About Us
Nexus Alpha
Nexus Alpha Limited (NAL) is a technology company focusing on the public transport industry, and most notably on the rail sector. We are based at sites in London and Rochester, and have been providing software to the industry for almost two decades.
Our software helps keep tens of thousands of staff and many millions of commuters and occasional rail users informed about service disruption.
NAL capabilities include:
- Software product design
- Software development
- Software testing
- Managed service provision and hosting
- Mobile messaging and telecommunications
- 24/7 Support services
- System commissioning
- Project management
History
Nexus Alpha initially developed out of a programming project for BBC Travel in 1990. Our first product was called the Travel Terminal, which the BBC placed in Police Control Rooms. The system was used by the police to send messages about road disruption to the BBC who then forwarded the information to radio stations via their fax messaging hub.
In 1992 representatives from Network South East visited the BBC, and ultimately took delivery of Travel Terminal systems so that the BBC could be proactively informed about rail disruption. Messages were initially sent through for inclusion on Ceefax.
The first commercial funding for the Travel Terminal not via the BBC came directly from three division of Network South East (North London Lines, South Eastern and South Central as they were).
Nexus Alpha became a limited company in June 1994 and started to expand.
In 1999 we built a fax-messaging hub. 1999 also saw a key step forward - the introduction of Tyrell, the PC based re-implementation of the Travel Terminal. (The Travel Terminal was initially developed for an Acorn computer platform, there being a historic link between Acorn and the BBC through the education sector).
Tyrell became networked and, as well as communicating with the BBC, other Nexus Alpha systems, fax machines and pagers, rapidly grew into a highly configurable powerful communication and message management system.
Shortly after the launch of Tyrell in early 2000, Nexus Alpha started to present service disruption information via the Internet. This solution has developed further over time, the current products being Journeycheck and JourneyCheck Alerts. These solutions provide rail service information to customers via client websites, and deliver tens of millions of web pages and many millions of targeted personalised messages to rail customers every year.
In 2008 we launched a web based information management tool, TyrellCheck, and in 2009 developed an interface that allows station based Customer Information Systems (CIS) solutions to be interfaced directly to Tyrell.
Nexus Alpha Low Power Systems
Nexus Alpha Low Power Systems Limited (NALPS) is the new company created around Nexus Alpha's Engineering Department.
We have developed low power systems for use in a variety of sectors, focusing initially on public transport. We have secured Technology Strategy Board funding for some of our development.
History
Back in 1995 we designed our first generation of public display screens, called Intelligent Display Units (IDUs). These were provided to various clients over the next four years. Our LCD1 and LCD2 products (stainless steel, high-bright LCD panels suitable for outdoor use) came along after that. Our third generation systems were developed in 2007, these being MAIA (our touch screen information point) and HELIOS LITE/LED (our resilient LCD/LED displays).
Since 2005 Nexus Alpha’s Engineering Department has been concentrating on the development of ultra low power systems. This has led to the development of lower power computers (HERMES and HERMES Lite), and our solar powered information systems, CHRONOS. It is these innovative displays and low power computer systems that we have now spun out of Nexus Alpha as Nexus Alpha Low Power Systems (or NALPS).
NALPS capabilities include:
- Solar system development
- Product design
- Software development and testing
- Electronic design
- Mechanical design
- Support, servicing and field maintenance
- System commissioning
- Project management
NALPS has patented its IPR.
