I-95 deal a 'win-win' for INRIX and DOTs

Technology analysts at ABI Research have applauded the decision by the I-95 Corridor Coalition to award the contract for providing real-time traffic information to INRIX (see: Inrix wins I-95 traffic info contract). Initially, data will be supplied to the states from Maine to North Carolina, and ultimately all the way to Florida.

“This is a major deal for the public sector and represents a paradigm shift for state governments working together on a common goal of providing seamless traffic information and improving traffic flow over an arterial road system,” says principal analyst Dominique Bonte. “The significant feature is the decision to license available information rather than building new infrastructure. ABI Research believes this choice will prove a wise one for the states, allowing them to outsource their traffic data requirements.”

Existing INRIX customers will get more accurate information, while the local governments will be able to provide accurate traffic updates via the web. In this way the deal represents a true win-win relationship, typical for the traffic data ecosystem, says Bonte. “The contract will allow INRIX to make further investments to increase both the coverage and the quality of its traffic data, consolidating its position as a market leader. It is expected that other states will follow the example of the I-95 Corridor Coalition.”

Most of the traffic information will come from fleet customers who provide GPS data to INRIX in exchange for updated real-time traffic information. “The drawback of this method is that the data is skewed towards the progress of trucks and taxis rather than the general driving population,” warns Bonte. “INRIX is working on balancing that data with more input from consumer vehicles and cellular probes, but that process will take some time.”

Bonte predicts that the development will make it easier in future for state Departments of Transport to assess where their infrastructure needs improvement.

31 January 2008