In recent months there has been a concerted effort by many cities to improve their parking operations.  In many cases this has been in the form of replacing outdated, standalone, coin-based parking meters with a more intelligent breed that can accept credit cards and manage multiple spaces.  Additionally there have been a number of deployments of pay-by-phone  systems using technologies from companies such as ParkMobile and Verrus.  Another relatively new development is the advent of demand based pricing models which fluctuate the cost of parking in a particular location depending on current demand and time of day.

While these advances of technology are definitely welcome in an industry that has been slow to change, they still leave a rather gaping hole for consumers.  No matter how convenient parking payments become, it will never matter if drivers cannot find an available space.  The number one benefit of QuickPark is allowing drivers  to quickly and easily find parking near the destination of their choice.  Everyday we work round the clock to improve this process by adding more data to our system and developing new features that better streamline the process.  One of the bigger new features we are adding is the ability to sort and filter your search results by location type, price, distance, rating, and amenities offered.  If you're all dressed up and don't want to walk too far, then minimize your walking distance.  Not carrying any cash, filter out all locations that don't accept credit cards.

Next month we will be releasing version 2.0 of the QuickPark website which will include the new sorting/filtering functionality, as well as version 1.0 of our new mobile app which will bring the QuickPark experience to the iPhone.  With these two releases, we will continue to solidify our product to meet our customer wants and needs.  Over the next fews weeks we will also be posting new blog articles outlining some of the new features in depth.  If there is a particular feature you would like to see included in a future product version, feel free to let us know at feedback@quickparkonline.com

A few weeks ago I announced that we were in the process of moving into a new office in Ventura, California. Things took a little longer than expected but we are finally all moved in and loving it.  For starters, the beach is just a few blocks up the street and the weather has been absolutely perfect.  I could not imagine a better place to come to work everyday.

Now that we're moved in, the real work begins.  One of the biggest advantages of our new office is that we're located right in City Hall.  Every day I run into new people and make new connections.  Occassionally we even get visitors in the office, curious to see what all the new stuff on our floor is all about.

As I've mentioned before, we are hard at work at improving the QuickPark experience.  Whenever I tell someone about the site, they are always quick to share some of their parking experience and provide helpful tips about what we can do to solve some of these problems.  Additionally we have been gathering a considerable amount of data from the site over the last few months to see where and when people are looking to park.  We will be incorporating all of this information into the product over the coming months to hopefully meet as many needs as possible.

Another key development has been the start on our mobile platform.  Mobile apps are all the rage these days and it's about time we put our hat in the ring.  Our mobile team is staying busy round the clock, the make our app the best experience available on a mobile device.  I can't give away too many details but I'm pretty sure you will be excited to get your hands on the app when it's ready.

Well it's time to get back to work, I hope to have more exciting news to share with you soon!

A few years back when I was first working on QuickPark I declared that 2008 would be the year that location based services would finally take off.  Even looking back two years later, I'm still surprised at how well I called this.  Now here we are in 2010 and you can't read any tech blog without some mention of applications such as Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, or Brightkite.  Even Facebook is rumored to be coming close to putting their hat in this increasingly crowded ring.

Now that the industry has matured, what's next?  I can check-in in at least 5 different ways pretty much wherever I go, but what does any of it ultimately mean?  Yeah I can find out who's nearby, which for me is typically no one that I actually know.  Is the best application of this information a way for the unscrupulous to rob me when I'm supposedly not around?  There has to be some killer application that takes advantage of knowing where I am at all times.  Foursquare seems to be headed down the right path by partnering with local businesses to deliver specials to people who check-in at certain locations.  I would definitely be more apt to frequent a bar if I knew I could get a free beer by just checking in.

One of the more intriguing things we are currently working on is a mobile version of QuickPark.  This is a very important step for us as we want to deliver hyperlocal, realtime information to our users, and there is no better place to do this than your mobile device.  Part of the difficulty of building a quality app is determining the right feature set that doesn't make  just a "me too" product, but instead sets a new bar for what is possible on a mobile device.  Of course you want to be able to find available parking on your phone and make a reservation when possible, but what else?

What happens when you're in a long meeting and when you get out you can barely remember where you parked your car?  What about when you park at a meter and your appointment runs longer than you originally planned?  What if you could extend your time without going back to the car?  What if you found yourself with some extra time on your hands and you want to find a good local sandwich shop?  What if they knew you were nearby and sent you a coupon for $5 off your meal for checking them out?

I know that sounds like a lot of what ifs, but I believe it is all possible right now.  The most successful location based applications will be the ones that leverage your information to deliver useful information and services to you.  We still have a ways to go before apps reach their full potential, but we're committed to making sure that happens sooner rather than later.

Recently I spent a couple weeks in the LA area on a workation.  Prior to this trip I had only been to the area once, and was only exposed to a small part of the city.  During this most recent trip I was able to spend more time learning the area as well enjoying some great weather.  While there I made it a point to work on a few business deals with some potential partners.

Somewhat out of the blue I was presented an ad on Facebook about a technology incubator located in Ventura that worked with early stage startups.  After clicking through their website and a tour of the facility, I began to give the idea of relocation to LA some serious thought.  While being in Dallas has been great, this represents an incredible opportunity for the growth of our company.

Beginning in March we will be relocating our corporate office to the Ventura Ventures Technology Center (V2TC).  Over the next few months our focus will be on continuing to build out the QuickPark site to provide a better experience for our customers, as well as raising additional funding from the venture capital community.  With this funding we will be expanding our staff and building up our internal infrastructure to support our future growth plans.  Additionally we will be able to work with mentors who have tons more experience in building successful companies.

This whole situation is somewhat surreal considering not long ago this entire was simply an idea in my head.  We still have a long ways to go, but with enough hard work and dedication we will soon reach that light at the end of the tunnel.  There is are tons of things in the hopper that we hope to roll out over the coming months.    Thanks for sticking by us throughout it all!

While things have been a bit quiet here on the blog, please don't think that means we haven't been busy.  Today we have officially passed the milestone of having 1,000 locations listed on our site.  To add to this exciting news, this also means that we have over 560,000 parking spaces profiled as well.

While this is a major milestone for us, it is only the beginning.  In the coming months we hope to add thousands of more locations and increase the number of locations where you can book reservations.  Additionally we are working on some mobile products that are sure to make some noise in the industry.  Stay tuned for more news soon!

Everyone has heard about it, and now you can see it for yourself.  Introducing the Gametime Cotton Bowl Express, a shuttle bus service from Parking Logistics that picks you up from over 30 hotels in the Dallas area, and drops you off right at the steps of Cowboys Stadium.  Head on over  to the dedicated site at http://www.gametimeparking.com/express and make your reservation today.  Spots are filling up fast!

Whenever I'm shopping online, one of the biggest things I look at when learning about new products is what other people think about it.  Best Buy carries many different types of laptops many with similar specs, but what interests me most is how it  will perform once a get it home and put it through the paces.

As we've been developing the QuickPark site over the past few months, one thing that stuck out in my mind was a need for way for our users to leave feedback about the hundreds of parking locations listed on our site.  While this may seem like an easy problem to fix, it is actually quite complicated to design a review system that actually means something.  Recently I was reading an article about the complications YouTube has faced with their video rating system, everyone always votes either 5 stars or 1 star.  Alternatively you have the Digg system whether people either like or dislike content.  After giving it some thought I came up with what is now our user review system.

Our new review system relies heavily on the 5 star rating system across 6 main categories as outlined below:

• Overall - This represents an individual's overall opinion of a parking location.
• Service - The quality of service received at the location.
• Condition - The physical condition of the location, including cleanliness and maintenance.
• Security - How secure the location feels.
• Neighborhood - Opinion of the area surrounding the parking location.

Additionally we also track whether a person would recommend the parking location to a friend, whether the location meets their expectations given the price they paid, and whether or not they would recommend QuickPark to a friend.  The last feature we have implemented is the ability to have a member of the QuickPark staff contact you regarding your review.  This feature can be used for both good and bad reviews and we encourage it's use.  If you have an issue with either our site or one of our parking location partners we want to know about it ASAP so we can get it resolved.  We are equally interested in knowing when we have done a superb job in your opinion.

One of the other perplexing issues with developing this feature was who we would allow to leave reviews.  Ultimately we have decided that the best use of the tool would be to open it up to all registered users of our site.  This means that anyone can review any location listed on the site.  We just ask that you don't abuse this and only make fair reviews based on your actual experiences.  If we need to revisit this policy in the future we will, but for now we think this serves the greatest good.

Please keep in mind that this is the initial version of this feature.  One thing I've learned in all my development days is you never get any feature completely right at first.  We will look at how people are using the feature and make changes as necessary.  If you have any feedback please feel free to use our feedback tool that appears on the left side of every page.  We love to hear from you!

If you're anything like me, you frequently find yourself heading to the airport for a quick trip to another city.  For many years I found myself leaving my car at the airport in the remote parking as it was pretty convenient and relatively inexpensive.  A few years ago when I first began working on QuickPark I realized that off airport parking is usually cheaper and more convenient in a lot of cases.

It was not until earlier this year that I gave off airport parking locations a shot, and I must honestly say I haven't been disappointed yet.  While I was a bit confused at first as to how it all worked, once I figured it out it was a breeze.  Once I got to the facility, I simply took a ticket from the machine at the entry gate and then proceeded inside to find a parking space.  A shuttle bus came and picked me up from my car and asked which terminal I was flying out of.  At the time I wasn't sure, so they called in my flight number to find the correct location to drop me off at.  On the ride over I picked up a complimentary copy of USA Today to read while I waited in the airport.

When I returned home a few days later, I simply called the facility back up and a shuttle was immediately dispatched to pick me up.  The only tricky part was finding the spot for shuttle pick up at the terminal due to a lack of signage.  Once they picked me up, the took me back to the parking facility and dropped me off at my car.  I then proceeded to the exit gate to pay and go home.

Not only was this process super convenient, but I also saved a few dollars a day at the same time.  Granted off airport parking is not available at every airport and may not always be the cheapest option, however it is definitely worth a look.  Additionally many off airport facilities provide additional services like oil changes, car washes and basic car maintenance.  I recently even found one particular location in Orlando that will keep your pet for you while you're on the road as well.

All in all off airport parking is a great service for any traveler, regardless of how frequently you're in the skies.  Now with QuickPark you can find information on over 100 off airport parking locations around the country.  Why not make a reservation today?

Recently an ex-coworker of mine, alerted me that he was interesting in featuring some information about QuickPark on his blog Societrends.  I of course jumped on this opportunity as I'm always up for some media attention.  Nick asked quite a few thought provoking questions that I was happy to answer.  The interesting part of the whole process was that some of the questions forced me to think of things a little differently and spurned some ideas for upcoming features.  Check out the full article for yourself and let us know what you think.

One of the most popular questions I get asked these days is , what I do.  My standard response is that I run an online parking reservations website, which is usually met by a blank stare.  I then spend the next few minutes explaining exactly what the site does and why it is needed.  At this point 80% of people are like "hey that's a cool idea" and the other 20% are like "yeah ok".  So if you're curious as to exactly what QuickPark is, this post is for you.

A few years ago I was driving around downtown Austin, TX, headed to have some drinks with a few friends.  As is the custom I spent around 15 minutes driving around looking for a parking spot, with the same blank expression on my face that we all have when performing this monotonous act.  After driving around the block a few times, I finally found a place and made my way over to the bar.

That evening when I got home I was thinking to myself, "what if there were a better way to find parking".  Of course then I got online and started researching the idea and found a wealth of information.  As boring as it sounds, parking is a huge industry in the US (about $15 billion) and even bigger around the world.  I realized I was onto something and there was definitely a demand for a service that would make finding parking quicker and easier for people.

I put together a basic framework of how the site should function and then began my creative process.  First of course was finding a name for this new idea which is never an easy task.  After I threw around a few ideas, I decided on the name PSpotz and promptly registered the accompanying domain name.  From there I began building out the site until I had a halfway working mock up done.

Eventually I realized that in order for the site to grow I had to come up with a better name than PSpotz since it didn't always make people think about parking when they heard it.  This was when QuickPark was born.  From there I had my graphic designer put together our present day logo and the revolution was born.

Fast forward to today and the site is still a work in progress.  I am still the head developer for the site and work with a few other people on a contract basis as needed.  Recently we rolled out an updated homepage that has the new look and feel that I've been looking for for some time.  Additionally we've been working on overhauling our search methods to make finding parking locations easier and more reliable.  Some of the other features that are currently in the works are a revamped reservations  and event parking system as well as mobile version of the site for iPhones and Android powered phones.

Ultimately QuickPark is becoming the leading destination for individuals looking for a place to park their vehicles.  Are you looking for a spot for a couple hours while you hang out at happy hour after work? Are you trying to find an affordable alternative to parking at the airport for your next business trip?  Are you trying to make sure you have a close in parking spot for this weekend's football game?  If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then we got you.  Helping you with these issues is our top priority.

We are working to build partnerships with other leading companies that will add even more value to our service in the future.  And to think all of this was born behind a beer.