SETEC (Seoul Trade Exhibition $ Convention) is the 6th largest trade exhibition and convention center in Korea. It was established in 1999 to help small and medium-sized enterprises enter overseas markets and increase exports through the revitalization of exhibition business. It is a specialized exhibition center that holds more than 50 fairs and exhibitions a year, including domestic specialty exhibitions, domestic industrial exhibitions, and cultural event exhibitions, except for the off-season, and has efficient parking management. With up to 2,000 vehicles entering and exiting the site daily, the need for a transparent parking system has been raised due to the increased cost of consumables and fraudulent behavior caused by the issuance of existing parking tickets.

Tomato Electronics (CEO Ahn Sang-myeon) identified Setec's requirements and completed the construction of a license plate recognition (LPR) system and an unmanned settlement system.

Reflecting the characteristics of the exhibition center, parking fees for cargo vehicles are free for five hours a day. In consideration of this feature, a discount is applied by linking the cargo vehicle recognition sensor and the two-level parking ticket issuing machine. In addition, discounts were applied to business vehicles and employee vehicles visiting CETEC based on the Internet. Unlike the previous system of stamping visitors' parking tickets, the discount can be applied on the web by logging in with the employee's ID and entering the vehicle number on the homepage. To do this, we developed software linked to LPR.

This is a customized system that takes advantage of the characteristics of Setec as an exhibition center and reflects the needs of customers. After implementing the system last month, Cetec now conducts four monthly inspections and a preliminary inspection before the exhibition, enabling it to respond quickly when an event occurs.

In addition, parking control systems such as light vehicle discount sensors, pre-registration payment machines, exit payment machines, and four-sided photography systems have been installed for smooth operation.

Meanwhile, Tomato Electronics is in the process of building an integrated parking information system in Seongnam-si. The project is aimed at efficiently managing 128 public parking lots, including 44 off-street parking lots and 84 on-street parking lots in Seongnam City, promoting user convenience and maximizing revenue by increasing the utilization rate of parking lots.

"The concept of parking systems in U-cities is still in its infancy," said Hyukjae Jang, director of Tomato Electronics. "In the case of Seongnam City, we have built a system that allows citizens to access information through the Internet and allows managers to easily manage parking lots."

Based on this project, Seongnam City has improved the cumbersome elements of the parking system by enabling citizens to access information through the Internet, as well as the location where the vehicle was towed and the payment of the fee. This realizes more convenient and safe parking lot use, and in the future, it plans to provide parking information using various media such as variable message boards (VMS) and smartphones in connection with U-City.

Founded in 1995, Tomato Electronics is a parking control company that has grown from developing simple calculators for parking lots. Currently, it has about 450 installations and is actively conducting order sales activities with a target of 100 billion won this year. Through continuous investment in product development, the company has recently established a new product lineup of parking ticket issuers, vehicle gates, and license plate readers (LPRs) called Faumi, which has been well received in the market. Since its introduction last year, Faumi has been installed at various sites including Setec, Hangang Civic Park, Hallim University, Catholic University, and public parking lots. In response, Tomato Electronics has registered a trademark for Faumi and is applying for a design patent, and is using a strategy to differentiate itself from competitors by securing distributors in major locations nationwide and strengthening brand marketing.

In particular, this year, the company plans to expand its integrated system construction business to expand sales volume and increase market share by collaborating with related companies in the intensified parking control market. It is also seeking to transform into an eco-friendly high-tech company through eco-technology utilizing wireless technology and solar power (Inquiries: Tomato Electronics / Tel.+82-31-600-3500 / Web. www.tomatoelec.co.kr).