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The Internet Meets the Taxicab: Hundreds of ''Interactive Taxis'' Hit the Streets in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco--(Business Wire)-- Interactive Taxi and PeerDirect Team Up to Redefine the Passenger Experience with Full-Featured, High-Performance Internet Portals in Every Backseat -0- *T WHAT: Boring taxicab rides are a thing of the past, thanks to Interactive Taxi and PeerDirect Corporation, a division of Progress Software (Nasdaq: PRGS). These two companies have teamed up to create a new kind of Internet portal designed for deployment in the backseat of taxicabs. Initial deployments of hundreds of these new "cybercabs" have begun in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Passengers can now access the most accurate, up to date news from major national and local outlets, get fully localized listings of special events and happenings in and around the city, book restaurant and show reservations, buy movie tickets and pay their cab fare with a credit or debit card...right from the back seat of the taxicab. They can also access real-time traffic information, emergency news and Amber Alerts, GPS tracking and mapping information, as well as advertisements and public service announcements. And, the performance of the Interactive Taxi portals will make passengers think they are hooked up directly to a broadband Internet connection, thanks to PeerDirect's innovative data synchronization and database replication technology. PeerDirect works "in the background" to eliminate the impact cellular data networks have on application performance, enabling lightening-fast access to Internet content, even when no connection is available. WHEN: On Monday, February 7, Interactive Taxi will officially launch its PeerDirect-enabled portals in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. This initial deployment will encompass 600 taxicabs in these cities by February 21. This month, Interactive Taxi and PeerDirect will be offering "ride-alongs" to members of international, national and regional media as well as the IT and financial analyst community. HISTORY: In September 2002, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) launched a one-year test program of passenger service enhancements for the taxicab industry, which was met by mass public interest and appeal. In March 2004, following a six-month analysis of passenger feedback and public opinion on the program, the TLC Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a list of enhancements and specifications for a standard user interface to be installed in the City's more than 13,000 taxis. In October, Interactive Taxi (http://www.targetedmediapartners.com/index_itpage.htm), a division of Targeted Media Partners, LLC, was one of over 60 vendors to respond to a request for information (RFI) issued last June by the TLC with regard to these specifications. The goal of the TLC's "Taxicab Service Technology Enhancement Project" is to improve the riding and driving experience through such enhancements as additional cab fare payment options and the ability to communicate useful information to passengers and drivers. New York City plans to select a vendor solution and begin installing new taxi services this spring, with a citywide deployment deadline of November 2005. CONTACT: To speak with Interactive Taxi CEO Corey Gottlieb and PeerDirect CTO Britton Johnston about this rollout, or to schedule a demo of the new Interactive Taxi portal in your area, contact: Matthew Card SparkSource, Inc. 781-274-6061 ext. 211 [email protected] *T About Interactive Taxi Interactive Taxi is a subsidiary of Targeted Media Partners, LLC. Targeted Media is an emerging media company committed to developing the types of technologies that allow marketers to utilize the benefits of sight, sound and motion, as well as interactivity, to make their out-of-home messages timely, relevant and compelling to consumers. More information can be found at http://www.tmp-llc.com. About PeerDirect Corporation PeerDirect Corporation is the leading innovator in distributed application and database replication, deployment and management technology. The company's flagship product suite, PeerDirect(TM) Distributed Enterprise, allows companies to centrally manage distributed applications with fully synchronized databases deployed across widely distributed locations and mobile users. PeerDirect Distributed Enterprise accomplishes this with a core technology that replicates, distributes and synchronizes data and applications across multiple locations, giving customers more responsive and reliable applications with less dependency on network connectivity to a central data center. Based in Bedford, Mass., with additional development operations in Toronto, PeerDirect Corporation is a division of Progress Software and provides customers with a comprehensive range of enterprise technical support, consulting and training for its products. More information on PeerDirect can be found at http://www.peerdirect.com or by calling +1-781-280-4080. About Progress Software Corporation Progress Software Corporation (PSC) (Nasdaq: PRGS) supplies industry-leading technologies for all aspects of the development, deployment, integration and management of business applications. PSC, headquartered in Bedford, Mass., operates through the Progress Company, Sonic Software Corporation, PeerDirect Corporation and DataDirect Technologies. PSC can be reached at http://www.progress.com or +1-781-280-4000. PeerDirect is a trademark or registered trademark of PeerDirect Corporation in the U.S. and in Canada. Any other trademarks or service marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. |
