Transfinder enhances school bus routing software

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Transfinder, a provider of student transportation management systems, will release version 11.0 of Routefinder Pro, its flagship school bus routing software, and Infofinder le, its district-wide communication solution.

The upgrade contains several powerful new features, including integration with Infofinder mobile, Transfinder's mobile application. Infofinder mobile allows school personnel to access their critical transportation information in real time, and it is available for download from the Apple App Store for use on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

New features in version 11.0 of Routefinder Pro include:

• Geofinder enables transportation personnel to retrieve and analyze multiple layers of data in a given geographic area not visible on the map. With a click of the mouse, Geofinder displays all information about the selected area that includes students, schools, alternate sites and bus stops.

• Document Center helps in managing documents. It enables transportation personnel to store documents or media files centrally within the routing program database. Specific documents may also be linked to specific drivers, buses, students or stops, allowing transportation staff to quickly retrieve information related to an incident, stop, student or driver.

• Trip Calendar Tab is an enhancement for recording student ridership more precisely. It enables transportation staff to schedule alternate versions of trips on particular days. Coupled with Infofinder mobile, they can quickly generate student rosters right on site in the case of accidents or during field trips. If RFID tags or GPS systems are used by a district, this feature helps ensure accuracy of students who are actually riding a bus at any given time, according to the company.

"Besides the new features in version 11.0, we have included 40 client requested enhancements in this latest release,” said Antonio Civitella, president and CEO. “These include ready access to critical information, the ability to share documentation more easily, and improvements to our already rich mapping functionality and safety functions. The new features and enhancements also are available in our mobile application, providing our clients with the wide range of tools they need to manage their transportation operations to best practices."

Brian Roberts, technology director of Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools in Gahanna, Ohio, participated in the beta test for the new version, and he provided feedback on it.

"The document center's possibilities are endless,” Roberts said. “It's not only useful for storing information related to the operation; I can also use it as a warehouse for reference information on the program itself. I can create short, how-to videos on the software and then store them for staff in the document center so they can quickly access them whenever they need a refresher. These enhancements continue to make the software better and easier to use."

Other recent news related to Transfinder:

• Book offers 'Best Practices in Student Transportation'