Transportation
An important part of Signal Electric’s expansion of its core business is in the area of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). This opportunity is caused by a paradigm shift within the transportation segment due to technology innovations, acceptance and the commitment of departments of transportation (DOT) to implement ‘European-styled ATM’ (Active Traffic Management).
As Signal develops its system’s integration capability in the intelligent transportation area it will become increasing important to introduce advanced technology-based products and solutions to its customers. Signal intends to expand the company’s ITS portfolio by offering a wider selection of products and services to support projects in these areas:
| • | Design-build transportation information, management and enforcement projects for state, regional and local governments. |
| • | Traffic management systems and agency contracted commercial electric work. |
| • | Transportation technology: red light cameras, traffic video, automatic license plate detection, fiber optics, wireless communication, solar power and bundling of related proprietary software/hardware |
| • | Traffic monitoring cameras |
| • | License plate recognition systems |
| • | Variable message and traffic information systems |
| • | High occupancy toll (HOT) systems |
| • |
Traffic Signal Synchronization - Before Traffic Signal Synchronization - After Technology behind traffic synchronization |
Security
The ‘Security’ business unit has been created with the purpose of providing high-value security and safety related products, applications services for ‘at-risk’ customers such as the military, homeland security agencies, public safety, energy companies, seaports and transportation companies. It can be argued that the world is less safe today than anytime in the recent past. Whether or not this is true, the fact is that in certain parts of the world facilities are threatened more frequently, property is stolen at a record rate, and people face threats to their personal safety on a much more regular basis than ever before. While people tend to think of security issues as the purview of developing countries, the fact is that the United States is perhaps one of the biggest potential targets for acts of terrorism and related threats to security. As such, it is one of the biggest markets for technology-based security solutions and services.
Security Market Segments
| • | Public Safety: enhancing and deploying advanced video surveillance and technology-based enforcement systems. |
| • | Homeland Security & Military: supplementing existing security infrastructure, |
| • | Energy: providing video surveillance and security systems for oil and gas companies engaged in exploration, development and production, |
| • | Ports & Maritime Shipping: security solutions and services for port security, asset tracking, vessel and crew protection, |
| • | Aviation & Mass Transit: security products and applications for vulnerable transportation sectors that are potentially terrorist targets, |
| • | Major Enterprises, services for companies with activities that either place them in potentially high-risk situations, or qualify them to be involved in major security infrastructure projects. |
Technology ... Telcom Infrastructure
With all the publicity surrounding the expansion of the Internet it is easy to assume that the United States and Canada are leading the world in the deployment of broadband to users throughout the country. The ugly truth is that the US is 20th in the world behind the UK, Germany and even Luxemburg in the deployment of broadband to the home! Canada trails the US, in 21st Place. World leaders are Japan, France and Korea.
It is estimated that it would take a minimum of one hundred billion dollars just to connect a portion of metropolitan and suburban homes in the US with fiber. The economies-of-scale to connect rural homes by fiber become astronomical, and as such are cost prohibitive. However, a strategy of connecting fiber hubs wirelessly, then spreading throughout the rural countryside using this medium is gaining momentum.
The private sector is moving rapidly into the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) arena, with companies such as Verizon and Google spending millions in the deployment of broadband FTTH fiber.[ However, to expect the private sector to underwrite the bulk of this effort is unrealistic. The fact is, that in order to bring the US back into broadband parity with counties such as Japan, New Zealand and Portugal, it will take a monumental effort on the part of the US Government.
Signal Electric can provide the assets, capabilities and knowledge to act as a reliable "installation" partner for these kind of projects.
Please click here to be taken to our dedicated technology section.