The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) awarded the HOLO Card service manager contract to local firm Ulu HI-Tech. The contract also awarded work to two local subcontractors, HI Tech Hui and Poukihi, along with TransSIGHT, a California based transit and revenue collection systems expert.
The HOLO Card is currently used by thousands of riders on TheBus each day for contactless payments.
Ulu HI-Tech was awarded for the HOLO Card service manager contract, which will expand the card’s use to the Honolulu Rail and Handi-Van in 2021 and other City managed services in the future. In addition to adding tens of thousands of additional HOLO Card users, this contract will create local jobs with the possibility of more throughout the life of the contract.
Ulu HI-Tech is a Native Hawaiian, woman-owned organization that has extensive program and IT management, field services, logistics, and coordination experience in Hawaii.
To fulfill the extensive duties of the contract, Ulu HI-Tech is partnering with the following subcontractors:
- Poukihi, a local financial services company, will perform account and reconciliation services and overall financial services.
- HI Tech Hui, a local cybersecurity and infrastructure services company, will provide cybersecurity support, service desk, small equipment field services, and call center services.
- TransSIGHT, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and transit systems and data expert based in California, will provide program management, strategic leadership, change management support, system integrator oversight, quality assurance, analytics, and data warehouse leadership and guidance.
Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that organizations encourage customers to use touchless payment options and minimize handling cash. Riders are able to add money to their HOLO Card, which is tapped onto a reader upon boarding to pay.
“This is a huge step forward for our startup,” says Christa Hester. “It gives us the resources us to bring onboard several talented local technology workers at a time when jobs are so difficult to come by.”
“We’re thrilled to support people who depend on Honolulu’s public transit to get to work, school, see family, and the other essentials of daily life,” Hester added.
The CEO of Ulu Hi-Tech is Halia Hester, and the company’s CTO is Gregory Hester.
For more information about the HOLO Card program, please call Ulu HI-Tech at (808) 427-5505.