Taxi Anyone? Let's Thank Amos Tamam

Technology is astounding,  constantly changing, and it’s just plain wonderful!  Yet most people take it for granted, in their everyday life – with the flip of a switch lights come on, the turn of a knob and water comes out.   Most don’t spend their time wondering how or who may have been responsible for the convenience they readily enjoy.  It’s all taken for granted.

The convenience of our convenient world is made possible through the innovative efforts of pioneers such as: Zenith engineer, Dr. Robert Adler who harnessed ultrasonics to create the first truly practical wireless remote in 1956 & subsequently the couch potato was introduced shortly after.

As for the indispensable “can’t move a muscle without it” cell phone – well we have Dr. Martin Cooper to thank for that clingy device. Cooper invented the technology responsible for the development of the modern cell phone in 1973 while working as the Director of Research and Development for Motorola.

Former Engineer, Amos Tamam who invented the system of allowing cabs to be able to take credit cards for cab fare.  No longer do travelers have to be concerned about not having enough currency to pay for being transported from point A to point B by a whistle-if-you-want-one Taxi.

Amos Tamam was a classic American success story, he arrived in the United States from Israel in the early 1980’s with nothing but his electrical engineer training; he got into the cab business and eventually with diligence and determination made his way up the corporate ladder, from servicing cabs to ultimately becoming CEO of Veriphone Transportation Systems Inc.

Tamam’s system documents and reconciles driving records for taxi fleets.  A summary of credit card transactions include the fare, tolls and tips, the time and date of travel and miles driven.  The system easily enables cabbies to generate a report of the day's total fares and to reconcile credit card charges; allowing for more accurate record keeping capabilities to quickly and easily collect their earnings.

Finally, advances like this by Amos Tamam make a huge impact on so many levels, and are inspirational to novice innovators looking to make a change for the better as well as for our daily convenience.