Transeo and iVistra on Journey into Rail

Transeo and iVistra on Journey into Rail

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – November 6, 2007 –Transeo, a new force in the provision of IS services to the rail sector, and data visualisation specialist iVistra, are collaborating to develop and market a range of transport related systems solutions including an innovative suite of packaged systems to support railroad operations.

Transeo and iVistra have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines plans for iVistra to lead technology development and visualisation innovation.  Transeo will lead marketing, account management and sales, system integration, implementation and project management, hosting and operation, support and service delivery. 

"This strategic partnership will unlock the next major step forward in the development of class leading software for the transport sector in general and rail in particular,” said Guy Mason, Executive Director of Transeo and EWS CIO.  “Information systems and services are increasingly central to the effective operation of international transport.  As customer expectations grow and data becomes ever more detailed and fast-moving, the transport sector needs to find new and innovative ways of presenting and processing the information.  The benefits of open access rail operations, increasing competition and the growth in the long-distance movements of goods and people rely on the systems developing at a pace to match the market.  The comprehensive core Transeo product set, allied to iVistra’s leading visualisation technology will deliver real efficiency gains for transport operators, a step change in service to shippers and information for the traveling public that is timely, appropriate to their needs and presented through an innovative user interface that changes the way it is conveyed.”

"iVistra and Transeo share a common desire—to allow transport operators to be able to better serve their customers through increased visibility across their networks," said Craig Meek, iVistra chief executive officer. "Imagine being able to see what’s happening in the rail network in real time, whenever you want to if you are a rail operator.   And if you are a traveler imagine being able to fly through the station on the internet to get the information you want before you travel.  These are just small examples of how having information represented visually will make things easier for rail operators and their customers.”

The suite of packaged systems for rail will include consumer visualisation products for journey planning and timetable disruption, including 3D visualisation of station facilities to enhance access to rail services.  Products targeted at the business side cover wagon and locomotive tracking and utilisation delivered as an advanced track and trace customer web portal.  The future also holds new innovation for touch screen application for call centre operators.

Transeo has a state-of-the-art technology centre in the UK and a presence in all key European markets, offering four broad categories of product and service to key transport customers:

Infrastructure management – including desktop support, rail focused 24x7 service desk and application, server and telecommunications hosting and management

Business process outsourcing and shared services – creating tailor made and standardised solutions for business processes, based on leading software applications and expert process understanding

Rail specific application delivery – using Transeo’s own applications and partnerships with industry software suppliers, Transeo deliver for key industry players

Consultancy and projects – tailored to rail and other transport customers requirements, and realising the benefits from industry specific and generic applications of technology in the broader transport environment
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About iVistra

iVistra Technology is a technology solutions company that is breaking new ground in the development and implementation of data visualisation solutions for the business market - turning data into pictures so an enterprise can see its entire operation in a live virtual environment. In 2003, iVistra Technology developed Enterprise Visibility System (EVS™), the first visual tracking application for business that puts real-time financial and operational information at the fingertips of key decision-makers.

http://www.ivistra.com

About Transeo

Transeo, formed in 2006, is a strategic alliance between EWS, Britain’s leading rail freight operator, and Thales, a leading international electronics and systems group serving aerospace, transport, defence and security markets worldwide.

Transeo is a first in transportation, bringing together the systems and technology skills of Thales and the transportation and systems know-how of EWS. Transeo offers customers a unique, specialist partnership in delivering transport specific information systems, technology services and business process outsourcing.  The alliance between EWS and Thales delivers high value, low cost and sector-focused services to a broad range of transport customers.

EWS Holdings and Thales (through its subsidiary Thales Information Systems Ltd) are joint owners of the Transeo brand.  

http://www.transeoalliance.com

About EWS

EWS is Britain's leading rail freight operators. Since EWS was formed in 1996, it has helped rail freight in Britain grow by 60%.

Other companies owned by EWS Holdings Ltd, the owners of EWS, include EWS International, Euro Cargo Rail (a supplier of rail freight services in France and mainland Europe), Engineering Support Group (a consultancy for rail engineering solutions), Railway Approvals Ltd (a company that enables new locomotives and wagons to be approved for operation on Network Rail's infrastructure), Marcroft Engineering Ltd (an engineering maintenance firm). In addition, Axiom Rail (a supplier of maintenance, refurbishment, leasing solutions and suspension systems), EWS Construction, EWS Energy, EWS Industrial and EWS Network which are trading and brand names.

EWS has taken a lead in the last five years in introducing new technologies and enhancing the application of systems to the railway – and now operates an extensive European fully converged data and voice network, has developed ground-breaking real time systems and extended the automation of business processes across the Group’s activities.

http://www.ews-railway.co.uk

About Thales

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group serving defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide, supported by a comprehensive services offering. Thales offers a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy critical information systems. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries and generated revenues of € 10.3 billion in 2006, with a record order book of over € 20 billion.

http://www.thalesonline.com

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