Your trip on a cloud 
5 February 2013 Brussels.

New EU project launches to develop an ‘Internet of mobility’ and simplify the deployment of intelligent transport services in Europe.     Over the next three and a half years the €15.6 million MOBiNET project plans to capitalise on the widespread growth in smartphones mobile data services and cloud-based computing to launch a new generation of travel apps for European citizens and transport services for businesses and local authorities.    Intelligent transport services (ITS) apply leading-edge mobile communications and information technology to make travel safer smarter and cleaner – but the challenge is to deploy these Europe-wide and to create a market for ITS products and services.  The MOBiNET solution is to create a community of transport data and service providers that can link to users through a Europe-wide framework or ‘service platform’.     This platform will help service providers offer enhanced services to existing subscribers as well as to reach new customers.  For users MOBiNET will offer a common interface which will help them find and subscribe to new types of mobile services such as real-time multimodal travel assistance parking guidance booking and payment schemes or Europe-wide virtual tickets for transit services.   To create this ‘Internet of Mobility’ the MOBiNET service platform will deliver the following features:      • An online B2B directory of Europe-wide transport data and services  • A unified mobile accounting payment and clearing system giving users a single account valid throughout Europe and simplifying roaming among providers • An open business environment enabling providers to integrate third-party services with their own products • A secure environment for in-vehicle and portable devices offering users a dedicated app-store and service providers access to MOBiNET-compliant user devices • A business-to-business e-marketplace for the automatic negotiation of service agreements • A Service Development Kit to simplify the creation of innovative MOBiNET services for end- and business users.   To ensure that MOBiNET results in an operational platform attracting the majority of transport and mobility service and data providers the consortium will build the foundations of a public-private organisation driven by its members that will oversee and manage the MOBiNET platform and grow the MOBiNET supplier community beyond the end of the project’s term.

Members of the MOBiNET project consortium at the launch event in Brussels

MOBiNET has adopted a method of accelerated development meaning that a fully operational first-generation system will be released 16 months after the project start. This system will be tested at eight pilot sites across Europe to allow feedback and improvements before the next product release. The goal is to create an early version of the platform that will be improved and extended according to experience of early users. This will include businesses from outside the consortium as well as project partners. Potential users of the platform are thus invited to work alongside the project team to gain an early experience of MOBiNET’s advantages for suppliers and user groups.    Project Coordinator Paul Kompfner Head of SmartMobility at ERTICO ITS – Europe explains his vision:   “Our ambition is to establish MOBiNET as THE Connected Mobility & 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.”   For further information please contact  Ian Bearder i.bearder@mail.ertico.com (+32 2 400 07 38)  or Julie Castermans j.castermans@mail.ertico.com (+32 2 400 07 26)  

The MOBiNET project is comprised of 34 partners. They are: ERTICO – ITS Europe Xerox Pluservice SINTEF NORTH DENMARK REGION TI VTT TOPOS Tecnalia VOLVO TNO Peek Traffic CRF NEC CTAG TfL ACS PTV NXP-NL DLR Mizar IRU Projects Allianz ICCS  Thales Services INFO TRIP AE KEYRESEARCH AAU ACASA Infoblu CGI-NL 5T NPRA GateHouse 

ERTICO is a partnership of Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS) stakeholders active in Europe.  The Partners comprise public authorities industry players infrastructure operators users national ITS associations and other organisations. The ERTICO Partnership and its supporting team of skilled professionals work on a portfolio of activities to accelerate the development and deployment of ITS across Europe and beyond. 
 
A MOBiNET factsheet is available here which gives additional information about the project and the project partners. 

Link to original Article

http://www.ertico.com/your-trip-on-a-cloud/

Original Publication Date: Tue 05 Feb 2013