Accenture has released the next generation of its Accenture Fare Management Solution (AFMS) implemented on the Microsoft Azure cloud to expand its offering for transit fare collection on an as-a-service model to mid-size transit agencies. By combining the cloud and the existing open architecture of AFMS, Accenture can provide a flexible and scalable solution using a single, central customer account with real-time payments regardless of agency size. It can be integrated into an existing technology infrastructure without requiring additional hardware.
The upgraded cloud solution also allows both large and mid-size transit agencies to accept a broad range of payment media, including contactless bank cards, smartcards, smartphone payment applications like Apple Pay, and Google Wallet, and even non-financial contactless media like building access or government issued ID cards. This is enabled by the open architecture and interoperability capabilities of AFMS. Transit agencies can benefit from an as-a-service model, with usage scaling up and down to meet customer demand, helping to lower the total cost of ownership.
“These upgrades to the Accenture Fare Management Solution enable a new generation of digital payment capabilities to help large and mid-size transit agencies provide a wide range of payment options to consumers, while keeping total cost of ownership down,” said Alden Cuddihey, global lead for Accenture Transit and Tolling Services. “This cloud-based, as-a-service model is flexible and can be scaled to integrate current payment options such as Apple Pay and Google Wallet. The open architecture also helps to provide flexibility to integrate future payment technologies. This offers more efficiency and convenience for travelers as well as cost-efficient processes for transit agencies.”
The solution design now allows mid-size transit agencies to take full advantage of the rich features and capabilities seen in large-scale agency models by capitalizing on the agility and economics promised by the cloud. Accenture will host the AFMS solution on the Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure, leveraging the cloud management capabilities of the Accenture Cloud Platform with the skills and solutions of Avanade, a global business technology solutions, cloud and managed services provider, Accenture will host the AFMS solution on the Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure. These services can be easily scaled to meet business needs, as adoption grows and transaction volumes increase.
The cloud is an essential part of AMFS, and the AFMS design allows for the adoption of extended features. This can include trip planning and pricing, the incorporation of customer travel preferences, and the ability to integrate travel with offers from third party partners such as digital coupons for retailers. Ultimately, this will support opportunities for a more personalized journey for the traveler.
