NFC for Ticketing and Payments
Bytemark is attending the Smart Card Alliance NFC Solutions Summit in Austin, TX.To date, NFC deployments have been underwhelming and few deployments have gained any momentum. The preponderance of iOS devices which lack NFC elements, has certainly played a role, but the real barrier has been the cost and difficulty associated with deploying an NFC solution. Brokered by Trusted Service Managers (TSMs) - mobile carriers, payment networks, and phone manufacturers whom are all vying for market dominance and a percentage of the transaction fees.With the release of Android OS 4.4, Google introduces new platform support for secure NFC-based transactions through Host Card Emulation (HCE). As a secure software solution, it bypasses the TSM model and associated complexity and has several benefits:
- Easier to implement for organizations and developers
- No added fees or implementation costs from TSMs or Carriers
- Does not require a special SIM issued by the carrier
- More flexible – multiple NFC apps can coexist on the device for different use cases
Bytemark and INIT have partnered to bring HCE ticketing to Austin’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This solution will be deployed alongside the existing 2D barcode ticketing system already in place in Austin today.We believe that HCE provides the first practical method to truly leverage NFC capabilities in a way that will benefit transit operators. More importantly, the ease of adoption for passengers will (finally) drive NFC into the mainstream.See Android Developer page for more details: http://developer.android.com/about/versions/kitkat.html#44-hce 
About Bytemark, IncA New York City startup with offices in the UK and Australia, Bytemark provides mobile ticketing and payment solutions for transit, attractions, and events. In January 2012, Bytemark launched the first mobile ticketing app for a major U.S. transit agency with the release of the NY Waterway app. Bytemark is focused on providing its partners with the tools they need to navigate the rapidly evolving mobile ticketing industry. Transit in the U.S. has been underserved by the expansion of mobile technology, and Bytemark is working to bridge the gap between the transit industry and America’s growing technology sector. For more information, visit www.Bytemark.co. About CMTACapital 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. For more information, visit: capmetro.org About INIT, IncINIT – leading supplier in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and fare collection systems – has been assisting transportation companies worldwide since 1983 in making public transport more attractive, faster and more efficient. Their unique knowledge with regard to the needs of public transportation, gained in more than 400 successfully realised projects, has resulted in a fully integrated range of solutions for all key tasks of a transportation company.