Enabling interoperable ticketing solutions based on open standards

As cities expand, public transport operators must cope with ever-increasing numbers of passengers, particularly during major events such as football matches and the Olympic Games. This, together with the necessity for sustainability and convenience, is developing a rapidly expanding digital ticketing and smart mobility market. This transformation demands open standards that allow secured, convenient, and interoperable ticketing solutions with the required transparency and trust. Infineon Technologies AG fulfils this development with the CALYPSO move, the first secured memory for simple contactless ticketing based on the Calypso basic specification. It enables manufacturers to satisfy the specific needs of each transport operator and authority, bypassing magnetic stripes, barcodes, and proprietary tickets.

"An implementation must take into account numerous specifications developed independently by different companies within the transit community," said Tolgahan Yildiz, head of Payment Solutions at Infineon's Connected Secure Systems Division. "However, to implement a convenient and secured digital ticketing infrastructure that meets stringent requirements, we need open standards, which Infineon is committed to. With CALYPSO move, we are enabling solutions that promote the transition to clean, safe and intelligent mobility across all modes of transportation."

The Calypso Networks Association (CNA) is a non-profit organisation that brings together transportation, mobility and services community members to exchange ideas, experiences and requirements. Its objective is to promote open systems supporting the seamless ticketing needs of consumers.

The company's CALYPSO move suits low-cost limited-use tickets (LUT) perfectly. The secured memory is mainly intended for public transport applications. However, it can also comply with other conceivable use cases as specified by the CNA, such as mass transit, payment and access.

"Because travellers' needs, expectations and behaviours vary widely, it is impossible to address them all with a single ticketing solution," said Paulo Barreto, Calypso basic project manager of CNA. "That's why the Calypso standard supports a broad product portfolio that meets the needs of all travellers, whether regular or occasional, in any configuration, media or system. To further drive the evolution of the digital ticketing market, we believe that this year will be the year of Calypso basic."

As part of the infrastructure, the move is based on open standards, bypassing vendor lock-in and adding to fair competition and sourcing flexibility. The secured memory is ready to use and serves the low-cost paper ticket segment while fulfilling the high-security necessities of transportation and access systems. Also, terminal implementation and system upgrade costs are minimised as the solution is compatible with existing Calypso Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) systems. The memory is certified to the Common Criteria EAL2+ (Enhanced Basic) security standard, delivering optimised security plus exceptional contactless performance for tickets with limited life and usage.

Qualified samples of the CALYPSO move solution are provided for design-in activities and production capacity to support volume ramp-up. In addition, the company's technical team offers support with detailed documentation and training materials.