Warning! This post will be more about product evolution on the parking market generated by a change in market sentiment and dynamics than LPR technology itself. Still it can prove entertaining even for purely technical guys, so don\u2019t hesitate to read on \u2013 if only for the fun of it.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with a brief analysis of basic human nature. I\u2019ll cut to the chase: humans are utterly confusing. We are needy, but too lazy to go great lengths to satisfy our needs. We tend to overcomplicate things but expect goods and services to be lean, simplified, ergonomic and of course easy-to-handle and -understand. Lucky for us we live in an era where consumer needs and usage patterns are in the pinnacle of product and service development. Think about it for a second; we love preprocessed information instead of books, UX design instead of overcomplicated manuals and most prefer processed food instead of cooking from raw materials.<\/p>\n
Yet sometimes it seems that the LPR industry remains unaffected. I for one don\u2019t think so \u2013 it\u2019s just that our market is a few steps behind in the evolution process. Let me elaborate through a recent case we had in South Korea. Our partner has been operating in the parking industry for the past 15 years, developed a PMS system of its own and is a manufacturer of parking ticket machines and barriers. Mostly what they knew about LPR technology was based on the input of an LPR camera vendor who proudly stated that they are the only ones in the world providing Korean license recognition. Their LPR camera is a telltale solution \u2013 the lovechild of a one eyed C3PO of Russian design and a street trash can. Rest in peace common sense, let alone ergonomics. Integration to the parking system took over 6 months.<\/p>\n
They saw one of our advertisements but did not understand the concept of camera vendor independent or plug \u2019n play LPR technology. Obviously, these claims were – and let\u2019s be sincere, still are – pretty far from standard industry values when talking about an LPR product. Yet, when they finally understood they immediately knew that they had a lead on something that addresses basic human nature. Remember? The needy, lazy, superficial one.<\/p>\n
Bottomline: they quickly switched over to provide LPR based parking services using a number of modern IP cameras – whichever suits the project best \u2013 embedding our core LPR technology under an OEM agreement. They have finally started entering foreign markets and already have new projects in Russia and Thailand. This was but the first step towards an exponential expansion.<\/p>\n
The key to their success? They found an LPR solution on LinkedIn that promised easy and flexible integration \u2013 get the LPR software within 48 hours of sending the order, and a few clicks to set up communication with the camera and push event data to their parking solution. In other words: plug \u2018n play LPR. They also understood that servicing the needs that lie at the very heart of human nature is the right business model.<\/p>\n
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