Odetics Wins Contract

Odetics Inc. said its Odetics ITS intelligent transportation system subsidiary has been named the prime contractor to provide technical support to the Virginia Department of Transportation for setting up a statewide system to manage traffic and provide information to travelers.

The three-year contract is worth $6 million but has two one-year options that could boost the total value to $10 million, Anaheim-based Odetics said.

The ITS unit won the contract in conjunction with its acquisition this week of some of the assets and employees of high-tech consulting firm Viggen Corp., a Virginia company that already had the state’s Transportation Department as a client.

Odetics said the acquisition, for nearly $1 million in cash, would increase the Odetics ITS unit’s presence along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Northeast. Viggen specializes in intelligent transportation systems.

Odetics ITS said it hired 20 former Viggen employees and picked up a “significant” client base, including the Virginia Transportation Department and the Federal Highway Administration, as part of the deal.