What problem does it solve?
In city centers, malls and hospitals, drivers circle for a long time looking for a free space, causing traffic, wasted fuel and customer dissatisfaction. Parking operators cannot clearly see which area is full when, average length of stay or lost revenue. Operations based on paper tickets, cash collection and attendant checks are prone to leakage and carry high staff costs. In residential complexes, visitor cars taking residents' spaces is a constant source of disputes.
Target customers
- Mall and business center parking operators
- Hospital and university campuses
- Municipalities and municipal parking companies
- Residential complex and residence management
- Private open-air and indoor parking operators
- Airport and hotel parking
How the product works
Magnetic or ultrasonic sensors installed in each space, or cameras covering the area, send occupancy data to the cloud through a gateway. On the camera side, license plate recognition automatically records entry and exit times. In the mobile app, the driver sees the nearest car park and number of free spaces, can reserve a space and pays in the app when the time is up. Guidance displays at entrances show which levels have space. The operator dashboard reports occupancy rates, peak hours, revenue and violations; in residential mode, access is defined for resident and visitor vehicles.
What the first version (MVP) needs
- Occupancy detection: Space status via sensor or camera
- License plate recognition: Automatic entry/exit logging and duration calculation
- Driver app: Car parks and free spaces shown on a map
- Booking: Reserve a space for a set time window
- Payment: In-app card payment and digital receipt
- Guidance display: Free-space counts per entrance and level
- Operator dashboard: Occupancy, revenue and peak-hour reports
- Subscriptions and access: Defined access for residents and monthly subscribers
Revenue model
- Sensor, camera and gateway hardware sales plus installation fees
- Monthly software subscription per car park
- Transaction commission on parking fees paid through the app
- Project-based installation and maintenance contracts with municipalities
Why now?
As vehicle numbers and parking problems grow in cities, municipalities and private operators are showing more interest in smart city applications. The costs of low-power wireless sensors and camera-based image processing have made it possible for small and mid-sized car parks to adopt this technology too. Many car parks in Turkey still run on paper tickets and cash; a local, Turkish-language solution integrated with local payment infrastructure can fill this gap.
End-to-end roadmap
- Validate the idea (1 week): Interviews with target customers, competitor and pricing research; we sharpen the idea together in a free pre-analysis.
- Scope and design (1–2 weeks): MVP feature list, screen designs and technical architecture; written scope and quote.
- Build the MVP (10–16 weeks): Staged development with weekly demos and a test environment; the source code belongs to you.
- Pilot (2–4 weeks): Real use with the first customers, feedback and fixes.
- Launch and grow (ongoing): App Store and Google Play release, website and SEO, payments and subscriptions, new modules.
Timelines are estimates; they are fixed in a written quote once the scope is clear.
Risks and how to handle them
- Hardware failure and weather: Choose outdoor-rated sensors, use remote health monitoring and cross-check with cameras
- Payments and licensing: Card payments should be taken through a licensed payment institution, and card data must not be stored in the system
- Plate and location data under KVKK: License plates count as personal data, so a privacy notice, retention period and access restrictions must be defined
Technologies
Frequently asked questions
Should a smart parking system use sensors or cameras?
In open, large areas a single camera can monitor many spaces, giving a cost advantage; in indoor car parks and where exact accuracy is needed, a sensor per space is more reliable. A hybrid setup is also possible.
What is needed to take payments in the app?
Card payments must be taken through the infrastructure of a licensed payment institution. Card details are not kept on your servers; the payment institution's secure form is used.
How do you sell to municipalities?
Municipalities generally work through tenders or pilot projects. Presenting concrete occupancy and revenue reports from a small pilot installation makes the sales process easier.
Is a separate version needed for residential complexes?
A residential mode on the same platform is enough: features like plate authorization for resident vehicles, time-limited entry codes for visitors and violation alerts can be enabled from the management dashboard.