By
Rebecca Gibson |
Fjord Line and Carus have set a world record in the industry with the ferry line’s introduction of a contactless, radio-frequency identification (RFID) smart card technology. When new ferry Stavangerfjord began operating between Bergen, Stavanger and Hirtshals, passengers were for the first time able to use their contactlesss boarding cards to open their cabins, and to register their boarding and disembarkation.
Carus timed the implementation of this innovative technology for Fjord Line to coincide with the introduction of the new generation of cruise ferries in May 2013. The project incorporates new developments within the Carus ferry reservation software as well as the RFID-enabled boarding scanners and ticket printers used to encode RFID tags and print boarding cards. The smart cards also double as cabin keys and boarding cards for registering when passengers arrive on the ferry, as well as when they leave for shore excursions or end their cruise.
Fjord Line IT manager, Linda Selle, has been responsible for procuring this project at a stage when time and resources have been strained by the introduction of two new ferries. “Adding two new cruise ferries to our operation is a huge project and has kept our IT organisation busy, so we are glad to have a solution from Carus that supports us in all our business process changes,” she says.
The RFID-enabled Carus software is designed to make the check-in and boarding process as smooth as possible – passenger and ticket information stored on the RFID tag means boarding can continue outside of network coverage with the scanner updating the central system automatically as soon as it is online again.
A new handheld scanner from Motorola has also been introduced to the Carus product range. The Motorola MC75 reads both 1D and 2D bar codes, including QR codes, and may also be equipped to read RFID tags. The scanner is used to manage boarding, registration and disembarking in all ports where Fjord Line is operating.
A brand new Boca Systems ticket printer with an RFID encoder allows boarding cards to be printed and encoded on disposable paper tickets at a similar cost to the standard magnetic stripe tickets traditionally used in combination boarding card and cabin keys products.
Carus CEO Anders Rundberg adds: “Working closely with clients, we can come up with the most innovative solutions so we are able to stay at the forefront of technical development. Seeing our customers being first with this type of customer-facing solution is the best testimonial.”
The reason for Fjord Line investing in this new technology, Selle concludes: “RFID support allows us to serve our travellers better than any other ferry operator.”
This article appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2013 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read other articles, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.