In response to the worldwide growth in smartphone adoption, Cubic Transportation Systems launched its NextWave Mobile Business System — a platform that enables transit operators to rapidly and securely provide new mobile services to their customers.
The platform will be demonstrated at the APTA Annual Meeting, Sept. 30, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. CT at Cubic’s booth #804.
With NextWave, transit agencies can quickly introduce an agency-branded mobile app backed by a cloud-based array of support services that:
• Leverage Near Field Communications (NFC) technology to turn a mobile phone into a contactless fare card, reducing the reliance on physical card distribution
• Enable mobile fare purchases by turning NFC enabled mobile phones into the equivalent of a ticket vending machine that can re-load contactless transit cards in real time
• Offer customer support through mobile self-services, including managing all fare purchases; reviewing balances, transactions and fare charges; and receiving notifications about account status and usage
• Help travelers plan journeys and receive alerts about travel conditions
• Generate new revenues by leveraging advertising and mobile marketing opportunities
NextWave simplifies the complexities of deploying mobile services by providing a cloud-based platform that integrates with both closed- and open-loop contactless fare systems, payment processors, mobile networks, NFC platforms, and both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
“Our existing agreements with mobile network operators, a cloud-based delivery model and off-the-shelf mobile service capabilities make this a game changer,” said David deKozan, vice president, strategic initiatives, Cubic Transportation Systems.
“NextWave can help transit agencies get mobile services to market fast at a fraction of the cost associated with dedicated systems. At the same time, they are putting into place a solid foundation for the future that enables them to progressively move from conventional NFC fare processing to collaborative partnerships with mobile payment, NFC access and mobile marketing initiatives poised for broad industry adoption.”
Deployment timelines and systems integrity were demonstrated in a recent trial that successfully validated the NextWave technology. During the two-month trial participants purchased fare products, checked card balances and found travel and transaction histories directly through interaction with a mobile app running on both Apple and Android devices. The NextWave system provided the app connectivity into to the agency’s back office effectively making the mobile phone an integrated terminal on the fare system network equivalent to in-station vending machines and card validators on buses.
Cubic first implemented mobile ticketing technology in 2006 and today hosts travel a barcode ticketing services in Germany for five public transport associations representing 260 individual transport operators serving more than 10 million customers. Cubic has also demonstrated NFC transit fare applications transit with customers in San Francisco, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Mobile support by transit agencies is now a service imperative. A recent survey conducted by Pew Research reported that more than 91 percent of the adult population has a cell phone and more than 58 percent of these are now smartphones. This grew from 46 percent during the period extending from February 2012 to May 2013. Further survey results indicate a very strong correlation between transit ridership profiles and market segments having higher percentages of smartphone ownership.
