Richardson, TX, Jan. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On January 14, 2022, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) signed a contract awarding Back Office System and Customer Service Center Operations Services for the 405 Express Lanes in Orange County to WSP USA. Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC (ETC), a Quarterhill Inc. company (TSX: QTRH) (OTCQX: QTRHF), is a major subcontractor to WSP USA on this project. The subcontract, valued at US$49.3M, is for the initial term of up to nine (9) years, with options to extend it by up to five (5) years, and subject to customary terms and conditions.
ETC is proud to be part of a team of industry leaders assembled by WSP USA to offer superior operating services for OCTA customers. This strategic partnership pairs ETC’s leading cloud-enabled Back Office System (BOS) and back-office operations with the nation’s premier provider of services for highway customer service centers. As a major subcontractor on this project, ETC will provide the tolling application of the BOS and related maintenance and services during operations. ETC will also oversee subcontractors performing other operations and services, such as lockbox, mailing and printing, merchant services, and more.
ETC's solution is designed to maximize self-service and customer service representative (CSR) productivity, reduce turnaround times, and give OCTA personnel insight and access to configuration and process management. The new system will facilitate streamlined billing, user-friendly website and mobile self-service, and speedy question and issue resolution for OCTA’s I-405 Express Lanes motorists.
For this project, ETC will implement a selection of relevant products from riteSuite™, its modularized suite of standalone natively integrable subsystems that run on a unified cloud-based technology platform:
- riteHorizon™ back-office system – ETC's vertical ERP for all aspects of tolling management, including account management, reconciliation and treasury, with advanced CRM, online customer service center, IVR interface, reporting, customer configuration tools, and an intuitive social media-like CSR interface. The solution will also come with cloud-enabled reporting, dashboards and analytics. The system leads the industry in tolling BOS innovation. The Accounting Module within BOS is an internal control system that is supported by a real-time double-entry accounting system; reconciliation of payments, including cash, credit cards, ACH, etc., is automatic with the Treasury Management Module.
- riteOnline™ customer self-service system – A complete multiplatform customer self-service platform, with account maintenance, chat, social media and digital assistant integration.
- riteOSS™ system monitoring and operational reporting – ETC's upgraded Maintenance Online Management Systems (MOMS), with advanced functionality, such as smart KPIs, trending for predictive maintenance.
As part of Customer Service Center (CSC) Operations, the project will provide employment to local customer service teams at a centralized call center and a walk-in service counter in Orange County.
"ETC is thrilled to be a key partner to WSP USA for the 405 Express Lanes," stated ETC Chief Executive Officer Kevin Holbert. "ETC’s industry-leading back office, account management and payment processing solutions, combined with the WSP USA’s superior operations expertise, ensure that Orange County motorists will receive the highest quality of customer service."
“The OCTA I-405 Express Lane project will set a new standard in toll customer service and performance," said Patrick McGowan, Senior Vice President and Mobility Operations Director at WSP USA. "Selecting the best partners is critical and having ETC as a key partner will ensure success toward building a premier solution for OCTA and its customers.”
This systems and operations contract will facilitate OCTA’s efforts to ensure advanced and efficient CSC and BOS for its patrons, while creating rewarding local jobs.
The 405 Express Lanes are being built by OCTA as part of the I-405 Improvement Project. The project is adding one regular lane in each direction of I-405 between Costa Mesa and the Orange County border with Los Angeles County, and a second lane in each direction of the freeway that will combine with the existing carpool lanes to form the 405 Express Lanes. The project is scheduled for completion in 2023.
About Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC
ETC is a leading U.S. intelligent transportation systems provider, developing and delivering best in class solutions for tolling, congestion management, urban mobility, and multimodal transportation needs. ETC’s passionate and innovative team has been driving the future of mobility since 1999, with a number of industry firsts, including all electronic tolling (AET), dynamic pricing, agency interoperability, hosted mobility solutions and machine learning.
For over two decades, ETC has delivered sophisticated solutions to many of the U.S.’s largest toll authorities, including state-wide programs, county networks and tolling-specific authorities. ETC's solutions process over two billion transactions annually totaling over $3 billion in revenues for our customers, incorporating the latest in evergreen open-source and SaaS technologies and Big Data architecture through our innovative riteSuite™ products. etcc.com
About Quarterhill
Quarterhill is a leader in the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) industry. Our goal is global leadership in ITS, via organic growth of the ETC and International Road Dynamics platforms, and by continuing an inorganic investment strategy capitalizing on attractive growth opportunities within ITS and its adjacent markets. Quarterhill is listed on the TSX under the symbol QTRH and on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol QTRHF. For more information, visit www.quarterhill.com.
About WSP USA
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 12,000 employees in 200 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding ETC, Quarterhill and their businesses. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by ETC and/or Quarterhill in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and the expected effects of new business strategies, as well as other factors that ETC and/or Quarterhill believe are appropriate in the circumstances. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed herein may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting ETC and/or Quarterhill, including: potential risks and uncertainties relating to the ultimate geographic spread of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”); the severity of the disease; the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to contain the COVID-19 outbreak or to treat its impact; the potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and financial markets and any resulting impact on ETC and/or Quarterhill and/or their businesses. Other factors include, without limitation, the risks described in Quarterhill’s March 11, 2021 annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the “AIF”). Copies of the AIF may be obtained at www.sedar.com. ETC and Quarterhill recommend that readers review and consider all of these risk factors and notes that readers should not place undue reliance on any of ETC’s forward-looking statements. ETC has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
