The Open Standard for Public Transport (OSPT) Alliance has defined a universal multiple proximity system environment.
This cross-market functionality will enable access control terminals to better identify and connect with the required application on a secure-chip to authorize access. Within a multiple application ecosystem, this will improve product performance and optimize times on entering a transit network, event or building.
OSPT Alliance has released version 2 revision 2 of its free to download CIPURSE™ open standard, which offers an advanced foundation for developing interoperable fare collection systems. A number of administration updates have been made to the standard to remove ambiguity in its language, reduce complexity, and improve interoperability. The introduction of the first cross-market multiple proximity system environment, however, is the most significant advancement.
At present, a proximity system environment has been established for payment by the international technical body EMVCo, which exclusively identifies payment applications. OSPT Alliance now offers this same level of guidance to identify applications from a range of sectors. This will enable an application based on a CIPURSE standard – such as transit, ticketing or access control – to be recognized more quickly by the reader in the terminal. This generalization allows performance improvement at the point-of-access for various application segments.
The mechanisms which have been defined within the revised standard can be used across multiple domains to offer transparency as markets converge their services onto a single device, such as a smartphone.
“When multiple applications reside on a single platform, it takes time for a reader in the terminal to identify and connect with the required application to authorize access,” explains Laurent Cremer, executive director of OSPT Alliance. “By establishing a universal proximity environment that uses defined application identifiers, this process can be streamlined. This ultimately decreases the identification time at the turnstile and shortens queues to access a public transit network or an event.”
Laurent highlights that the OSPT Alliance members identified the need for this standard. He adds, “Learning from other sectors, our members were keen to take the lead and use its collective expertise to offer an open solution that would benefit the market as a whole.”
