OSPT Alliance Releases ‘How to Guide’ on implementing the CIPURSE™ Open Standard

Technical guidelines for integrating the CIPURSE™ V2 open standard into an Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system have been published by industry body, the Open Standard for Public Transport (OSPT) Alliance. The detailed document, which is free to download from the association’s website, analyzes the most common AFC systems and explains how CIPURSE can be implemented today to coexist with established hardware, different proximity integrated circuit card (PICC) types and a range of security systems.

Titled ‘Integrating CIPURSE™ V2 into an Existing Automated Fare Collection System’, the document will be of significant interest to all stakeholders engaged in delivering and managing ticketing systems. As CIPURSE is the first open transit ticketing standard available, the paper overcomes the misconceptions around the cost and complexity of integrating CIPURSE into established AFC systems. It also promotes the long term benefits of moving to an open ecosystem.

“The work of OSPT Alliance is focused on integration not migration,” explains Laurent Cremer, Executive Director at OSPT Alliance. “Our members want to establish an open and standardized ticketing ecosystem that attracts all different business models, such as public private partnerships, state or private funding, to deliver innovative solutions to citizens. Yet, this long-term vision of a truly open ecosystem needs to be balanced with commercial market reality. Costs must be contained and a step-by-step approach taken. CIPURSE has been designed using this industry knowledge and understanding these restrictions.”

The technical paper offers a detailed review of current AFC systems and how the CIPURSE standard can be integrated at a terminal and data management level. An insight into deploying CIPURSE is shared with readers through several use case scenarios and with the required technical information to perform all the steps in the integration process.

Laurent adds: “We are delighted to offer this level of technical guidance and transparency to the industry and view this document as a key milestone in our work program. It showcases ‘how’ CIPURSE can be integrated today in an accessible, open format that is available to all industry participants.”

To view product availability and learn more about CIPURSE visit the OSPT Alliance website. To get engaged in the activities of the alliance and the strategic and technical direction of the body, become a Full or Associate Member.