Bytemark to Develop Official Mobile Ticketing System for Austin's Capital Metro Transit Service
(New York, NY) May 29, 2013 – Bytemark, a pioneer in mobile ticketing, is excited to announce plans to develop an official mobile ticketing system for Austin’s Capital Metro. Capital Metro is Austin’s regional public transportation provider, servicing 33 million people every year.The mobile ticketing system, developed by NYC-based startup Bytemark, will allow riders the opportunity to avoid lines at the ticket vending machines and will eliminate the need for cash to purchase transit fares – essentially turning an Apple, Android or Windows mobile device into a transit pass.In addition to the consumer facing mobile application, Bytemark will provide a state of the art user management platform solution and backend reporting system that will allow Capital Metro administrators to better manage transit offerings and meet their customers’ needs.“Bytemark is thrilled to have an opportunity to partner with Capital Metro to offer a cutting edge mobile ticketing solution for its customers,” said Micah Bergdale, Bytemark CEO. “We recognize that the Austin area is a leader in the United States when it comes to innovation, entrepreneurship and bringing together the national and global tech communities at events like SXSW. We are proud to have been selected to offer Bytemark’s patented mobile ticketing solution to a forward-thinking organization like Capital Metro.”Capital Metro issued a Request for Proposal on January 8, 2013 and received six proposals from US and European firms. Proposals were scored based on the following criteria: Qualifications and performance of the firm, technical approach, and qualifications of the project team members. Bytemark was rated highest when all factors were considered.“This app is just one more way Capital Metro is bringing public transit into the future and using technology to create a transit system that is relevant to how people live today,” said Dan Dawson, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Capital Metro. “The app will give customers new ways to plan a trip, access real time arrival information, and buy tickets without having to order them online or go to the transit store. And by using the app, customers will never need to use exact change again.”
Features of the new Capital Metro app include:
• The ability to use the app and a credit card to purchase and store passes in advance. Passes can be activated at the rider’s convenience. To use, riders simply show their phone screen to the bus operator or scan their barcode enabled ticket upon entry.• The app meets all Payment Card Industry security standards and will accept Discover Card, Visa, MasterCard and American Express payments.• The app gives access to Capital Metro’s mobile trip planner, service alerts, maps and schedules – everything a rider needs to ride is available right on the mobile device.• Multiple passes can be purchased on one device for a group, for example, a family traveling together.• The app produces a visually-verifiable virtual (V3) animated screen and includes several levels of security. The bus operator or rail fare inspector may request the rider to touch the screen as a further validation, which will activate a visual change to the screen.• The security features embedded in tickets will cut down on fare evasion and provide cost savings to Capital Metro.• A Smart Tile Home Screen, which provides the user with the most relevant content based on their settings and use history.
ABOUT BYTEMARK
Bytemark is a New York City startup with offices in the UK and Australia. Bytemark’s flexible platform provides mobile ticketing and payment solutions for transit, tourism, and events. Bytemark launched the first mobile ticketing app for a major U.S. transit agency with the release of the NY Waterway app in January 2012. Bytemark is focused on providing its partners with the tools they need to manage their approach to the rapidly evolving mobile ticketing industry. Transit in the U.S. has been underserved by the expansion of mobile technology, and Bytemark seeks to bridge the gap between the transit industry and America’s growing technology sector.For more information, visit: https://www.bytemark.co or email us at info@bytemark.co
ABOUT CAPITAL METRO
Capital Metro connects people, jobs and communities by providing high-quality and sustainable transportation choices to Central Texans. Capital Metro provides an average of 110,000 rides each weekday—enough to fill Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium and Disch-Falk Field combined—onboard its buses, trains, paratransit and vanpool vehicles. As the regional transportation leader, Capital Metro is driving progress and investing in the region’s mobility with high-capacity transit solutions, like MetroRapid, that will move more people at less cost and with less impact to the environment. Capital Metro is a financially sound and fiscally responsible agency that has won the highest rating for financial transparency from the Texas Comptroller for the third straight year. Get onboard.For more information, visit: capmetro.org or call (512) 474-1200. 
