recompete

TransCore have their eye on the huge E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) recompete - or its collapse - with bold announcements today that they have added a straight existing-IAG standard transponder to their current product line, plus added 5.9GHz add-on capability to the Encompass 6, their main reader offering.

We love headlines with the verb qualifier "may."   "Mark IV may lose east coast deal" reads the headline in the New York Post today about the Great Belated Protracted and Beleaguered Recompete of E-ZPass technology.

Highway Toll Administration LLC (HTA) an electronic toll services company and Avis Budget car rental group announced an agreement with toll system supplier TransCore today to promote its 'eZGo Anywhere' transponder. A headline on the press release suggests the multiprotocol transponder is being rolled out now (see full text below). However a roll-out requires a transponder to be tested and accepted by toll authorities, and this has not occurred.

The Gore on the minds of many in the toll industry these days is Lynn, not Al. Lynn Gore keeps sending out mysterious Addendums to 07-IAG-2782 that are the source of great speculation and rumor about "what's going on" with the huge E-ZPass transponder system recompete. 07-IAG-2782 is formally termed "Furnish and provide Electronic Toll Collection Technology and Associated Subsystem Components and Services for the Operation of the E-ZPass System."

Mark IV is well positioned to win the E-ZPass recompete. Close analysis of the Request For Proposals (RFP) from the E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) indicates it will be difficult for competitors to put up competitive bids. Indeed implementing any new technology from the existing Mark IV transponders will be tough.