PLANO, Texas — Tyler Technologies, Inc. announced today a partnership and pilot program with First Student, North America’s leading provider of school transportation, to equip its school buses with a custom version of Tyler’s industry-leading tablet software, Tyler Drive.
First Student operates the fourth largest fleet in North America, with 42,000 buses serving 1,100 school districts. When the company recognized a need for an in-vehicle tablet solution, it knew it required a technology that could scale to a large customer base. It also needed one that would address its operational, reporting and data analytics needs.
“At First Student, our bus drivers drive more miles in a day than most school districts drive in a year, so we needed a strong partner that could help us develop a solution to address our unique needs,” said Dean Suhre, senior vice president of performance improvement for First Student. “We believe Tyler’s level of innovation matches our own, and we’re excited about the pilot program we’ve launched to enhance our day-to-day operations.”
Through this partnership, First Student has built a platform that can receive data from any major source and transform it into a common data set. Tyler has developed the technology that can pull that data into a custom tablet, powered by Tyler Drive software, so that First Student can provide a consistent experience for their drivers, regardless of where the route data is coming from.
The integration between the tablet and First Student’s back-end system means that all segments—routes, drivers, vehicles, GPS and payroll—are connected. This custom solution is currently deployed in seven pilot sites nationwide, and First Student expects that this technology will be installed in most of its buses in the next two years.
At one of the seven districts that piloted the tablet, First Student location manager Michelle Taber said she likes the elimination of paper route sheets. “The number one benefit is the audible directions which give drivers the tools they need to provide safer service to our students,” she observed.
To increase safety for drivers and students, the tablet includes a unique feature called Motion Lock, which prevents the driver from interacting with the tablet while the bus is in motion. As part of the rollout to these pilot sites, and eventually to other First Student districts, Tyler and First Student will conduct uniform training and onboarding to get drivers familiar with the tablet technology.
“In-vehicle solutions like Tyler Drive are the school bus industry’s answer to the expectations that today’s parents and transportation staff have for transparency and convenience,” said Ted Thien, vice president and general manager of Tyler’s school transportation group. “We’re proud to partner with First Student to make this in-vehicle tablet part of the daily experience of pupil transportation and to continue leading the transformation of the pupil transportation industry.”
Tyler is the largest provider of school transportation management solutions in the U.S. and Canada, with more than 2,000 clients using its Versatrans, Traversa and Tyler Drive solutions.
About Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) is the largest and most established provider of integrated software and technology services that are focused on the public sector. Tyler’s end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently, and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler’s solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities.
Tyler has more than 21,000 successful installations across 10,000 sites, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. As a financially strong company, Tyler has achieved double-digit revenue growth every quarter since 2012. It was also named to Forbes’ “Best Midsize Employers” list in 2018 and recognized twice on its “Most Innovative Growth Companies” list. Tyler Technologies is headquartered in Plano, Texas. www.tylertech.com
