PlateSmart Technologies announced that Port Tampa Bay has implemented its ARES enterprise License Plate Recognition (LPR) solution as another tool to enhance port security. The ARES software will provide Port Tampa Bay with constant data regarding all vehicles entering and leaving certain facilities, as well as analytic features to help security personnel detect suspicious vehicle activity. With ARES in place, Port security staff will have real-time situational awareness and solid evidence for forensic investigations.

“With ARES, Port Tampa Bay has the most advanced LPR-based video analytics solution available. We pledge to Port Tampa Bay and to all of our clients to continue to provide the best technology that the security industry has to offer.”

Port Tampa Bay, the largest port in the state of Florida, is one of the busiest in the US, providing service to luxury passenger liners as well as freighters and tankers containing many tons of cargo on a daily basis. Additionally, the port has a number of ship repair facilities. With so much to oversee, the Port Authority chose the ARES solution from PlateSmart as the best tool to help protect port interests and streamline security processes.

ARES, which garnered PlateSmart the 2013 Technology Innovation Leadership in License Plate Recognition Award from Frost & Sullivan, is already in use by other high-security clients such as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) of the US Navy. Securing Port Tampa Bay as a client marks yet another major achievement for the Company, which was the first to develop a true end-to-end video analytics solution based on LPR.

In addition to maritime ports, PlateSmart?s software-only camera-agnostic LPR solutions have also seen rapid expansion into other markets such as hospitals, museums, college campuses, city surveillance, and law enforcement.

PlateSmart founder and CEO John Chigos said, “With ARES, Port Tampa Bay has the most advanced LPR-based video analytics solution available. We pledge to Port Tampa Bay and to all of our clients to continue to provide the best technology that the security industry has to offer.”

A spokesperson for the Tampa Port Authority said, “Port Tampa Bay is dedicated to seeking cutting edge technologies that increase security and efficiency for our tenants, customers and community. Further, we are proud that we were able to partner with a local company to deploy this innovative technology at key locations on our facilities.”