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IPMI & Member News

Member News: FLASH Acquires Parkonect to Accelerate Access to 21st Century Parking Technology

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FLASH Acquires Parkonect to Accelerate Access to 21st Century Parking Technology

Acquisition creates an advantage for real estate owners to modernize their assets in a rapidly diversifying mobility ecosystem via digital, connected experiences with Legacy PARCS systems

June 16, 2021 (Austin, TX and Chicago, IL) – FLASH, the leader in flexible technology solutions for urban real estate, acquires Parkonect. This acquisition empowers real estate owners with wider access to 21st century parking technology that fits wherever their asset is along its digital transformation and mobility expansion.

Parkonect and FLASH are the only cloud-born, mobile-first parking technology companies delivering Parking Access and Revenue Control that continuously add new features and third-party integrations with over-the-air updates. Both companies help properties thrive in today’s rapidly shifting mobility ecosystem by facilitating connectivity and mobility in parking assets via real-time intelligence and digital commerce tools.

“FLASH is committed to deploying technology that empowers real estate owners to unlock the full value of their urban real estate, and that includes assets with legacy infrastructure as well as those looking to modernize their parking systems,” says Dan Sharplin, Executive Chairman and CEO of FLASH. “The acquisition of Parkonect lets the industry know that we believe access to flexible, agile parking solutions, no matter what PARCS system is in the ground, is vital for differentiating your asset in highly competitive urban core markets.”

“When Parkonect launched ten years ago, we set out to create an IoT, cloud-based platform that augmented the current parking technology layer. As a real estate developer, I knew first-hand how valuable this approach was to the traditional rip-and-replace model,” said Harlan Karp, CEO and founder of Parkonect. “Our future-ready system allowed asset owners to take a relatively risk-free step towards modernization, while proving out their investment. With FLASH, I look forward to continuing to deliver world-class solutions that allow asset owners to make lasting improvements to asset value.”

Parkonect will continue to advance its distinct product line and roadmap offering both Parkonect and FLASH customers more options for 21st century parking and asset management solutions. For current Parkonect customers, pricing and service will remain unchanged.

Karp continues, “We are thrilled to be a part of FLASH’s growing brand because we can focus on our passion – solve parking’s greatest challenges – with the added benefits of their world class operations, sales and marketing teams.”

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About Flash
 FLASH is an innovator in the urban mobility space, helping businesses rethink one of their most valuable assets: the parking garage. Our award-winning cloud-born platform is custom configurable, secure, reliable, and grows alongside you as business or consumer demands evolve. Visit www.flashparking.com to learn more.

Media Contacts:
Rob Duda
Peppercomm for FLASH
Senior Vice President, Automotive & Transportation Strategist
rduda@peppercomm.com

Karin Maake
FLASH
Senior Director of Brand & Communications
karin.maake@flashparking.com

IPMI & Member News

Member News: FlashParking Announces Expansion of Mobility Ecosystem

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FlashParking Announces Expansion of Mobility Ecosystem

FlashParking Partners with Bird and EVBox to Offer Asset Owners and Operators Revenue Diversification Beyond Parking

AUSTIN, Texas, October 29, 2020 – FlashParking, the leader in mobility hub technology, announces today the expansion of their ecosystem with key mobility services that maximize parking asset utilization and enhance the consumer experience. By partnering with Bird, the global leader in electric scooters, and EVBox, a global manufacturer of electric vehicle charging stations, FlashParking is enabling asset owners and operators to better respond to the rapidly evolving mobility ecosystem, tap into additional revenue streams, and access new customers via differentiated services.

An explosion of electric vehicles, rideshares, scooters, delivery vans, and more have created chaos on city roads and at the curbside. In response, earlier this year, FlashParking launched FlashOS, the industry’s only mobility hub operating system, that powers the transformation of parking assets into connected mobility hubs where parking, mobility, logistics, and transportation intersect. A key component of FlashOS is a unique ecosystem of third-party parking integrations, which now include mobility services with Bird and EVBox. Powered by open-API architecture, Flash’s unrivaled and continually evolving ecosystem enables asset owners and operators to future-proof parking operations, increase the productivity of existing infrastructure, and create new business models and revenue streams.

COVID-19 has changed the mobility landscape, accelerating the need for mobility hubs. Consumers have abandoned mass transit in favor of personal vehicles and last-mile open-air transit options, like Bird, who has seen its ridership and length of ride double. Coupled with mandates in municipalities like California that can require up to 10% of parking spaces have EV charging installed, asset owners and operators now more than ever need a partner to help get real estate ready to meet current consumer demands. This is how asset owners and operators can utilize Flash’s latest mobility services with Bird and EVBox to stay competitive and relevant with consumers:

  • Bird: To help asset owners and operators meet the rising demand for scooters, FlashParking is partnering with micromobility juggernaut Bird to create a private scooter fleet solution that will drive incremental revenue. Flash’s integrated micromobility solution organizes, charges, and provides scooters for round trip usage, perfect for consumers looking to add scooters to their mobility routine.
  • EVBox:To ensure asset owners and operators can provide the charging needs of EVs and that EV consumers can access chargers as easily as a parking spot, FlashParking is partnering with a leading global energy service provider, EVBox. Working together, the two companies created a comprehensive energy management solution integrated into FlashParking’s mobility hub platform. Building off a decade of experience in Europe and over four years of applying that expertise to the North American market, EVBox was the perfect partner to develop an EV charging solution that offers easy-to-use, flexible charging options with a sleek, attractive design.

“With our industry-leading technology and ecosystem of unique partnerships FlashParking is turning parking garages into connected mobility hubs for all types of passengers and vehicles,” said Dan Sharplin, CEO of FlashParking. “Parking garages and sur lots will no longer only be used for parking cars. They will have charging stations for electric cars and scooters, car cleaning services, valet parking, delivery docks, and launching and landing pads for drones. FlashParking is demolishing the status quo and delivering technology that empowers asset owners and operators to create and manage mobility hubs that stay in lock-step with evolving consumer habits and mobility technology; the partnerships with Bird and EVBox are just the beginning.”

With the mobility infrastructure in place, asset owners and operators can manage their connected ecosystem from one platform. Ultimately, mobility hubs will not only have a real impact on congestion and emissions but will also give asset owners and operators a seat at the smart city table.

These mobility service announcements follow the recent launch of touchless parking with FlashMotion hardware and over-the-air software updates for SAFEvalet, adding to the suite of technology solutions within FlashOS.

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If you’re a mobility service provider or interested in adding mobility services to your parking asset, email us at mobilityhubs@flashparking.com.

About FlashParking

FlashParking is the leader in mobility hub technology, powering the transformation from isolated parking assets to connected mobility hubs with the first Mobility Hub Operating System. Once underutilized parking assets are optimizing operations, gaining real-time visibility, and connecting to the smart city through FlashParking’s suite of enhanced 21st-century parking, a robust business intelligence engine, and partnerships in the logistics, transportation, and mobility ecosystems. Visit www.flashparking.com to learn more.

About EVBox

Founded in 2010, EVBox Group accelerates the adoption of electric mobility by bringing convenient, integrated EV charging solutions to businesses and drivers around the world. From its extensive portfolio of commercial and ultra-fast charging stations built by EVBox to its scalable, open-source charging management software engineered by Everon, EVBox Group ensures that electric mobility is accessible to everyone.

Backed by ENGIE, EVBox Group is a leader in research and development, with multiple labs and factories across Europe and North America developing groundbreaking EV charging technology. With offices across the globe, including Paris, Chicago, and Amsterdam, and strong foundations in dozens of markets, EVBox Group is shaping a cleaner future of transportation.

About Bird

Bird is a last-mile electric vehicle sharing company dedicated to bringing affordable, environmentally-friendly transportation solutions to communities across the world. It provides a fleet of shared electric scooters that can be accessed via smartphone. Birds give people looking to take a short journey across town or down that “last-mile” from the subway or bus to their destination a way to do so that does not pollute the air or add to traffic. Bird works closely with the cities in which it operates so that Bird is a reliable and affordable transportation option for people who live and work there. Founded in 2017 by transportation pioneer Travis VanderZanden, Bird is headquartered in Venice, Calif., and is rapidly expanding across the country. Follow Bird on Instagram (www.instagram.com/bird), on Twitter at @BirdRide, and find more information at www.bird.co.

IPMI & Member News

Member News: Juan Rodriguez, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Central Texas Award winner

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Juan Rodriguez, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Central Texas Award winner

 

AUSTIN, TX, October 9, 2020 – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Juan Rodriguez, Co-founder and CEO of FlashParking was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year ® 2020 Central Texas Award winner. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The award recognizes those entrepreneurial leaders who are excelling in overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Juan Rodriguez was selected by an independent panel of judges. The award was announced through the program’s first-ever virtual awards gala, hosted by Deborah Norville, anchor of Inside Edition, on October 8, 2020.

“I’m a problem solver at heart, constantly thinking of ways to make things easier and better — and that’s exactly what I did with FlashParking. When my co-founders and I saw this opportunity to bring cloud power to the antiquated, server-based parking industry, we had to take it, ” said Juan Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of FlashParking. “Today, the rest of the industry is finally starting to follow suit. Winning Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 of Central Texas is a humbling validation of all the hard work over the past 10 years it took to build FlashParking into a leading technology company in the parking and mobility world .”

“Being recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year is like winning an Oscar. The independent panel of judges reviews over 100 applications in Central Texas each year, and it’s such an incredible honor just
to be selected as a finalist for the award,” said Sam Goodner, former winner of this same award and CSO of FlashParking. “But to win the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award is the culmination of so much hard work for entrepreneurs who took a risk and put everything on the line to start a new business, who built an incredible team, innovated and overcame adversity along the way.  Congratulations Juan.”

Since 1986, EY US has honored entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation and tenacity have driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries and made a positive impact on their communities. Juan Rodriguez will go on to become a lifetime member of the esteemed multi-industry community of award winners, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of fellow alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources.

As a Central Texas award winner, Juan Rodriguez is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 National Awards. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced Thursday, November 19, during a virtual awards gala. The awards are the culminating event of this year’s virtual Strategic Growth Forum ® , the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of
The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2021.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Kauffman Foundation.  In Central Texas, sponsors also include Broadway Bank, Colliers International, Shearman & Sterling LLP, ADP, Bridgepoint Consulting, Watkins Insurance Group, Austin Business Journal and San Antonio Business Journal .

About Entrepreneur Of The Year ®
Entrepreneur Of The Year ® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on
to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. Visit ey.com/us/eoy .

About EY Private
As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices, and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/private .

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction, and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. For
more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

Media Contact:
Alessandra Gonzales, Carve Communications for FlashParking
Email: Alessandra@carvecomms.com
Phone: 786-337-3026

IPMI & Member News

Member News: FlashParking Announces Acquisition of Mountain Parking Equipment

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FlashParking Announces Acquisition of Mountain Parking Equipment

Access to Future-ready Technology for Current and Future MPE Customers Accelerates FlashParking’s Market Reach in the Southwest and Mountain Regions

AUSTIN, Texas, September 29, 2020 – FlashParking, the leader in parking and mobility technology, announced today it has completed the acquisition of Mountain Parking Equipment (MPE), a Denver, Colorado-based company that has served hundreds of customers over the last 25 years. The deal expands FlashParking’s customer base in the Southwest and Mountain regions. It will provide future MPE customers access to reliable, future-ready technology that diversifies revenue, and helps transform legacy operations to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving mobility landscape.

“For over 25 years, we have been committed to providing the best parking management service to our customers,” said Scott Souder, President, and Founder at MPE. Zach Souder, MPE’s Senior Vice-President, added, “When I met with the FlashParking R&D team, I was blown away and knew immediately this is what our customers deserved.  With FlashParking, MPE’s customers will be supported with the same high level of integrity and accountability they are accustomed to.”

“Scott has built a great business and dedicated his career to providing the highest level of support for his customers, and we believe Zach will continue that tradition as a part of our leadership team. Zach brings over a decade of technical and hardware experience related to parking industry products, most recently overseeing the sales and service departments for MPE,” said Dan Sharplin, CEO at FlashParking. “MPE is another great strategic acquisition for FlashParking, that fuels our growth as we revolutionize parking and mobility technology across our industry, the country, and international markets.”

“At MPE, we have evolved our service offerings to ensure our customers have the best and most reliable technology at their fingertips,” Souder continued. “The next step in that evolution for MPE and our customers is joining FlashParking, which is the most advanced technology solution in the market today with their innovative parking and mobility platform.”

Current MPE customers will have the opportunity to access FlashParking’s suite of 21st-century technology, hardware, and service, as well as be the technology of choice for future MPE asset owners in the Southwest and Mountain regions. FlashParking is retaining most of the MPE staff to ensure that customers with legacy equipment will receive the same high caliber service they have experienced since their partnership with MPE began.

This acquisition supports FlashParking’s mission to deliver 21stt-century mobility technology and comprehensive parking services powered by FlashOS, the industry’s only mobility hub operating system, to a well-established customer-base that already expects the best.

With triple-digit year-over-year growth, FlashParking is driving the transformation of the parking industry with its cloud-based parking and mobility platform. The new customer base will have the opportunity to optimize legacy operations, gain real-time visibility and connect to the smart city through FlashParking’s suite of enhanced 21st-century parking tools, robust business intelligence engine, as well as partnerships in the logistics, transportation, and mobility ecosystems.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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About FlashParking

FlashParking is the leader in parking technology powering the transformation from isolated parking assets to connected mobility hubs with the first Mobility Hub Operating System. Once underutilized parking assets are optimizing operations, gaining real-time visibility, and connecting to the smart city through FlashParking’s suite of enhanced 21st-century parking, a robust business intelligence engine, and partnerships in the logistics, transportation, and mobility ecosystems. Visit www.flashparking.com to learn more.

Media Contact

Alex Guerin,  Carve Communications for FlashParking alex@carvecomms.com

IPMI & Member News, Resources, Safety & Security, Transportation & Mobility

Member News: FlashParking introduces SAFEValet

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FlashParking Logo
Elevated trust and safety with a touchless and ticketless valet experience

SAFEValet is a ticketless, trustworthy valet experience that stands up to the demands of our world today, especially during COVID-19. By leveraging the valet technology that FlashParking customers already have access to, this comprehensive solution adds a few key safety features to transform valet operations for new consumer expectations. Ticketless, touchless, and trustworthy.

Download SAFEValet Information

Check it out here

IPMI & Member News

Member News: FlashParking Introduces Revolutionary Hardware-as-a-Service Purchasing Model with No Long-Term Contracts and a Future-ready Operating System

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Austin, TX (March 5, 2020) – Today, parking asset owners and operators have a chance to leap into the 21st century and get ahead of the technology curve with the launch of FlashParking’s Hardware-as-a-Service, a purchasing model with no long-term contracts. FlashParking is minimizing risk exposure for asset owners and operators that ensure today’s investment provides an efficient, intelligent, and future-ready platform.

FlashParking’s HaaS model wraps 21st century parking technology, business intelligence, and a lifetime equipment warranty into a predictable monthly payment. This gives parking professionals an alternative to the hamster wheel equipment replacement cycle of seven to ten years. As asset owners and operators subscribed to FlashParking’s HaaS model discover new opportunities to diversify revenue and expand into new locations or markets, they can confidently grow their investment with upgrades and expansions without taking on more risk. Mandatory technology updates needed to maintain functionality and PCI compliance are included at no additional cost — a market first.

“We are at an inflection point in the market,” said Alan Poulton, EVP of Sales of FlashParking. “Everyone recognizes that customers, regardless of the industry, want technology delivered as a service. In parking, that means a solution free of the headaches of burdensome PCI compliance and unpredictable upgrades, like the Windows 7 end-of-life obsolescence. The launch of FlashParking’s Hardware-as-a-Service purchasing model delivers exactly that: a solution free of financial risk and antiquated, difficult-to-maintain technology. HaaS is a complete, future-ready, extensible solution with software updates and payment security managed on the customer’s behalf.”

By offering a standard package of hardware, software, maintenance, installation and other support services on a month-to-month pricing structure, FlashParking is creating tremendous value for asset owners and operators. Shifting these costs to an operating expense rather than a capital expense gives owners and operators the opportunity to align entire portfolios, standardize on a single operating system, and revamp static parking garages to become flexible mobility assets for success in the future.At a time when consumer demands are rapidly evolving and the capital needed to meet those demands is scarce, FlashParking’s Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) purchasing model is eliminating risk, tearing down financial barriers, and opening the door to the future.

To learn more, read our latest blog: “No Risk. All Reward. Is Hardware-as-a-Service Right for You?”

About FlashParking
FlashParking is the leader in parking technology powering the transformation from isolated parking assets to connected mobility hubs with the first Mobility Hub Operating System. Once underutilized parking assets are optimizing operations, gaining real-time visibility, and connecting to the smart city through FlashParking’s suite of enhanced 21st century parking, a robust business intelligence engine, and partnerships in the logistics, transportation, and mobility ecosystems. In an age when we have more ways of getting around than ever before, FlashParking is creating value at every turn of the modern mobility experience and opening opportunities in present and future markets. Visit FlashParking.com to learn more.


Media Contact
Michelle Madonna, Carve Communications for FlashParking
michelle@carvecomms.com; (305) 458-9085

EV HUB, IPMI Blog, Resources

From Tesla to Parking: An Executive’s Bold Move

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Cover of the January issue of Parking & Mobility magazineTesla is almost always near the top of lists of innovative, disruptive companies. How could it not be? Known for its long-range, electric vehicles and increasing strides on autonomy, the company is an undisputed leader in the innovative-mobility space. So when Neil Golson, head of Tesla’s energy marketing sales and sales operations, North America, announced plans to join FlashParking, it raised a few eyebrows—why would you leave Tesla to work in parking?

Golson says there are simple answers to that question, and he sat down with Parking & Mobility to talk about it. Some highlights:

  • “A lot of my focus at Tesla was how people charge their vehicles. You build a super charging network and when people are charging at home, you run off of solar so we’re not building problems. A mobility hub offers a space and a very similar way to think about that challenge.”
  • “People are saying they have not only parking customers but mobility companies coming to them, and they’re coming to me saying they know EVs are happening but how do they do it? How many do they need? What does this look like? And how does this all get organized in a way that it’s integrated into their operation and it’s not just an add-on?”
  • “A lot of this is about understanding what amenities a consumer needs and what amenities a city needs. You don’t need scooters in Detroit in February but you certainly want them all year in San Diego. The same is true for EV adoption.”
  • “I strongly believe that in none of our lifetimes are we going to see less of a need for parking.”

Read more of Golson’s thoughts on parking, innovation, mobility, and how industry professionals can pull it all together for the future in the January issue of Parking & Mobility.