14 Sep

Transfinder Launches Bus Location Parent App

Transfinder Launches Bus Location Parent App

Schenectady, NY – Sept. 14, 2020 – Transfinder Corp. is launching Stopfinder GeoAlerts, the only parent-engagement app that accurately informs parents about the location of their children’s school bus in real-time.

With Stopfinder GeoAlerts, parents and guardians (subscribers) can create as many “alert zones” between a child’s school and along their route home as they wish. These alert zones will set off notifications to parents when a bus enters or departs each zone. Stopfinder GeoAlerts allows parents to receive real-time “live” data from Transfinder’s proprietary Routefinder solution.

In the past, Transfinder promoted third-party location apps to provide this information to schools through its Marketplace. However, with the release of its own app with Transfinder’s proprietary technology, Transfinder is now urging districts to select Stopfinder solution to ensure proper integration.

The timing is critical for schools as the future of some location apps are now in question.

Stopfinder is the only parent-engagement app to work seamlessly with Routefinder, Transfinder’s proprietary routing software. Transfinder believes the customizable alert zones is the best approach to keeping parents up to date and avoid false notifications.

“Stopfinder GeoAlerts is what the industry has been waiting for and what parents and guardians have been wanting for a long time. The GeoAlerts approach brings precision to one of the most important questions parents want answered: Where is my child’s bus?” said Transfinder CEO Antonio Civitella. “Because parents can create big and small alert zones and as many zones as they like, they will not receive false notifications like existing products on the market. GeoAlerts puts power in parents’ hands.”

Stopfinder GeoAlerts also allows parents and school staff to see bus substitutions and driver changes and view a history of a child’s arrivals and departures. Parents also have control to turn on or off various alerts.

“The key word when it comes to GeoAlerts is customizable. Parents set their own alerts and we give them the power to do it,” Civitella added.

Stopfinder GeoAlerts is located on the Stopfinder app, which includes Stopfinder Communication, the two-way communication tool. Each functionality requires a subscription. Transfinder is offering Stopfinder Communication for free to any school district in North America until the end of 2020.

Stopfinder Communication allows parents to chat with school transportation officials over a secure platform, including sharing photos and attachments. The app allows districts to blast notifications districtwide as well as to specific groups based on grade, region and other criteria. Unlike email, a typical form of communication districts use, there is no “spam” filter to prevent the messages from getting delivered. Districts and parents can also track if messages have been opened. All communications are saved securely for review.

“Stopfinder continues to become the most powerful parent engagement app in school transportation and it is the only app that works with our proprietary routing software, Routefinder,” Civitella said. “Stay tuned for more capabilities we are imbedding in Stopfinder.”

To learn how your district could benefit from Stopfinder, visit http://www.stopfinder.com, call 888-427-2403 or email freestopfinder@transfinder.com.

About Transfinder

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, Transfinder is a national leader in intelligent transportation systems, providing transportation management systems and services to municipalities, school districts and adult care facilities. Transfinder, an Inc. magazine “fastest-growing company” for 11 consecutive years, has offices in Austin, Texas, and Shanghai, China. The software company, named a Best Place to Work and Top Workplace, develops and supports routing and scheduling solutions for optimal transportation logistics. For more information, visit www.transfinder.com.