TMN Enables Digital Transformation on Public Buses with Technological Provision from NTT Communications, Officially Adopted for Niigata City Digital Innovation Promotion Subsidy Program

Transaction Media Networks, Inc. (TMN) announced that its project on public bus’s digital transformation will be implemented with the technology provided by NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), and the same project has been selected to receive the Niigata City Digital Innovation Creation Promotion Subsidy Program for Japan Fiscal Year 2024.

Contributing to a Sustainable Regional Public Transportation with Bus Usage Visualization

TMN is currently promoting initiatives to accurately grasp the actual usage of public buses using face recognition technology and location information technology, with the aim of improving the local public transportation convenience and sustainability.

In the last fiscal year, TMN has conducted PoC on public buses operated by Niigata Kotsu Co.,Ltd. in Niigata City using the “JFY2023 Niigata City Proof-of-Concept Study Support Subsidy Program”. TMN has also conducted PoC on the autonomous buses with Kan-etsu Transportation Co., Ltd. in Shibukawa City to confirm the accuracy and issues of the bus usage visualization system.

The results of last fiscal year’s experiments recognized that there are issues related to facial recognition accuracy and location information acquisition, and after consultations with NTT Com, TMN plans to conduct further PoC for the practical application of a bus usage visualization system by receiving technologies such as the AI face recognition software SAFR® and the data transmission platform intdash® from NTT Com.

Aiming to Transform Transportation Sector’s Payment System to Cloud-based Server

The transportation sector’s payment systems mostly use a conventional rich-client payment service where fare calculations and payment processing are all processed within a payment terminal, leading to high costs for transportation operators. TMN is aiming to develop a thin-client mobility multi-payment system that outsources system processing to a cloud-based server, which will enable multiple payment methods and payment brands to be supported by a single payment terminal. This will furthermore improve convenience by lowering barriers to the introduction and maintenance of electronic payments for transportation operators.

About JFY2024 Niigata City Digital Innovation Creation Promotion Subsidy Program

Niigata City Digital Innovation Creation Promotion Subsidy Program is a system in which Niigata City partially subsidizes the cost of PoC using digital technology with the aim of improving corporate productivity and achieving sustainable growth.

• SAFR is a registered trademark of RealNetworks, Inc.
• intdash is a registered trademark of aptpod, Inc.