ContactlessNews | NXP et al. deliver contactless transit system for 2014 Olympics

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NXP et al. deliver contactless transit system for 2014 Olympics

Monday, September 6, 2010

NXP Semiconductors announced that its MIFARE Plus contactless microcontroller has been chosen by the Russian city of Sochi to power the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system of its ground transportation network during the 2014 Winter Olympics.

NXP is working with several partners to complete the system, including solution provider and equipment manufacturer Strikh-M, inlay manufacturer SMARTRAC and card manufacturer Novacard.

Serving Sochi’s population of 500,000 residents and one million tourists annually, the MIFARE Plus-based system is designed to improve operational efficiency by eliminating the need for cash. Instead, passengers will be able to purchase and fill up contactless travel cards and season tickets at automatic smart-card payment terminals.

This marks the first rollout of MIFARE Plus in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, according to NXP.

Google plans UK 'Wallet' launch for 2012 Olympics

Google is looking to bring its contactless mobile payments service to the UK in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics, according to eWeek Europe.

Google Wallet, which enables customers to pay, redeem coupons and earn loyalty points all with a single tap of an NFC-enabled phone, could be tested in the UK as early as the first quarter of 2012. French newspaper Les Echos says the company is currently in talks with British banks, retailers and distributors.

Cubic responds to Clipper card exploits

Cubic Transportation Systems, distributor of the electronic transit Clipper card, has responded to the recent news of a Ph.D. student in IT Security allegedly breaking the encryption in Clipper and similar transit cards.

Ahmedabad deploys smart cards for bus transit system

India transport operator Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd. has launched a smart transit card for commuters traveling on the region’s bus system, according to ISO&Agent.

The agency began a six-month trial and August 2010 followed by a soft and silent launch in January 2012. The card is available now for a nonrefundable fee of 25 rupees ($.50 US cents) and allows commuters to travel for up to 100 minutes on one bus, for the minimum fare.

Cape Town goes contactless on taxi fares

The Peninsula Taxi Association (PTA) in South Africa has launched a electronic fare collection system, granting commuters cashless fare and discounts when using the newly developed contactless-enabled transit card, according to The Cape Times.

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