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French train operator SNCF, in conjunction with Gemalto, has built a
working NFC mobile ticketing prototype as a key step towards launching a
commercial service.
Ticketing experts SNCF Proximités Innovation and Technologies Pole, together with SNCF subsidiary RITMx, have already tested the system and will use it as the basis for a future pilot project. The go-ahead for full deployment is likely to be given when NFC cellphones and SIM cards start appearing on the market in volume, and when suitable business models are agreed with other participants in the Ulysse working group, which has helped to develop a standard framework for the introduction of the service. This group includes SNCF and its Keolis subsidiary; three other transport operators – RATP in Paris and the Île-de-France, and Transdev and Veolia in Nice; and three mobile operators – Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR.
Joel Eppe, head of SNCF Proximités Innovation and Technologies Pole, says: “The number of participants means that business models are complicated. Everyone will have to revisit their aims before the service can be rolled out. If costs are too high for customers or service providers, it will act as a barrier to deployment.”
The working prototype, which was first demonstrated at the Cartes exhibition in Paris in November 2009, is intended to work with services provided by the other transportation operators and will enable customers to purchase and top up different ticket options such as monthly passes or carnets. It will also enable them to check their balance, access travel news in real time, find the nearest station and purchase an hourly ticket via an interactive poster.
Over time, passengers are also expected to be able to use their NFC phones to pay for station parking spaces, access secure bike sheds and register to use free bicycles. The service will be targeted both at commuters and at occasional passengers, such as tourists, who don’t have access to contactless transit cards.
The offering is based on Gemalto’s Trusted Services Management capability. Passengers load the software onto the SIM card to create a personalised profile. It also provides a user interface in the shape of a personal wallet, which customers can use to buy and download tickets from the SNCF portal using any wireless network, after entering their credit card details into their cellphone.
“The launch of this service will reinforce SNCF’s image as a technologically innovative company,” says Eppe. “Beyond its practical applications, it will also encourage customer loyalty and improve quality of service.”
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Nov 17, 2009 | SNCF and Gemalto Present Ticketing on Contactless Mobile Phones
