The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

164 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om V I EWPO I NT Smart ticketing in a time of crisis SHYAM S UNDE R : PAY I Q Contactless, secure and multi-modal smart ticketing is a key building block for safe public transport in uncertain times A ndy Grove, former CEO of Intel, once said: “Bad companies are destroyed by crisis, good companies survive them, great companies are improved by them.” On this note, a company that is delivering consist- ent technological innovations for public good brings in great value not just to its shareholders, but to a city or a community. We at PayiQ wish to be addressed as a great company that con- centrates on the future of travelling in the chal- lenging times of the current crisis. Innovation and speed to market have always been our core focus areas, accompanied by superior team competence and perseverance. PayiQ TaaS smart ticketing platform is a smartphone-based system for public trans- port that is quick, secure, easy to use and easy to take into use. At the core of the system is a Microsoft Azure-based back end with intelli- gent fraud prevention and versatile payment methods supported by several payment service providers, such as Cybersource. Travellers can access both city public transport services and private sector mobility solutions with a single smartphone application that is branded accord- ing to the city’s or operator’s visual guidelines. Transport operators are provided with the necessary ecosystem that is executed to align with city administration and operator needs through TaaS back-office administration. Roll- out can be done without having to replace exist- ing infrastructure and with minimal upfront investment. Furthermore, cities can have a Covid-19-resilient smart ticketing system up and running in a few weeks. From an end-user perspective, this will be a single app to take the bus or metro, share cars, pay for parking or other free-floating rides, as well as to have access to services like events and food courts. Tickets can be bundled so the traveller only buys a single ticket that grants access to different modes of transport and covers the whole journey. Our platform also includes ticket validation and integrations to various val- idation methods and equipment manufacturers. In effect, buying, using and validating tickets is contactless and safe. We can help operators to manage ticket prod- ucts, assist in route resourcing and fleet man- agement, risk assessment and in monitoring revenue collection on a real-time basis. All this in a secure environment that is co-owned by the city transport operator. Our platform is universal and easily adaptable to any trans- port operator, like a plug-and-play solution for instantaneous smart ticketing. We believe that smart ticketing can help public transport to overcome this crisis. Shyam Sunder is vice president of global sales at PayiQ “Cities can have a Covid-19- resilient smart ticketing system up and running in a few weeks”