The mobile phone is the new ticket office

The passengers in the metropolitan area (in Denmark) will soon be able to buy their bus-, metro- and train tickets by means of a sms. That is the outcome of an agreement which the Danish IT-company Unwire has just entered with DSB, Movia and Metroselskabet. Earlier this year, Unwire has entered into a similar agreement with Stockholms Lokaltrafik in Sweden and according to Unwire CEO Peter Bredgaard, there is a great interest in the use of sms as a means of payment within all trades.

This means the end to coins, multi ride tickets and lines at the ticket counter. As of the first quarter of 2009, you can buy your ticket via a sms. The Danish company Unwire is behind the new mobile solution which makes it possible to buy bus-, metro- and train tickets by means of a sms shortly before entering the bus or train. The ticket is invoiced on the mobile phone invoice and is issued via a sms. Unwire, which is behind several mobile portals as well as integrated platforms for handling mobile services, has delivered the solution to the transport authorities.

”This is a large order with a large customer and we look forward to the cooperation with the transport authorities. Earlier this year, we won a similar agreement for Stockholms Lokaltrafik in Sweden and on top of this; we are market leaders within mobile solutions in Scandinavia. The knowledge and experience which Unwire has gained using the mobile phone as a method of payment through many years is now applied to the new ticket solution”, Unwire CEO Peter Bredgaard says.

Secure and easy solution
The new mobile ticket solution is a secure and easy way to use both for the user and for the supplier. The passenger sends a sms with start destination and number of zones wished to use. The system will find out by itself the correct number of zones. Within a minute, the ticket ordering is complete and the passenger receives a confirmation sms which works as a ticket. Later on, the passenger can control his personal buying history on the home page of the transport authorities. The solution includes both the handling of tickets, delivery of tickets as well as the administrative module which makes it possible for the transport authorities to control the purchase of tickets. This means that it has become more difficult to cheat (not buying a ticket) as compared to the traditional ticket system.

”We have delivered a solution which provides increased service and flexibility to the passengers and at the same time provides the transport authorities with an increased security when it comes to purchase of tickets. The system is stable and can handle a large number of transactions so that both customer and supplier can benefit from the solution”, Peter Bredgaard says.

Increasing demand for mobile solutions
Mobile tickets are still a new thing in Denmark but according to Unwire, there is an increasing demand for the use of the mobile phone as a method of payment. And it applies not only to the transport trade but also to other trades:
” In general we see that there is an increasing demand from the Danes for using mobile solutions whether it is buying a train ticket via a sms, checking your bank account on the mobile phone or participating in a television vote. Therefore we experience that an increasing number of companies contact us to get our help to work out mobile solutions including methods of payment – simply because it provides the companies with new business possibilities”.

For further information, please contact: Unwire CEO Peter Bredgaard at +45 3010 0599.