Trichord

What Trichord does

Trichord Incorporated is a privately held, employee-owned systems integration and technology consulting firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in Leesburg, Virginia, with 1-10 employees. The company specializes in intelligent transportation systems (ITS), real-time traffic and traveler information, emergency management and homeland security, and data management and server hosting, serving federal, state, and local transportation agencies along with private-sector transportation companies.

Trichord's core technology platform is the PEMS (Portable Equipment Monitoring System) family — a portfolio of solar-powered, wireless, infrastructure-independent portable traffic monitoring hardware. The lineup includes the PEMS-2C portable camera trailer, PEMS-2T sensor trailer, PEMS-2CT combination trailer, PEMS-CMS NTCIP-compliant changeable message sign, PEMS-2L portable ALPR trailer, and supporting PEMS-Server and PEMS-L Server software, sold individually ($25,000-$95,000) or as bundled kits (Workzone Kit $595,000, ALPR Kit $335,000). The system uses XML-based data exchange (documented in PEMS XML Message Specification Vol 2.4) designed to interoperate with existing traffic management systems. Trichord is also a Value Added Reseller for SmarTek Systems, reselling SVS video detection and SAS-1 acoustic sensor products. A separate ULAD (Ultra Light Aircraft Detection) kit ($875,000) extends the portfolio into airspace monitoring.

The business model combines one-time hardware and software license sales with hourly professional services billed at $150-$225 per engineer/technician. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales to government transportation and emergency management buyers, supplemented by the SmarTek VAR channel. Pricing is publicly posted on the company's website (valid through 12/31/2015), reflecting a transparent, low-friction procurement posture for public-sector customers. Leadership under President Craig A. Franklin, with prior ITS experience at Viggen Corporation and Iteris, and a Board including former UPS Engineering R&D General Manager Joseph P. Snyder, provides domain credibility, though overall scale is very small.

Name

Trichord

Legal name

Trichord Incorporated

Website

https://trichord-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trichord Incorporated is an employee-owned Virginia-based systems integrator (1-10 employees) that designs and sells portable, solar-powered traffic monitoring hardware (PEMS), resells SmarTek video/acoustic sensors, and provides ITS consulting to federal, state, and local transportation and emergency management agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intelligent Transportation Systems

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Toll Plaza / Lane Equipment & Field Systems (Gantry, Sensors, Cameras, AVC) (TLAJABAH)

Keywords

• Intelligent transportation systems
• Portable traffic monitoring
• Systems integration services
• Traffic detection sensors
• Technology consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. PEMS Hardware Sales: Sale of portable traffic monitoring equipment including camera trailers, sensor trailers, changeable message signs, license plate reader trailers, and ULAD detection systems. Hardware is sold as complete systems or individual components with prices ranging from $25,000 to $875,000.
2. PEMS Software/Server Sales: Sale of PEMS Server and Software for portable traffic monitoring and license plate recognition, priced at $75,000-$95,000 per installation.
3. SmarTek Systems Product Sales: Resale of SmarTek Systems traffic detection equipment including video systems, acoustic sensors, power supplies, relay interfaces, and mounting equipment as a Value Added Reseller.
4. Professional Services: Engineering, technical support, and consulting services including systems engineering, sensor systems, software development, server hosting, work zone monitoring, ITS consulting, traffic management, and system integration. Billed at hourly rates of $150-$225 per hour.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Trichord sells the proprietary PEMS Portable Traffic Monitoring System—a solar-powered, wireless suite of trailers (camera, sensor, license plate reader, and changeable message signs) plus PEMS-Server and PEMS-L Server software—and resells SmarTek Systems video (SVS) and acoustic (SAS) traffic detection hardware. It also operates the ULAD Ultra Light Aircraft Detection system and provides billable systems engineering, work zone monitoring, and server hosting services to public and private transportation clients.

Product overview

Trichord offers a portfolio of portable traffic monitoring products and intelligent transportation systems. The core product is the PEMS (Portable Equipment Monitoring System) family—comprising portable camera trailers (PEMS-2C), sensor trailers (PEMS-2T), camera-and-sensor combination trailers (PEMS-2CT), portable changeable message signs (PEMS-CMS), license plate reader trailers (PEMS-2L), and corresponding server software (PEMS-Server, PEMS-L Server). These components can be purchased individually or as bundled kits (Workzone Kit, ALPR Kit). Trichord also resells the SmarTek Systems product line of video-based (SVS-1) and acoustic sensor (SAS-1) products for permanent infrastructure installations. Additional offerings include the ULAD (Ultra Light Aircraft Detection) system for airspace monitoring. Services include systems engineering, software development, network communications, work zone monitoring, and server hosting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PEMS: Portable Traffic Monitoring System - a portable, solar powered traffic management system that uses wireless communications for traffic monitoring at planned and unplanned events.
• SmarTek Systems

Products and services

• PEMS Portable Traffic Monitoring System Portable, solar-powered, wireless traffic management system requiring no local infrastructure; consists of portable camera trailers, sensor trailers, camera-and-sensor combination trailers, changeable message signs, license plate reader trailers, and a secure PEMS-Server with web interface and XML data exchange for public-sector transportation agencies and private-sector clients.
• ULAD Ultra Light Aircraft Detection System Ultra light aircraft detection system consisting of a tracking station and up to 15 detection stations, plus ULAD Server software, sold as a bundled kit for monitoring unauthorized or ultra-light aircraft.
• SmarTek Systems Products (SVS Video Detection and SAS-1 Acoustic Sensor) Resold line of video-based and acoustic traffic detection products from SmarTek Systems, including SVS-1 video traffic detection systems supporting 1-6 cameras, SAS-1 acoustic sensor systems with relay interfaces and mounting accessories, for permanent ITS infrastructure installations.
• Systems Engineering and Technology Consulting Services Professional engineering and technical consulting including systems engineering, software development, network communications, and system integration for transportation and traffic management solutions, billed at hourly rates (Inside Engineering, Outside Engineering, Outside Technical Staff).
• Work Zone Monitoring Services Monitoring services for construction work zones using Trichord's portable traffic monitoring equipment, deployed without permanent infrastructure for temporary traffic management.
• Server Hosting and Data Management Services Secure data management and server hosting for traffic and transportation data systems, provided as a managed service to support client traffic monitoring deployments.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SmarTek SystemscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrichord, Inc. is a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for SmarTek Systems, using their products for portable traffic monitoring and self-monitoring infrastructure. SmarTek Systems builds tools for Traffic Detection, Traffic Monitoring and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), specializing in video-based and acoustic sensors.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Iteris: Iteris is a leading U.S. intelligent transportation systems company offering video detection, traffic management software, and consulting services. It is directly comparable to Trichord because it operates in the same ITS market — and notably, Trichord's President Craig Franklin is a former Iteris executive (and Viggen Corporation, which Iteris acquired in 1998).
• Wavetronix: Wavetronix is a specialist in radar-based traffic detection sensors and intelligent transportation hardware. It is directly comparable to Trichord's SmarTek Systems product line and PEMS sensor offerings, serving the same DOT and integrator customers with vehicle detection technology.
• GRIDSMART Technologies: GRIDSMART (now part of Cubic) provides video-based intersection detection and traffic management solutions. It is directly comparable to Trichord's SVS video traffic detection systems and camera-based PEMS products, serving similar municipal and state DOT customers.
• Sensys Networks: Sensys Networks manufactures wireless in-pavement and above-ground traffic detection sensors for intersections, arterials, and work zones. It is directly comparable to Trichord's portable traffic detection offerings and serves the same state DOT and municipal customers.
• Miovision: Miovision offers video-based intersection management, traffic data analytics, and connected vehicle solutions. It is directly comparable to Trichord's video detection and traffic data products, with a focus on the same government customer base.
• Tapco (Traffic & Parking Control Co.): Tapco manufactures traffic safety products including flashing beacons, changeable message signs, and work zone safety systems. It is directly comparable to Trichord's PEMS-CMS portable changeable message signs and work zone monitoring offerings.
• Carmanah Technologies: Carmanah provides solar-powered traffic safety systems, including crosswalk beacons, school zone flashers, and ITS infrastructure. It is directly comparable to Trichord's solar-powered, portable traffic monitoring equipment and similar DOT/municipal customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Econolite: Econolite is a large U.S. incumbent in traffic signals, controllers, detection, and intelligent transportation systems. It is comparable to Trichord as a broad ITS vendor serving the same state DOT and municipal customers, but operates at significantly larger scale with a wider product portfolio.
• Kapsch TrafficCom: Kapsch TrafficCom is a global incumbent providing tolling, traffic management, and connected vehicle solutions. It is comparable to Trichord's transportation systems integration and portable monitoring offerings, but at global scale with much broader ITS capabilities.
• Trafficware (Cubic): Trafficware (now part of Cubic) provides traffic management software and intersection signal optimization tools. It is comparable to Trichord's PEMS server/software and traffic management consulting services, but as part of Cubic's broader transportation portfolio at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trichord-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trichord