MFS :MOMS-2000

MFS was showing off MOMS-2000 at IBTTA. Richard Adler VP product development at MFS said previous MOMS, including those from his company, had been cobbled together. But this was a new MOM system designed from the ground up after 3 months of intense interaction with several toll agencies.

The MOMS-2000 will track the status of toll collectors terminals, ET readers, coin machines, UPS, card readers, lane controllers, treadles, violation systems, receipt printers, CCTV surveillance and security systems, all kinds of computers, data and voice communications equipment, variable message signs, patron fare displays, lighting etc. It will notify technicians of problem signals via beeper, text pager, cell phone or email and enable technicians to access it remotely by email, the internet or by telephone using an interactive voice response system, or pull up the MOMS screen on their desktop or laptop computer. It is written for Unix or Windows NT/95/98 and uses a Seagate Crystal Reports system and an Informix derived database.

Users develop a profile record for each system being tracked. The profile spells how each alarm signal is to be handled, who is to be notified and how, its priority, how to proceed if the first technician notified does not respond etc. The system has the ability to receive a ‘fixed myself’ signal canceling the technician call.

A nice feature is that the system can display reference manual material on each device and even a ‘Quicktime’ training movie for technicians not quite up to scratch on a piece of equipment. Perhaps a V-chip will prevent any inappropriate videos being ported into the techs room?

MOMS-2000 is going into NJ, DE and California’s ATCAS and the Richmond Metrop Auth VA, but Adler says it is available for purchase by anyone interested, including agencies with competitors systems. He’s sure it compares favorably with MOMS from TransCore, Lockheed and Amtech. We can’t judge that, but it seemed impressive. Dayanand Kondabathim was the software consultant who wrote most of the code and knows its ins and outs. (radler2@ix.netcom.com 609 235 5252)