Business Profile
FOCON has developed a forward thinking Passenger Information System (PIS/CIS) built for the future and built to last
F
OCON is a well-established supplier of passenger information and PA systems for rolling stock. For more than a quarter of a century, the company has been among the front runners in innovative solutions, total project management, controlled documentation and IRIS certified quality management. Its products range from complete passenger information systems for Metro, Light Rail and Commuter rail to digital signage for rolling stock and platforms. Automatic positioning, automatic route updating and advanced seat reservation systems are all part of the larger FOCON Imagine platform package. Newer applications include
infotainment and entertainment systems, WiFi and Internet connectivity solutions, CCTV and advanced information services such as disruption messaging. FOCON is known for its customised solutions where its team of technicians and engineers stands ready to help make your idea a reality. Focon has also become an innovator in standardised solutions that reduce complexity, cost and support needs while enhancing present and future opportunities for rapid scaleability.
A changed world is approaching The rolling stock industry has changed radically over the past few decades, and with demand for public transport increasing, industry has had to move with the faster pace of the modern world. Historically, rolling stock was simpler in technological design, the industry was less regulated and lifetime operating costs were not a key consideration. The importance of all these factors has increased in the industry today. With technological developments moving faster than ever, the fast pace brings with it a high rate of obsolete issues not seen in the past, when things were simpler in design. The technology of today is outdated tomorrow.
The financial context has also changed; in particular the recent financial crisis has brought a focus on smart and effective investments and the emphasis now is not only on the initial investment made, but also the life time cost of that investment. In the rolling stock industry, a lifetime minimum of 30 to 40 years is a standard condition.
The third big driver of change is new legislation and standardisation. Legislation such as disability acts (referred
to in Europe as TSI-PRM) or new standards within safety regulations e.g. SIL (Safety Integrity Level). Complying with this on-going and ever changing legislation and standards necessitates adapting products and the comprehensive testing and documentation of compliance. In the past, when new rolling stock was bought, very few businesses focused on standardisation and lifetime cost - most purchases were customised solutions. Nowadays they are more costly due to their individual need to be updated to comply with the new legislation and standards, and further, they are faced with high obsolescence and updating costs that may only apply to these one-off solutions.
A PIS/CIS system built for the future and built to last
FOCON’s latest PIS/CIS platform was developed by questioning and then listening to key industry figures in a consultation process that revealed an in-depth insight into current and future needs within the rolling stock industry. The platform has been built to meet the challenges of a fast-changing market and is updateable moving forward; it is supported to enable lifetime cost to be optimised as much as possible. This is a platform built on proven modules which offer optimum and effective solutions today and in the future, as they can be built on as circumstances change. The PIS/CIS was developed through forward thinking that involved imagining industry needs in 10 to 20 years’ time. First priorities in developing the system have been user adaptability and life cost of the product. This platform is called
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IMAGINE, as FOCON is building on a system its customers would imagine having in the future.
A scaleable solution The IMAGINE platform is scaleable from a core solution with basic passenger announcement functions and/or displaying a range of additional high-level solutions in line with client specifications. These include communication features such as RIS/TIS (travel information systems), infotainment with real-time update and CCTV. On the same core platform, FOCON covers solutions from LRV (light rail vehicles) to regional and mainlines, from metros to high speed and very high speed solutions.
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