Cabvision

Cabvision is a digital screen network operated in London Licensed Taxis.

Technology and content

Cabvision started in 2000 with the London Millennium golden taxis campaign. Thousands of taxis have now been installed with Cabvision in central London. The creators of Cabvision are media and advertising executives Jonathan Marquis, a former senior advertising director of the Dentsu Group and Peter Da Costa, proprietor of KPM Taxis. Supported by a number of media and technology companies including IBM, Trident Microsystems and Liquid Digital, The passenger is given several choices at the beginning of each journey and may select from a variety of channels or mute. Cabvision was created as an entertainment, infotainment and advertising system, narrowcasting to a captive ABC1 London audience. Advertisers using the system have included Accenture, Barclays Bank and HSBC.

Cabvision was sold in 2010 to CNL and now forms part of Cabvision Network Ltd which designs, fits and operates payment systems, including passenger operated payment terminals to Licensed London Taxis. The company is regulated by Transport for London.

Cabvision is a digital information and advertising platform playing multiple channels. Channels are provided in recorded format segmented by commercial breaks. Know London is produced by Cabvision and is the default channel on the network. The Know London channel delivers live news, weather, sport, business and a selection of London centric short films.

The passenger is given choices both at the start and throughout the journey to select from the variety of channels via an arm rest remote control pad. The passenger may also pause or mute the screen.

Taxi drivers are paid by Cabvision to run the system in their vehicles.[1]

The system is built into a PC located in the vehicle's boot running the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. The unit is designed to be housed in the new-style TX1, TXII and TX4 hackney carriages and connected to a TFT LCD screen between the fold-down passenger seats behind the driver.

Viewing data is collected and sent to the supplier via GPRS technology, emphasising the system's primary use as an advertising tool[2]

Similar systems

United Kingdom

A similar system to Cabvision was licensed to Cabtivate, which was installed in taxis in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.[3] According to the company's website, the system updates remotely without pre-recorded DVDs or video tapes. The driver has no control over the Cabtivate system and individual vehicles can be programmed for specific content. However, the company behind Cabtivate has since experienced financial difficulties[4] and is unlikely to install any further units despite provisional approval from the Public Carriage Office.[5] Accordingly, Cabvision is currently the only system authorised by the PCO operating in London.

Taxi TV is a more basic version of in-taxi TV installed in a number of taxis elsewhere in the United Kingdom, predominantly in Liverpool.

Cabcast is a UK-based firm which offers a 3 tier system, from the basic package up to an advanced system with a management suite. The company website places an emphasis on flexibility with customer add ons and development a major focus. The advanced package features a GPS tracking facility which allows for route tracing of each taxi while the system remains in use.

Worldwide

Similar units (such as MICE TV) have also been trialled in New York City,[6] Rome and in parts of Canada with varying degrees of success[7]

References
  1. Cabbies can take a back seat with taxi TV London Evening Standard 15 March 2005 Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Cabvision eyes captive audience Marketing Media Analysis 22 March 2005 Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Meter's running for Taxi TV The Guardian. 15 March 2005
  4. "Slated by TV gurus, now Cabtivate folds". The Scotsman. 23 January 2007.
  5. "Dial-A-Cab's Call Sign Newsletter July 2006 Cabtivate Taxi TV gets PCO approval". Dac-callsign.com.
  6. "'Clear Channel Taxi, NBC team up to deliver TV content to New Yorkers'". San Antonio Business Journal. 4 January 2007.
  7. 'Purveyors of taxi TV see prime time in rush-hour traffic' International Herald Tribune. 29 August 2005 Archived 15 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
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