Orbital Sciences Corporation (ticker: ORB, exchange: New York Stock Exchange (.N))
News Release -
23-Jul-2007
Orbital Awarded $9 Million Contract to Provide Vehicle Management and Security System for Metropolitan Nashville Public School Bus Fleet
-- Orbital TMS Secures First Contract to Enhance System Efficiency,
Safety and Security for Drivers and Students Aboard a
Large-Scale School Bus Fleet --
-- Company to Outfit Fleet of 685 Buses with State-of-the-Art
Vehicle Management System that Includes Two-Way Communications
Capabilities, Vehicle Location Information and Video-Based
Safety and Security Package --
DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2007--Orbital Sciences
Corporation (NYSE:ORB) announced today that its Transportation
Managements Systems division (Orbital TMS) has been awarded its first
contract to install a vehicle management system to track a large-scale
fleet of school buses. The Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
(MNPS) in Nashville, Tennessee has selected Orbital TMS for a $9
million contract to install its latest integrated fleet management
system to help the Metropolitan Nashville School District improve the
effectiveness and safety of its school bus service. This product suite
will give MNPS the real-time and analytical tools to enable them to
improve the overall efficiency of its 685-vehicle fleet operations.
Mr. A. David Kachemov, Senior Vice President and General Manager
of Orbital TMS, said, "Orbital is eager to begin work with MNPS to
install our products that will increase the overall level of safety
and system coordination that MNPS is able to offer the students of
Nashville. Our flexible solution, innovative products and dedicated
team of professionals will assist MNPS and the community at large by
improving situational awareness as well as providing new features that
enhance the school system's transportation services."
Orbital has worked with MNPS to develop a timeline that will
deliver the entire system in a three-phase approach over an estimated
36-month period. Based on MNPS' requirements, the project will begin
with the installation of an 800 MHz two-way voice communications radio
system in all of the vehicles. Once the communications system is
operational, Orbital TMS' OrbCAD system, an integrated software system
that uses satellite-delivered positioning information to track
vehicles along prescheduled routes, will be installed at MNPS' control
center and on the entire fleet of school buses and administrative
vehicles.
The OrbCAD product provides comprehensive fleet management
capabilities and a supporting information terminal, known as OrbStar,
which provides detailed turn-by-turn navigational directions on a
color-display terminal to school bus drivers for the hundreds of
different routes that are operated. This system configuration will
benefit MNPS by giving school bus drivers more accurate information on
their assigned route and by allowing for improved responsiveness
should detours, emergencies or other unplanned events occur. The last
phase of the project will include equipping the fleet with video
cameras for enhanced safety and security of MNPS' 74,000 students and
its school bus operators.
Mr. Kachemov added to his earlier remarks, stating, "This
agreement proves that Orbital's products are beneficial to a variety
of transportation services, from public transit systems to highway
maintenance vehicles and from private vehicle fleets and light rail
systems to large-scale school bus systems, our products make their
operations more efficient, improve customer service and add new levels
of safety and security for both the operators and the public-at-large.
These various types of vehicle fleets can realize the benefits of the
OrbCAD system and its vehicle components. In addition, the OrbCAD XP
system's open architecture will allow MNPS and our other customers to
add new features in the future as transportation systems continue to
grow."
About Orbital TMS
Orbital TMS is a leading integrator of products for fleet and
workforce management, mobile data communications, data management, and
advanced traveler information systems. TMS provides integrated
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
solutions for 60 public transit and state agency customers in the U.S.
and internationally, with units installed or scheduled to be installed
on approximately 28,000 vehicles. More information about Orbital TMS
can be found at http://www.orbitaltms.com
About Orbital
Orbital develops and manufactures small space and rocket systems
for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company's
primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including
low-orbit, geosynchronous-orbit and planetary spacecraft for
communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions;
ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit;
and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target
vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to
government agencies and develops and builds satellite-based
transportation management systems for public transit agencies and
private vehicle fleet operators. More information about Orbital can be
found at http://www.orbital.com
CONTACT: Orbital Sciences Corporation
Public and Investor Relations
Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528
beneski.barron@orbital.com
SOURCE: Orbital Sciences Corporation
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