Eclipse Keyple: the users’ perspectives of open-source toolkits in action

CNA exists to empower the transport community to advance ticketing towards a smarter, more innovative ecosystem that accommodates key transit trends while aligning with unique network needs. Open, community-led standards are integral to modern, sustainable ticketing.

Open source technologies can support the benefits that open standards bring. That is why CNA has developed and donated Keyple to the ticketing community, supported by the Eclipse IoT Working Group at the Eclipse Foundation.

Thanks to Keyple, Public Transport Operators (PTOs) and Authorities (PTAs) can modify ticketing terminal software independently from their existing providers. This significantly reduces the risk of costly vendor lock-in and supports a more creative, innovative ecosystem without the need for extensive training among developers to deliver sustainable ticketing upgrades.

Many organisations are already using Keyple to support and evolve their ticketing setup. I spoke separately with a few of them to find out more…

Please can you briefly summarise your network’s experience with smart, contactless ticketing? 

SNCF

“We have and will always see contactless as the gateway to achieve interoperability and to offer the best fare package for our passengers. Having first implemented Calypso-based contactless ticketing solutions more than 20 years ago, it is now the core pillar of the ticketing system for our regional train networks.”

RATP Smart Systems

“In the last couple of years, we have seen a significant increase in the use of mobile ticketing alongside a growing interest in MaaS and MaaS-ready ticketing. We are targeting both of these as part of our plans to provide a future-proof, smart contactless ticketing solution to passengers.”

How have CNA and open standards supported your smart ticketing journey so far?  

SNCF

“The openness and scalability of Calypso was essential in allowing us to independently develop our ticketing offering and benefit from a choice between several different card suppliers. Also, the interoperability of Calypso means it is now the core ticketing standard for 99% of the French public transit networks.”

RATP Smart Systems

“Calypso solutions and Open Standards have been vital to RATP. They are widely used on our networks and benefitting our customers and supporting operators who have deployed our ticketing solutions and need to intervene in any way with routine maintenance.”

What was your first impression of Eclipse Keyple?

SNCF

“SNCF believes the development of Calypso-ready terminal software should come at a low cost for networks. We have been pushing the concept of an open-source toolkit from the beginning. We see this as a critical advance in ensuring networks are not bound to existing suppliers or ticketing integrators.”

RATP Smart Systems

“Using Keyple for the first time was an interesting experience and allowed us to develop a smart ticketing solution from scratch. Also, it allowed our developers who were not familiar with Calypso technology to operate independently in the knowledge that their solution will still be Calypso-ready.”

What key issues in your ticketing infrastructure have (or could be) solved with Keyple? What challenges did you overcome and what benefits do you now (or hope to) see? 

SNCF

“We are moving towards a centralised ticketing sales system that will address various sales channels such as mobile app, vending machines, counter sales, kiosks, high-street retailers. As we do this, it’s clear that Keyple is the perfect tool, because we can harmonise terminals throughout our networks, even if the hardware or local operating system is different. Also, as it is open-source, we can specifically request it in our tenders for ticketing terminals.”

Île-de-France Mobilités

“An important issue facing any transit network is ticketing fraud. This is true with IDFM. Previously, transport operators in the Paris region carried out their own investigations, but in 2020, Île-de-France Mobilités launched a contract to carry out its own investigations and control customer passes regardless of the carrier. Our biggest challenge was developing the equipment to support this programme, as we could not ask independent investigators to equip themselves with pro devices. A consolidated, centralised ticket reader application was needed. Thanks to Keyple, a complete application for use on any Android smartphone was designed, developed, and commissioned in less than a year. It means investigators can quickly and easily tell – using one device only – whether passengers are in a regular situation with their Navigo pass or not. By the end of 2022, this app will be used for all fraud investigations throughout the Île-de-France Mobilités networks.”

RATP Smart Systems

“Even though we had a smart ticketing solution that has been used for several years, this could only be used with one specific type of reader. Using Keyple, we were able to develop a solution that could be used with multiple readers. It is often a challenge to recruit developers for smart ticketing, but Keyple makes developing terminal software more abstract and much more manageable.”

What has been your experience of using Keyple and accessing the CNA community? 

RATP Smart Systems

“Eclipse Keyple, just like Calypso, is part of a like-minded community. We have been able to access other developers using Keyple and discuss issues such as identifying and rectifying the occasional bug and asking for support on more challenging topics.”

What would you say to other transit operators and authorities considering using Keyple to support their ticketing terminal infrastructure? 

SNCF

“Using Keyple for your terminal software upgrades means you have access to the best Calypso-ready solution, and it is a guaranteed tactic to ensure independence. Also, thanks to its modular approach, it allows networks to focus on the upper layers of the ticketing system, bringing more value to the operator.”

Île-de-France Mobilités 

“Île-de-France Mobilités chose Keyple as a key component of its long-term cost control strategy, and we would strongly recommend it to any other member of the transit community looking to lower costs while developing innovative new software.”

RATP Smart Systems

“Using Keyple to create ticketing software updates is significantly easier, as more challenging aspects are made accessible after being broken down and documented. It’s a great tool if you are considering designing a smart ticketing solution. This is especially true if your solution needs to work with multiple terminal reader types or support local Secure Access Modules and Hardware Security Modules.”

Discover more about Keyple and visit our Keyple resources.