Columbus, Ohio (July 1, 2021) ZED Digital, an Ohio based corporation, announced today it is launching a “smart environment” solution called ZIG, which will provide users with a seamless, line-up free, touchless and hands-free interaction with their environment across public transit vehicles, sports and entertainment venues, amusement parks, malls, restaurants and more.
The ZIG mobile app enables users to plan trips and way find to any location and display the best transportation options to take them to those spots. It will display travel time and costs to reach the venues via different transportation modes including car, bus, rail, rideshare, bikeshare, scooters, taxis, interurban travel with Greyhound and more. Toll road alternatives with costs will be featured. The app can sync to their calendar or Fitbit to encourage timely, healthy and green mobility options for their trip. The ZIG app is available now on the Apple Store and Google Play, with links at https://izig.app/.
This hands-free technology also enables users, to pay at public venues or to check-in at locations, like office buildings, with their phone in their pockets. In addition, the solution will provide a virtual view of the venue, determine crowding and social distancing to users on their smart phones. The sensors will provide micro-location-based data and contactless temperature sensing, all in a single cellphone-sized, plug-and-play unit. Venues with these features will be highlighted, in app, as “ZIG Smart.”
“The ZIG smart technology will take mobile payment and crowd management in public places to the next level and will enable a safe interaction with customers at all public venues trying to re-open”, says Sumithra Jagannath, President of ZED Digital.
ZIG was successfully piloted at the Transit Authority of River City starting in 2019. The mobile app and smart sensor solution provided a contactless environment on more than 250 TARC buses. TARC riders received way finding and trip planning in the ZIG app. They could purchase tickets on their smart phone and walk onto the bus. Payment was automatically verified with the ZIG Smart sensors installed on the buses which connected to the rider’s smartphone app automatically avoiding line-ups at the fare box area and enabling fast onboarding.
ZED was awarded the 2019 Buscon Innovative Solutions award by the Metro Magazine a national transportation publication in the USA, for successfully piloting innovation in contactless environments. ZED also was named as top 3 Ticketing Technologies of the year for 2021 by Digital Transport Ticketing Global, an international competition of best ticketing technologies.
About ZED Digital
Headquartered in Columbus OH, ZED Digital (https://zed.digital/) has been a nationwide leader in developing Smart City solutions. During the raging pandemic, ZED successfully piloted the first “smart bus” technology in mid-western cities. This IoT-based solution provided contactless payment for public transit as early as 2018 – a feat that even very large fare collection providers have not achieved. ZED’s mobile trip planning and way finding app has enabled over 2 million people to find transportation options in Ohio, Kentucky and Florida.
ZED has been recognized widely for their work in smart mobility apps, data aggregation and more recently, in touchless payment solutions for public safety and health. Sumithra Jagannath is the president of the organization that is constantly adapting to, and re-shaping, the future to benefit businesses operate in a high-tech, safe and “smart” environment.