SmartCITIES Smart Contactless Framework Interoperability Between Services in a Transport Network Main Modules Application Core Technical Interoperability API Easy Coupler Extension Modules Smart Remote Server SAM Server Key Benefits Technical interoperability Commercial interoperability Multiple contactless technologies support Same software across all equipments The Solution The Smart Contactless Framework is a portable layer of software that is embedded in all SmartCITIES channels, and can be also integrated on third party equipments. It is responsible for interfacing with contactless technologies and supports simultaneously multi-sector standards (e.g. Calypso, MIFARE, EMV, etc.), readers, contactless card and data models. With Smart Contactless Framework all ticketing logic (e.g. sales, validation, control, etc.) and interoperability data encoding rules are implemented once and shared across all terminals, minimizing the impact of system certification, development of new functionalities and adoption of new technologies. The utilization of the same software modules in all equipments enforces the consistency of business rules even for different card support and data models.
Building Fully Interoperable Multi-service Portable Device Systems Traditional ticketing systems have been designed and developed based on a closed and monolithic approach, specific for each different hardware device. SmartCITIES approach is changing this paradigm, by separating the hardware from the technical or low level software and from business or high level software layers. The Smart Contactless Framework is one of the modules of SmartCITIES, which, is a fully portable software component. Because it is developed on plain ANSI C, it is designed to be installed in any terminal, using any card and any reader, making total independence between the software and the hardware a reality. This innovative approach allows customers of Electronic Ticketing and Smartcard systems to integrate a common open embedded framework across their entire system, dramatically lowering the investment costs and giving them full control over the smartcard schema software. This also reduces radically the development time and time-to-market. Moreover, it gives the customer the possibility to use equipments from multiple-suppliers without dramatically increasing the costs. The Smart Contactless Framework works with proximity RFID (radio-frequency on 13.56 MHz) technologies, from Calypso to MIFARE, including also NFC Mobile Phones, and other RFID, ranging from low-cost Contactless Paper Tickets to Heavy-duty Active RFID technologies, and also covering in the future EMV Contactless cards. It also integrates hardware and software level distributed security functions for a truly global secured system (working together with SmartCITIES Security & Fraud Detection module). The Smart Contactless Framework is the ideal tool for Transport Operators, Operators Consortiums, Authorities, or Other City Services (e.g. Parking, Tolls, Schools & Universities, Pools, Tourism) to integrate on their existing systems and terminals (or build new systems) the contactless card functionalities. - África
Main Functions and Modules The SmartCITIES Smart Contactless Framework includes a complete set of embedded software layers tools and complementary tools, such as: Application Core software layers (or business high level software layer), which implements business rules. This layer provides a high level and simple interface for rapid application development by terminal suppliers. Terminal suppliers can implement their applications in an independent way from the cards by simply developing screens, communications, printing, etc., based on call-back simple integration mechanisms (e.g. call-back); Technical Interoperability API software layers (or technical low level software layer), which implements data-model rules and also the support for several market cards and SAMs. This layer automates all the need for implementing specific data-models and accommodation of data inside the different types of cards and tickets. This also eliminates totally the dependence from card/ticket supplier; Easy Coupler software layers, which implements the support for several market readers and couplers. This also eliminates totally the dependence from one reader/coupler supplier; Security Agent software layers, which implements, together with the SAMs, the terminal level security, guaranteeing, together with SmartCITIES Security & Fraud Detection central module, that the card schema can be totally electronic, but still guaranteeing 100% full capacity for system auditing and for terminal enforcement on stored value reload and usage control; Test and Certification Process, that defines the guidelines and process for integration and certification of the Smart Contactless Framework into terminals and applications to be provided by third parties. Link Embedded Test bed (LET) allows easy unit test development covering new implemented functionalities and guaranteeing nonregression issues by running all previous test suites; - África
Catalog and configuration, which is a complementary mechanism to dynamically specify the application core behavior. This tool allows that any new type of ticket or contract created on the back-office (and associated information/tables for sales and validation) can be modeled centrally and applied dynamically to the remote terminals. The configuration file has an open XML format for easy integration and management. This way it is possible to change the ticketing business rules and different contracts configured over the datamodel without changing the base software installed on the terminal equipment. Graphical Design Tools for new data-models. This tool, provided in the second generation of Smart Contactless Framework, allows the Automatic Software Generation for new data-models, towards graphical designing and automatic software generation. It ensures an automated implementation of software adaptations at the data-model and business rules level, according to the customer business requirements, minimizing the programming efforts for adaptations. All the mapping of tickets into cards follows standards such as EN-1545. Equipment Requirements The SmartCITIES Smart Contactless Framework is developed in a modular architecture, based on ANSI C language, therefore providing a truly modular and portable software, that can run virtually in any terminal or embedded system. Minimum equipment requirements are: Capacity to compile and run basic C language software; Interface for connecting contactless ISO-14443 coupler or contact ISO-7816 reader (e.g. RS232, USB), by direct or indirect management of the hardware interface; Possibility of direct usage of existing contact ISO-7816 reader for customer card and for SAM (optional); Capacity to integrate the Smart Contactless Framework based on several simple integration models (e.g. library, object, DOT.NET component, JNI interface, Web Service, etc.). - África
SmartCITIES Smart Remote Server The SmartCITIES Smart Remote Server is the Smart Contactless Framework extension to support mobile terminals and WEB terminals. This implementation delivers the same Smart Contactless Framework functionalities and advantages, for mobile terminals and thin client terminals (e.g. WEB browsers). The customer demand for new and more convenient channels forced also the migration of the ticketing application to mobile and WEB channels. These type of implementation requires to host the ticketing services on central servers that can be accessed from the remote channels, through a thin client proxy interface. The SmartCITIES Smart Remote Server is based on the Smart Contactless Framework with some adaptations to support multi thread and remote channels: Easy Coupler This module has been extended to support also remote couplers connected through a remote proxy. The interface with the coupler has been optimized to reduce over-the-air traffic. Technical Interoperability API This module has been adapted to handle the remote couplers supported by the easy coupler and also optimized to handle over-the-air transactions, minimizing the interface between the server and the coupler proxy. The API has also been adapted to support the Calypso remote load protocol, which provides an open connection to a wide range of mobile and remote terminals. The API provides also the interface with the SAM server. Coupler Proxy This is a new model specific for the remote terminals, that provides the interface with the local contactless reader, and handles secure communications between the coupler and the Smart Remote server. Application Core the hearth of the Smart Remote Server. Although it shares the same logic and configuration of the Smart Contactless Framework it has been adapted to work on a multi-thread environment handling parallel contactless transactions. - África
SmartCITIES SAM Server The SmartCITIES SAM Server is the component included in Smart Remote Server that provides the access to a centralized pool of available secure application modules (SAM), allowing to share the same SAM by a group of terminals. Alternatively, it can be also used as a provider of remote SAM services to the Smart Contactless Framework installed on the terminals. The utilization of a SAM server avoids the widespread of the SAM over the physical network, with all security concerns related with SAM stealing or SAM misuse, having them installed and stored on a physical safe location. The SAM server may also be used to top up the local SAMs (SAM receiling) both by online connection or off line cryptograms generations that could be sent to the remote terminals. The SmartCITIES Smart Remote Server can be used in several configurations, such as: Remote Mode in which the terminal ticketing application communicates with the Remote Framework on the server by means of a thin-client (the Remote Framework Proxy), and everything runs on the server: the SAM and the Smart Contactless Framework. It is a mode mostly adequate for internet and mobile phone (e.g. NFC) transactions, or for specific functions intended to be on-line (e.g. terminal applications for card issuing); Terminal Mode in which the terminal ticketing application runs the Smart Contactless Framework, and everything runs on the terminal, except for the SAM, which is running on the SAM Server. This configuration is adequate for specific functions intended to be on-line in what concerns transactions that must involve the SAM, but leaves the capacity to perform several off-line functions to the terminal; Mixed Mode one system can take advantages of the Smart Remote Server to be used on mixed mode depending on the type of functionalities. - África
SmartCITIES Ecosystem Customer Support Services Handles all the customer-centric processes Tailored functionalities for ticketing operations Manages the activity of cards in the network Provides customer tailored offers on tariffs and products Support for inter customer relationships (e.g. family, enterprises, etc.) Business Support Services Automation of core ticketing business processes Provides support for interoperable electronic ticketing networks Product commercial configuration and sale network management Multi-operator and multi-region capabilities Global data consolidation and revenue clearing Customer Hub Maintains master data of all relevant customer and ticketing information (e.g. Customer, sales, usage, fare, inventory, etc.) Suite of web services to provide ticketing data to external systems Enhance customer experience with personalized information services SmartCITIES Channels Supports electronic payments in every channel Pay in multi-currency with flexible payment means, like cash, credit/debit cards (VISA, MasterCard, etc.), direct debit, electronic purse, etc. Handles receipt printing Supports flexible ticketing media Paper, magnetic stripes, 2D barcodes, contactless cards & tickets, NFC smartphones, etc. External Sales & Usage Channels Integration third party equipment's from multiple vendors Technical and commercial interoperability, including multisector standards like Calypso, Mifare, EPC, EMV, NFC, etc. - África
SmartCITIES References Portugal Lisbon Tourism Association CP Portuguese Nacional Railways Fertagus Lisbon Region Transport Operators Metropolitano de Lisboa Metro Transportes do Sul Soflusa Transtejo TUB Urban Transports of Braga Belgium STIB / MIVB Brussels Transport Authority Brazil Porto Alegre Transports Association France Calypso Network Association Germany ALMEX / Hölft & Wessel Israel ISR Israel Railways Adayla Israeli Ministry of Transport and Road Safety Spain Switzerland CFF Swiss Federal Railways Communauté Tarifaire Vaudoise TPG Public Transport of Geneva TL Lausanne Public Transport Vevey Montreux Chillon Villeneuve - África