News

Port Authority of N.Y./N.J. awards welcome center contract to Parabit Systems

February 24, 2008

NEW YORK — The Port Authority of N.Y./N.J. has awarded a $5.5 million contract to Parabit Systems of Roosevelt, N.Y. for the construction, installation and maintenance of state of the art welcome centers servicing a total of 27 terminals within JFK, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and Stewart airports.

Through their major airports, the Port Authority of N.Y./N.J. serves in excess of 100 million patrons each year. These Welcome Centers created by Parabit will establish a readily recognizable identity in an open and inviting environment to deliver a broad spectrum of guest services and information.

Each welcome center has the ability to provide a variety of high- and low-tech information solutions to assist travelers ranging from print brochure racks to Internet access portals. Guests will be able to obtain general information regarding the airport as well as flight information, accommodations, ATMs, dining, local attractions, car rental, ground transportation and more through a range of phone banks, interactive displays, video monitors and service counters. In total, the centers will incorporate 60 kiosks and 350 digital displays.

"The objective was to strike a balance between the needs of the airport and the expectations of the visitor, and not just for today," said Rob Leiponis, president of Parabit Systems. "This is a capital project but technology is constantly evolving — solutions must be sufficiently flexible to integrate answers to questions people haven't even thought of yet."

Through a number of unique design/build solutions, these centers have the ability to reconfigure to different interior space requirements while minimizing any disruption to normal operations during installation. While solving anticipated practical issues such as security and vandalism, the inherent flexibility permits a seamless integration with the existing airport infrastructure as well as plug-in modularity to facilitate future technology upgrades. The contract includes a 36-month content support agreement.

Construction is scheduled to begin in March of 2008 and continue through 2009.