French mobile operator, Orange has partnered with Gemalto and two other companies - RATP and SNCF - to form Wizway Solutions, a joint venture to develop contactless mobile ticketing solution. The four founding members will each hold 25% of Wizway Solutions initially, with the joint venture remaining open to other operators and carriers.
Supported by France’s Ministry for the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs and Ministry for Transport, the consortium will harness the expertise of each of its four partners to offer a modern and simple ticketing solution that will facilitate door-to-door travel. The consortium plans to have the pilot available to Transport Organising Authorities (TOA) in 2016, with commercial availability targeted in 2017.
Using mobile devices that are compatible with Near Field Communications(NFC) technology, passengers will be able to purchase all types of tickets - single fares, railcards and more - anywhere, anytime with their carrier’s or TOA’s app, and store these tickets securely on their SIM card.
The solution offered by Wizway Solutions incorporates two industry standards: Calypso, a contactless international standard that is widely used in France, and NFC (near field communications) technology for mobile phones.
Stéphane Richard, Chairman and CEO, Orange
Consumers can already use their smartphone and NFC technologies for contactless payments via Orange Cash, and soon they will be able to travel everywhere with Wizway Solutions’ tools.
Olivier Piou, CEO, Gemalto
Wizway Solutions is the first joint venture to create a global eco-system offering passengers innovative contactless mobility solutions.
