e-PARKING:: an e-business platform for more efficient use of parking space resources

Amongst the wide range of parking solutions that can contribute to reducing parking problems or regulate parking activities, e-parking looks at developing and applying an innovative e-business application for parking space optimisation. The purpose of this paper is to present the innovative e-business platform that has been developed by a transcross European consortium within the framework of the IST Information Society Technologies of the Vth framework programme. This paper will outline the sequence of all stages followed during the project, from user requirements to functional specifications and system development and implementation with particular emphasis on results achieved and scenarios of application. The developed platform provides a parking brokerage service that makes the parking supply transparent to the driver. As the basic functionality of the system that provides services to advertise, look for, reserve, access and pay for parking space is relevant in many other commercial applications related to e-ticketing, the developed techniques are expected to be applicable in other scenarios in addition to the domain of parking.