December 2, 2011—License plate recognition provider HTS has opened a U.S. subsidiary, HTS Americas, and named John Whiteman CEO. Most recently, Whiteman was president of ioimage Americas. He has previously held positions with DVTel, Axsys-RI Systems, Vicon Industries and Sentry Technologies.
In business since 1992, HTS Corp. develops software algorithms for optical character recognition (OCR) and machine vision technology used to read codes on shipping containers and for license plate recognition. The technology is used for tracking, access control, and as a management tool, and may be of interest to facilities managers and owners needing to strengthen security in their buildings’ parking lots or to incorporate a loyalty program into their parking system.
“We have hundreds of [installations]…and have done quite a bit of work in the states and with the federal government,” Whiteman said. “As we’ve grown and gained market share and customers in the U.S., the next logical step is to open an office.”
Whiteman said HTS is well established in container recognition, where he expects HTS to “grow dramatically in parking applications.” Businesses can use the technology to automate their parking operation. “It can read the plate on the way in … and on the way out and link it to a credit card. It can be used as a loyalty program,” he said.
Whiteman said there are a number of key verticals within parking that HTS will go after including healthcare, universities and casinos, where the company currently has a big presence. “It helps businesses to know when premier customers are arriving; it’s also a way to [speed up] throughput,” he said.
