DAILY LOBO new mexico
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March 28, 2012
wednesday The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
Parking dept: tickets for order only UNM: death at Sigma Chi frat by Hannah Stangebye hstang@unm.edu
UNM brings in more money in parking-violation revenue than the entire city of Albuquerque does for the same. The University collected about $1.2 million in parking tickets over the last two years, according to Parking and Transportation reports, compared to the $802,633 in revenue KRQE News reported for the city of Albuquerque during the same timeframe. With more than 11,000 parking spots on campus and roughly 40,000 visitors a day UNM is the most visited location in the state, PATS Program Specialist Danielle Gilliam said. Gilliam said the department employs 10 citation officers, and the collection of parking tickets brings in about 7.4 percent of the department’s revenue stream. The majority of the department’s funds come from parking pass sales. Gilliam said PATS collects only enough money to cover its operating costs. PATS’ $5,584,623 in costs matches its revenue from sales, according to Student Fee Review Board budget reports. “PATS does not receive any recurring funds from tuition, fees, or any other source,” Gilliam said.
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Staff Report
According to University officials, the UNM Police Department is currently conducting an investigation into a death which occurred at the Sigma Chi house. There is no evidence of foul play at this time. No further information was available at time of publication. Check the Daily Lobo website for more on this story as it develops.
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Rebecca Hampton / Daily Lobo UNM generates more revenue from handing out parking violations than the City of Albuquerque generates from handing out parking violations. UNM is the most travelled to location in the entire state.
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Alumni build company worth $25M Old tools by Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga barbarag@unm.edu
A transnational company founded by UNM alumni just two years ago is now worth more than $25 million, and the owners say it is changing the way the restaurants sell food. Andy Lim and Corey Fiala founded POSLavu in 2010, a few months after Apple Inc. introduced the first version of the iPad. Cofounders Lim and Fiala noticed that running from tables to cash registers took servers at restaurants far too much time, which slowed down transactions and forced customers to wait to pay their bills. The group decided to create a “mobile point of sale” where wait staff use iPods to collect orders, and iPads to check out customers. “While points of sale were expensive, static and ugly, having an iPad as the point of sale was cool, easier and cheaper,” Lim, the CEO of POSLavu, said. Despite being on the market for less than two years, POSLavu has seen exponential growth and now operates in 20 countries. In 2011, when the company started selling its mobile application consistently, POSLavu moved from 30 to 800 customers in just one year. Lim said he expects the company to grow an additional 2,500 percent by the end of this year, generating 20,000 new customers.
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“Call me crazy, but I think we can be even bigger than Facebook,” Lim said. In addition to its more than 90 national distributors, POSLavu has more than 30 sale agents in countries such as Australia, China, Mexico, and England. POSLavu has been featured in the national media in outlets such as CNN and the Wall Street Journal. Tony Scotto, general manager from Moda Espresso bar in New York City, uses the program to help run his business, and he said in an online review of POSLavu that it is a good service for small businesses. “It works well and is efficient,” Scotto said. “Even though sometimes it slows down a little, it makes a good impression to our customers.” The estimated value of POSLavu is $25 million, according to its founders. Revenue reports show the company made about $370,000 over the last two months. The company has no investors or venture capital, and is not publically traded. “We are proud of the fact that we have been able to achieve that (growth) without any investors,” COO Fiala said. “Everything we have is ours because we don’t borrow anything.” POSLavu directly employs 18 people, eight of whom are UNM alumni, and all of whom are Albuquerque residents.
common in chem. building by Keila Gutierrez gutz55@unm.edu
Ruby Santos / Daily Lobo POSLavu owners, Andy Lim (left) and Corey Fiala pose for a photo in their office in Albuquerque. The multi-national, multi-million dollar company started by UNM students is revolutionizing the way food is sold. “Companies must have a good team to succeed,” Lim said. “We have been very lucky because we have found the right people here in Albuquerque.” POSLavu’s founders said its goal is to change the way businesses
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interact with their customers. “We want to change the way people do business” Lim said. “With POSLavu, people can do mobile and very efficient interactions with current technology such as iPads and iOS devices.”
While giving a tour of the University’s chemistry labs, chemistry department Chair David Bear points to aging tables cluttered with equipment. “This is grim,” he said. The 1950s building and its equipment, used for high tech research, show their age. In November, New Mexico voters will vote on the $114.5 million General Obligation Bond C, $19 million of which would go toward construction at UNM, $16 million of which would go to renovate Clark Hall. Bear said the department can’t continue to function properly unless the Clark Hall and Riebsomer Hall, which house the department, get major updates. “What we’re trying to do is to develop a facility that will allow us to educate our students more effectively,” Bear said. “Over 90 percent of the $16 million is expected to go toward utility
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