FREEtheMIBS has announced that Cubic Transportation Systems is joining the #FREEtheMIBS movement, and releasing its management information bases (MIBs) to the transportation industry to permit improved system integration.
Cubic, with a significant install base of Trafficware traffic signal controllers, is the third of six major controller manufacturers in the US to join the campaign. This is another huge milestone for the #FREEtheMIBS campaign as Cubic’s addition means the advocacy group now represents nearly half of the US traffic controller install base.
The #FREEtheMIBs campaign was founded two years ago to advocate that traffic controller manufacturers and other ITS device vendors open their management information bases (MIBs) to allow greater competition while reducing costs for agencies and ultimately taxpayers.
MIBs have traditionally been locked up as proprietary by individual manufacturers. By restricting access to their MIBs, vendors could lock agencies into long-term and costly contracts by limiting interoperability with competitors’ products.
Jeff Price, vice president and general manager of ITS at Cubic Transportation Systems, said, “Joining FREEtheMIBS is a big step for us and not something we take lightly. We pioneered open and documented APIs in the industry at GRIDSMART so that our customers could always stay flexible without getting locked into proprietary constraints. We believe this is where the industry needs to be.”
Cubic Transportation Systems manufactures Trafficware products, including traffic signal controllers comprising NEMA, Caltrans, and ATC designs, deployed in more than 50,000 intersections globally, as well as the computer vision powered GRIDSMART Solution for detection deployed in nearly 11,000 intersections globally.
The #FREEtheMIBs campaign continues to transform the industry as more and more forward-thinking academics, private sector companies and public sector agencies join its ranks to generate dynamic new conversations.
“I look forward to seeing open, documented APIs from not just the hardware vendors, but also all the software vendors in the space,” Price continued. “We certainly can’t just swap hardware lock-in for software or data lock-in. We all need to compete on level playing fields so that our tax dollars go to the best products. This is a competitive move for us; the longer other companies sit on the proprietary sidelines, the greater advantage we’ll have in the marketplace.”
Tom Stiles, executive vice president of urban solutions at Q-Free and #FREEtheMIBs founding partner, added, “Cubic’s Trafficware products represent some of the leading traffic controllers and ITS solutions in the business. This is a breakthrough for FREEtheMIBS and a tipping point for the industry, moving them toward open standards. The agencies see it, we see it, and it’s only a matter of time.”
