Masabi, a developer of mobile ticket purchase software for mass-market phones, says it has successfully collaborated with Access IS to produce optimised mobile barcode scanners for use in high volume, mass-transit situations. The new scanners are said to have overcome the issues of speed and reliability previously associated with mobile barcode scanning and are now claimed to deliver a similar level of experience to that offered by Oyster and Near Field Communications (NFC) systems, on the vast majority of mobile phone handsets with no hardware modifications.
Testing has shown that the new scanner can reliably scan, decode, decrypt and validate a mobile e-ticket in an average of just 240 milliseconds, it's claimed.
Previously, mobile barcode usage has been confined to small-scale pilot studies and for airport check-in where the process is far slower and scanners are handled by trained operators. The pilot studies are said to have shown hand-held mobile barcode scanners to be, at times, unreliable and slow, with regular problems scanning certain handsets. As a result, transport managers have viewed them as not ready for use in mass-transit applications such as bus and train ticketing.
This new product breakthrough is claimed to mark a watershed for mobile barcode technology by providing a service comparable to NFC or Oyster style systems using a technology that is already ubiquitous. Moreover, mobile barcode offers significant benefits over NFC for non-metropolitan transport systems because the mobile phone acts as both a delivery platform and a ticket sales platform. Mobile handsets provide a complete ticketing and timetable experience at passengers' convenience, signalling the end of station queues, says Masabi.
"This new scanner innovation removes the final barrier to the adoption of mobile eTickets, and marks the end of having to queue for your train ticket," said Ben Whitaker, CEO of Masabi, "Now that you can buy your ticket on your mobile and get through the barrier without breaking step, everyday travel can be more convenient, and stations more efficient. Most importantly, this technology is for everyone, not just the Smartphones and iPhones, but even seven-year-old standard mobile handsets."
Access IS managing director, Roger Wylie, commented, "Having been at the forefront of barcode reading in stadiums and airports, with thousands of turnstile, boarding gate and check-in desk installations, we've been delighted to adapt these proven technologies to meet the particular challenges of mass-transport. Together with Masabi, we're confident that we offer a fast and intuitive ticketing alternative for the travelling public."