Last month, CBRGovernment sat down with Russell McCullagh, Managing Director of Rambus Ticketing, to discuss Host Card Emulation (HCE) and the future of smart travel.
As McCullagh notes, Rambus recently launched its HCE mobile ticketing solution, which allows passenger to use their mobile phones the same way they would a physical smart card. The comprehensive solution utilizes existing UK-based ITSO transport infrastructure and current mobile technology to provide a frictionless travel experience for passengers.
“So the way you would take your smart card and tap at the gate or bus, you do exactly the same with your mobile phone. Tap your phone at the gate and it will allow you to pass through the gate because the tickets are contained within your phone,” he told the publication.
“[With Rambus’ HCE ticketing wallet service], host card emulation uses the phone to communicate wirelessly with the gate or the ticket machine in exactly the same way that you would with a physical smart card. So it’s not a QR or barcode, it’s a virtual representation of a smart card. [This is] important because the technology of smart card ticketing [provides] much higher security than a barcode.”
As McCullagh explains, the Rambus HCE mobile ticketing solution includes a ticketing app that allows passengers to easily purchase and register a virtual smart card. After applying, all purchases are made within the app and downloaded straight to passenger devices, meaning they don’t have to queue at the ticket machine anymore.
“The great thing about a mobile platform is that it allows you to join up a lot more services – not just about the journey you’re taking, but about making it much easier for example rather than tap through a gate it will be based on where you are,” he continued. “Press a button on your phone to say ‘here I am, I’m starting my journey.’ Whilst taking the journey, the app offers other benefits based on the journey you’re taking giving real time information based on what you’re doing, offering things that are valuable to you such as discount on coffee while you’re travelling or things you could buy at a stadium or validate parking.”
With a lot of people still using ticketing that is paper based, says McCullagh, there is a huge opportunity to grow the app.
“The first step was the mobile platform, so many people utilize their mobile phone for so many things. Then delivering this successfully across the UK and we’re already looking at options to expand outside the UK,” he added.
