Cole believes that some of the key benefits from co-selling with Microsoft include working with industry-leading solutions and services and Microsoft experts who can help with integration into their products and services, as well as a wide-ranging and engaged sales team.
David deKozan, Vice President of Business Development for Cubic, said their collaboration with Microsoft was one of the factors that helped close the deal with Miami-Dade County. “Microsoft has significant brand equity and is a trusted name when it comes to all things software. So the customer was naturally interested in engaging with Cubic about our next-generation open fare payment system supported by Microsoft Azure.”
Last year, Microsoft joined Cubic and other companies to participate in the City Innovate Foundation, which brings together private, public, and academic sectors to innovate and create solutions to urban problems. Their goal was to help advance solutions for their government customers, starting with Miami-Dade County.
“Studies have shown that more efficient public transit has direct, tangible effects on improving the lives of families and individuals across the country,” said Gert Christen, chief operating officer of the City Innovate Foundation.
Modernizing transit payment systems in Miami and New York
Cubic was awarded a $33 million contract by Miami-Dade County’s DTPW to modernize the Cubic-supplied payment transit systems revenue management system, which will run on the Microsoft Azure platform. It represents a hybrid system, like those in Chicago and London, the world’s two largest open and account-based payment transit systems, which were also developed by Cubic.
“Azure’s cloud-based environment will support Cubic’s transportation management technologies in Miami, where we will deliver a range of new capabilities including the latest in state-of-the art payment, security and mobile technologies,” said Boris Karsch, Vice President of Strategy for Cubic Transportation Systems. “At the same time, we will be able to continue support for the existing EASY Card system, which is essential to our customer for their riders who want to continue using it. Azure gives us that flexibility and scalability along with operational efficiencies through migrating from a client-hosted back office to the cloud.”
Steve Brunner, General Manager for Cubic Transportation Systems in the New York Tri-State Region, said that Microsoft is also collaborating with Cubic on a project involving the New York City Transit MetroCard system.
“Microsoft products such as their Windows operating system have provided a robust foundation for the NYCT MetroCard system for over 20 years and as we move towards the next-generation fare payment system in New York, we look forward to expanding our partnership with Microsoft, including the use of their Microsoft Dynamics product for Customer Service Management,” Brunner said.
Karsch was optimistic about Microsoft and Cubic’s ability to effect change in the future. “Through the Microsoft CityNext initiative, Microsoft and Cubic will help cities do ‘new with less,’ by combining the power of technology with innovative solutions to connect governments, businesses and citizens with services that increase efficiencies, reduce costs, foster a more sustainable environment and cultivate thriving communities,” Karsch said.