If you've ever been caught short of coins for the ticket machine in a city parking lot, you'll appreciate the value of a new in-vehicle parking meter device.

EasyPark is a gadget with a digital screen that motorists can display in their car instead of a parking ticket. Launched this month by Agility Ltd., it can be used for parking in the City of Hamilton and at the LF Wade International Airport.

The unit sells for $35 and can be topped up to a maximum value of $100 at a number of gas stations and retail outlets in Hamilton.

Users switch it on when they park and select the area and zone, referred to by number on the back of the unit. They pay only for the time they park.

"We decided to do a soft launch on September 4 with no advertising and we sold 200 units in about a week," said Agility's managing director Norris Ebbin.

"This is a paradigm shift in parking technology for Bermuda, as we move into an age of more convenience."

The aim of the 'soft launch' - done mostly through e-mail - was to get the system up and running to rectify any glitches before a more substantial campaign to raise awareness of the product.

Agility's general manager Danny Faria said there had been no operational problems so far.

Mr. Ebbin said Bermuda was the first location in the North American region to have EasyPark and that its implementation was the result of two years of planning with authorities on the Island, in particular the Corporation of Hamilton and the Department of Airport Operations.

Both Mr. Ebbin, who is a chartered accountant with an MBA in Technology Management, and Mr. Faria, who has an MBA in Finance, have worked in the credit card business. Most of the work they do with Agility involves technology consultancy.

The device has been in operation for more than eight years in countries including France, Italy and Australia, and is made by a Tel Aviv company called Parx.

"I heard about this product and thought it would be ideal for Bermuda," Mr. Ebbin said. "It offers one solution for everywhere you park.

"It uses smartcard technology, so it's 'intelligent'. If you park in the same spot every day, you don't need to reset the zone. And if the parking days stops at 6 p.m. in that zone, then the device turns itself off at 6 p.m."

For cars parked at the airport, Mr. Ebbin recommends using the device for period not longer than seven days, in case the batteries run out. If this happens information held in the unit's memory is not lost.

If the device is stolen, Agility can block it and ensure the thief can't top it up. One reason Agility decided to place a $100 limit topping up the device was to limit its attractiveness to thieves. Agility says it charges a small fee for top-ups by percentage.

Over the next few weeks, Agility plans to roll out an online subscription service that will enable businesses and individuals to monitor all parking activity and transactions.

The first units on sale bear an Esso logo, as the gas station operator is EasyPark's first sponsor.

The 18 outlets selling the device include City Hall, eight gas stations and several electrical stores.

A small number of these outlets - Electronic City, M&J Electronic and Unlimited Supplies - are authorised service centres for unit trouble-shooting and battery changes.

To find out more about EasyPark, visit the website on www.easypark.bm