Success of first MOBiNET meeting

MOBiNET, the new 374 Ertico-led project which plans to develop and run an internet of mobility, a platform that links transport services and end users, recently concluded its first meeting.

By developing a set of common tools and standards (collectively known as MOBiNET), the idea is make to mobile transport services, such as journey planning, automated ticketing, billing and vehicle tracking more accessible and more usable.

As a 'cloud based' system MOBiNET will make it much easier for software developers to create new online transport services (good for business) and make it much easier for people like you and me to use them - which is good for consumers.

By creating a standardised platform, MOBiNET would increase the compatibility of transport services. This increased compatibility means less duplication, less duplication means less confusion, and less confusion naturally makes life easier.  Ease of access sits at the core of MOBiNET.

Jacques Amselem, CEO of 6027 Allianz Telematics and a member of the MOBiNET project team explained the problems with the current market: “The issue we have with telematics is that all the solutions we have seen so far are very vertical and very propriety and this is causing some issues in terms of business development and customer perception. That is why we believe that MOBiNET is the right way to go and we believe that it is the solution for the future development of telematics”

Marco Annoni, innovation area manager at 1983 Telecom Italia, said his company had joined the project to help define a common set of standards: “In our view, the project is innovative because it is a common approach which is not just targeting common interests. In the past we have seen many vertical deployments based on local requirements. With MOBiNET we are aiming to find a solution which is more general, more flexible and more re-usable. Once we have a common view at a European level it will become an enabler for many different stakeholders.”

MOBiNET, with partners from across the continent, aims to continue as a working organisation at the end of the project. This means there are both technical and administrative aspects that need to be considered and the consortium will have to set out a viable business case for MOBiNET.

Project coordinator Paul Kompfner, head of SmartMobility at Ertico, is under no illusion that this will be easy: “Our ambition is to establish MOBiNET as the connected mobility and transport service platform for all of Europe’s travellers and transport service suppliers; it seems a staggering challenge but we are confident we can achieve this since we have the right solution features and partners to do it.”

To help deliver a working and useable system, MOBiNET has adopted a method of accelerated development known as ‘agile’. This means that a fully operational, first-generation system will be released just sixteen months after the project is launched. Tests will take place at eight pilot sites across Europe and the feedback and results gained will then provide input for the development of the system ahead of the next product release. Testing will be conducted with businesses from both inside and outside the project consortium and potential users of the platform are thus invited to work alongside the project team to gain an early experience of MOBiNET’s advantages.

More details on the first MOBiNET meeting can be found here: %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal http://www.ertico.com/the-internet-of-mobility-building-better-its-services-in-europe/ http://www.ertico.com/the-internet-of-mobility-building-better-its-services-in-europe/ false http://www.ertico.com/the-internet-of-mobility-building-better-its-services-in-europe/ false false%>