Leading technical standards bodies to extend and promote benefits of open source contactless NFC technology to transport authorities and operators

Calypso Networks Association (CNA), which brings transport operators and authorities together to evolve contactless ticketing systems, and NFC Forum, the standards body for advancing Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The two organizations will collaborate to educate the market on the value of using NFC technology to deliver secure, sustainable and innovative smart ticketing solutions.

Specific focus will be placed on how expanding this infrastructure provides travelers with secure and seamless, end-to-end ticketing services for use in mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) solutions.

“At CNA, we believe that NFC is the best solution for providing users with simple, efficient, ergonomic access to all forms of mobility,” said Philippe Vappereau, chairman of CNA. “The collaboration with NFC Forum is an important opportunity to promote the benefits of open standards more effectively to all players in public transport and showcase the value of converging on-demand transport ticketing services that support a range of consumer mobility solutions.”

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), “open standards" are standards made available to the general public and are developed (or approved) and maintained via a collaborative and consensus driven process. Open standards facilitate interoperability and data exchange among different products or services and are intended for widespread adoption.

“We plan to start coordinating NFC Forum efforts with CNA activities immediately,” said Mike McCamon, executive director, NFC Forum. “Activities under discussion include a white paper highlighting the benefits of NFC technology for public transit decision makers as well as identifying and developing new NFC use cases in transit applications particularly with MaaS solutions.”

NFC is one of the most widely implemented technologies in the world and available on three billion smartphones. The Calypso standard comprehensively supports NFC technology to provide multiservice applications for transport ticketing as well as leisure, access control, bike and car sharing.

About Calypso Networks Association (CNA)

Calypso Networks Association (CNA) is a global not-for-profit industry association that brings together more than 100 organisations across the transport, mobility and services sectors to control and evolve the contactless ticketing ecosystem through open application standards, which are uniquely created by the transport ticketing community for the transport ticketing community. CNA regulates the use of Calypso technology, and delivers expert services, to promote open standards and enable their use across local, regional, national and global ticketing requirements. Every aspect of CNA’s work is defined and driven by its global network of members. The technology (which is based on ISO 14 443) is currently supplied by more than 50 certified manufacturers, deployed in 25 countries and active in 175 major cities globally, including Belgium, Israel, France, Italy, Portugal, Quebec, Mexico City, Algeria, Morocco and Senegal. For more information, please visit the CNA website: https://calypsonet.org/. Follow CNA: LinkedIn and Twitter

About the NFC Forum

The NFC Forum was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum's mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology. The Forum's global member companies are currently developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability. Only member companies can participate in the Forum's certification program of NFC devices, readers and tags.

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