CHK America has officially launched its new Connectpoint Digital Division. Top transit agencies, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Pittsburgh’s Port Authority of Allegheny County (Port Authority) and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) have ordered the company’s proprietary Connectpoint Interactive Touchscreen Kiosks, the first product category to launch among a suite of new digital products developed by CHK America.
“CHK America has invested a significant amount of capital and human resources into developing our new suite of digital products that will appeal to today’s tech savvy riders, providing a higher level of customized information to meet their “on the go” planning needs,” stated Rick Wood, CHK America’s president and CEO. “DART, Port Authority and RTC are leading the effort to deploy digital wayfinding products and we are delighted that they are incorporating the Connectpoint Interactive Touchscreen Kiosks into their overall customer information system.”
“Web-enabled Connectpoint Interactive Touchscreen Kiosks deliver distilled complex route information into wayfinding messages that users can easily read and understand,” added Chuck Menzel, vice president of information technology. “Our new digital products integrate with tracking and location systems, scheduling systems and other agency information systems allowing agencies to provide more comprehensive information to their customers, including a custom route planning feature in the transit kiosks that is available to passengers by simply entering their destination.”
Touchscreen technology in the Connectpoint Interactive Touchscreen Kiosks allows for intuitive interaction with the information to explore transit options and to create specific routes, including an overview of the entire route, next departure time and where to disembark. The kiosks also provide trip-planning tools that include detailed travel directions for public transportation, cars, bicycling and walking. Texting and email options are also included for easy transfer to a mobile device.
Connectpoint Interactive Touchscreen Kiosks are customizable with geo-targeted information pertinent to individual agency needs. Non-transit information, such as weather forecasts, nearby businesses, and news headlines can be included. With the ability to display online advertisements, ConnectPoint can also be a revenue-generator for transit agencies.
While CHK America launched its new Connectpoint Digital Division with the Connectpoint Interactive Touchscreen Kiosks, its new suite of digital products also includes Connectpoint Digital Bus Stops that are solar or battery powered and can be mounted directly to poles. Connectpoint Digital Bus Stops deliver next departure information, schedules, maps and other messages without the use of electricity, eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure improvements. The information on the screen can be updated in real time or be set to update according to a pre-determined schedule.
ConnectPoint Digital Division is spearheaded by Chuck Menzel. Menzel has had a career in design and development of digital strategies for high tech companies. His background is in software design and management, hardware support and support logistics. He has held senior management positions in both product design and marketing, IT service and logistics, and with managing the deployment of large web based content websites for Dell, Toshiba and Western Digital. Other new hires to the division include Judd “JJ” Stiff, Lead Software Engineer. JJ graduated with a BS in Computer Science from the University California at Santa Barbara and has done extensive development work for Apple, Android and Web platforms.
