Confidex Supplies Over 1 Million Contactless RFID Tickets for the Istanbul Public Transit System
June 10, 2008 — Confidex, a fast growing company with unique expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and engineering, today announced that it has shipped more than 1 million limited-use Contactless PET RFID tickets in support of a new public transit ticketing system in Istanbul, Turkey.
The ISO-14443-A-compliant tickets were purchased by Belbim A.S., through a contract with smart card technology provider PLASTKART Plastikkart Akilli Kart Iletisim Sistemleri. Belbim A.S. is a Turkish company that designs and develops computer systems and software, and provides consulting services to the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, including the city's electronic transit fare and collection systems.
The mass transit system in Istanbul includes a mix of bus, rail, and watercraft operated by the city, state, and a number of private companies. Millions of passengers utilize the public transit service each day and Istanbul officials are investing heavily in an effort to modernize and increase the usage of public transportation options, while reducing vehicle congestion. The city plans to significantly expand its rail lines and is upgrading its electronic ticketing technology to improve efficiency.
The Confidex PET tickets are being used as "5 in 1" single passenger tickets that will replace conventional paper tickets and augment the existing electronic ticketing system.
In 1995, Belbim A.S. deployed the AKBIL electronic ticketing solution to help streamline and integrate ticketing across 17 modes of transportation and 11 different operating agencies. The AKBIL electronic tickets are contact memory buttons mounted on plastic keyfobs that regular users of the transit system can purchase and add credit to at their convenience.
The new "5 in 1" RFID tickets will replace the single-use tickets purchased by passengers on an individual basis. The Confidex PET tickets allow passengers to take five trips using a single ticket and provide the transit system with single ticket ride data via the cards' unique serial numbers. The tickets can be read in 0.3 seconds, which provides customer convenience and increases the efficiency of the transit system.
The Confidex PET tickets provide a durable, water-resistant solution for mass-transit applications and have a longer life span than the typical paper ticket — up to a month, in some cases. The Confidex PET tickets can be printed and personalized according to the individual customer's requirements.
More than 300,000 of the tickets have been sold and 1.35 million transactions recorded since the tickets were introduced in January 2008. Confidex has since received additional purchase orders for an additional 1 million customized contactless tickets.
In May, buses in Istanbul will be outfitted with new wireless readers that can scan the "5 in 1" tickets in addition to the AKBIL devices and new smartcard-based Istanbulkart tickets. Once new reader systems are installed on turnstiles at all piers and rail stations, the RFID tickets will also replace traditional tokens.
"We are pleased to be a part of this innovative electronic ticketing system," said Torbjörn Andersson, Confidex Vice President, Sales & Business Development. "Our Contactless PET tickets are designed to provide a high-volume, customizable solution for mass transit applications. Istanbul's "5 in 1" ticket system is a perfect example of the value that contactless technology provides by improving passenger service and increasing ticketing efficiency."
About Confidex
Confidex, headquartered in Tampere, Finland, is a fast growing company with unique expertise in RFID design, manufacturing and system engineering. With offices in Europe, North America and China, Confidex provides high-performing, industry-standard RFID tags for demanding applications in the Aerospace, Automotive, Defense, Petrochemical and Retail Logistics industries; ensuring consistent quality, performance, and reliability at the lowest possible cost. The company's highly experienced team has enabled Confidex to quickly become the trusted partner for major vendors and end-users in the RFID industry.
Confidex's core competencies and experience span HF (high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) antenna design, tag manufacturing, and advanced tag conversion and encapsulation.
For more information, visit www.confidex.net.
About Belbim S.A.
The main activity area of BELBIM is applied engineering in the field of electronic systems, computing hardware and software, related infrastructure and technical operation. The company follows technological developments in the area of informatics, serving the sector through designing, production, installation, management, maintenance and repair of electronic systems, and provides consultancy to the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul. For more information, visit www.belbim.com.tr.
About PLASTKART Plastikkart Akilli Kart Iletisim Sistemleri
Plastikkart Akilli Kart Iletisim Sistemleri Tic Ve A.S, (Plastkart) is a Turkish company with 100% Turkish capital that was founded for the purpose of producing smart cards in Turkey. Plastkart targets Turkey and EEMEA (East Europe, Middle East and Africa) as the main markets in the short and medium terms. For more information, visit www.plastkart.com.