Here is a case where the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies. I had to laugh when I read this, although I am sure the New York taxpayers are not laughing.
According to a recent discovery made by the city comptroller, the Bloomberg administration invested millions of taxpayer’s dollars to install custom-made GPS tracking devices on its fleet of fire and garbage trucks, only to have them inexplicably show up on computer screens as if they had sunk to the bottom of Long Island Sound or New York Harbor.
Two audits were released on Wednesday, which revealed that the GPS tracking devices were faulty, that they produced inaccurate locations, and possessed needless features. Along with the various hardware and software related problems associated with the devices, the audit shows that as much as $56,000 was spent for a single unit in a sanitation truck. These units were paid for with $7.3 million under the $2 billion Emergency Communications Transformation Program for New York City’s call-taking and dispatch operations.
City comptroller, John C. Liu said in a statement, “Once again, millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on technology that falls short of what’s promised, raising questions about the oversight of expensive outside consultants.” He goes on to call the automated vehicle projection-project, “a classic case of what not to do – build a complex new system when simple, already available consumer-oriented devices could do the job at a fraction of the cost.”
The U-Spy Store sells quality GPS tracking systems that could have done the job – and for a fraction of the cost spent by the Bloomberg administration.
Here is another option Mayor Bloomberg could have considered – the use of an already available and reliable system called the LandAirSea System’s SilverCloud Real-Time GPS Tracking System. Here are the features offered by this system:
- Fast and user-friendly web application with 3D mapping utilizing Google Maps
- Stores unlimited GPS tracking data with real-time location that updates every 3 seconds.
- ShareSpot Option, which allows the user to share their GPS tracking location via a URL or an embed code on a website.
- SilverCloud Alerts, which indicates speeding, low-battery, arrival, and departure notifications via text message or emails.
- Unlimited detailed activity reports which includes speed, mileage, address locations, and stops.
- Routing utility offers the ability to send real-time directions to the drivers mobile phone via text message.
- Unlimited storage of driving history on our secure server with a user-friendly historical playback feature.
- Our online interface has an integrated live chat feature which provides free and instant technical support for questions.
I don’t know about you, but the above system sounds pretty sophisticated to me. As I said, there are also many other GPS tracking devices/systems available that could have done the job. I can never understand why some people insist on reinventing the wheel. It seems to me the “consultants” that sold Mayor Bloomberg their system were completely unnecessary, but that’s politics for you.
Last week, the Bloomberg administration acknowledged that it had mismanaged its major information-technology projects and vowed to improve oversight.
Read full story@ landairsea
