NFC-enabled eTicketing in public transport – Aims, approaches and first results of the OPTIMOS project

Abstract

The comprehensive digitalization of the economy requires efficient actions from all market partners involved. This also applies to public transport sector. Proprietary solutions and closed systems are inefficient and hamper interoperability, harmonization, competition and market success. The paper presents the planned establishment of an NFC-based open ecosystem to offer secure identification for mobile services, which is demonstrated in the eTicketing domain of public passenger transport. Objectives, approaches and initial results of the OPTIMOS project are discussed, as well as further steps of action and expected results. In the run-up, the paper deals with the characteristics of the NFC technology, the NFC enabled mobile devices, the necessity of standardization and the new developed specifications in cooperation with NFC Forum, GSMA, ISO and other standardization bodies. The use cases to be implemented within the scope of the customer mobile life cycle are presented as well as the first results of interoperability tests between NFC-enabled smartphones and reader devices in public transport vehicles. At the same time, user acceptance, a high level of usability and ease of use is at the focus of the project and has to be evaluated.