Confidex, Thales to Launch Flexible Clap Card for Mass Transit Market

Confidex and Thales have formed an exclusive partnership to develop a flexible smart media for Calypso-based system. Under the terms of the agreement, Thales provides Confidex with a Gemalto operating system that complies with the Calypso Light application (CLAP). CLAP is a shrunk version of Calypso, ideal for low-cost and high-volume contactless paper-based card used in public transport.

As an example, Paris region occasional riders have relied on magstripe tickets to access the Metro, the buses and the train for decades. Last year, Ile de France authorities announced plans to replace those tickets with two new types of fare media to offer new services. Thales and Confidex are offering a reloadable product to help reduce cost and waste associated with the more than 550 million magnetic tickets printed each year.

Confidex uses Gemalto’s software solutions to create a new category of microprocessor-based smart media. These products include durable contactless paper cards, embedded with a PET layer that reinforces the structure. This makes the product resistant to the harsh environments associated with transport applications.