers more efficiently,” Mack said. “GTT handles all the necessary hardware, software and services that keep the priority control system running – from installation to monitoring to operational maintenance to user training.”
PCaaS in Harris County, Texas
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey dropped an historic amount of rain on the Houston area, causing disastrous flooding and rendering many intersections that had been equipped with older-style priority control functionality inoperable.
The Harris County Emergency Services Districts (ESDs) – which had been exploring a technology upgrade before the flooding damaged more than 20 percent of their 300 intersections – sought a different approach. GTT proposed its latest iteration of Opticom PCaaS to trial and compare to other systems before any decision was made. After undergoing rigorous testing in like-for-like conditions, GTT’s solution proved to be the best choice for the county.
“The whole [Opticom PCaaS] system is completely turnkey and can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be,” said Mike Taylor of Taylor Traffic Systems, who did the implementation in Harris County along with GTT’s regional dealer, Consolidated Traffic Controls (CTC), Inc. “It gets installed and everything is taken care of.”
Back to Press Releases
