BUILD A MOUNT
On Friday, August 16th, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper announced that Zum, with the support of RAM® Mounts, will roll out new revolutionary technology across the entire network of student transportation services. Over the next three years, Zum's technological upgrade will bring positive change to more than 54,000 Boston Public School students and their families.
This cutting-edge technology combines real-time bus tracking, student monitoring, and an alert system for route delays, all within Zum's mobile app. It offers parents peace of mind by allowing them to track their child’s school bus in real-time, view their child’s pickup and drop-off status, and receive instant notifications when their child is picked up or dropped off. School administrators can also monitor buses on a live map, with ETAs that dynamically adjust for traffic or route delays. Additionally, bus drivers can view students on their assigned routes, with automatic updates for absences or traffic conditions.
How RAM Mounts enables Zum
To bring this game-changing technology to life, Zum partnered with RAM® Mounts to equip every school bus with advanced vehicle docking stations for the onboard Samsung Tab Active3 tablets. The primary goal of the Zum driver app was to track student ridership in real-time, posing the challenge of developing an efficient recording system. RAM®'s form-fit docking station, complete with an integrated NFC extender, emerged as the ideal solution.
The RAM® NFC Extender functions as a signal extender for the tablet's NFC reader, enhancing its capabilities. Zum leverages this innovative docking technology by embedding an RFID chip in each student's school badge, enabling seamless ridership tracking.
When students board the bus, they simply tap their badges, and the information is instantly recorded on the tablet—all while the tablet stays securely docked. This streamlined process not only simplifies the driver’s job and speeds up boarding but also provides a more reliable system that greatly enhances accountability.
“For BPS parents and guardians, we’re committed to improving transparency, reliability, and convenience for BPS families with the [Zum app & RAM® Mounts],” Superintendent Skipper said. “With Zum technology, BPS is looking forward to improving the experience for bus drivers, parents and schools. We’ll also be able to better track student ridership, improve our routing, increase operational efficiencies, and boost on-time performance.”
About Zum
Zum helps manage all aspects of operations to make it easy for drivers and operators to focus on what matters most: safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation. Deploying fleets of multi-size vehicles that include EVs, we monitor vehicle health and driver performance, offer tools to manage staffing, and optimize routes for less miles on the road.
About RAM Mounts
Based in Seattle, Washington, RAM® Mounts is the leading manufacturer of rugged and versatile mounting solutions for nearly any application and device – including phones, tablets, cameras, GPS systems, laptops, marine electronics, printers, radios, and much more. With a portfolio of more than 5,000 SKUs paired with innovative engineers and in-house product experts, we have the tools and expertise needed to create mounting solutions that are built to last.
For more information about Boston Public School's transportation updates, visit bostonpublicschools.org/transportation .
