Nokia's HERE Maps division and other companies today announced the Open Mobile Ticketing Alliance, a new organization they hope will create a single, global standard for NFC-based mobile transit tickets. The goal of the OMTA is to develop a "register once, travel anywhere" system that's interoperable with payment vendors and transit operators around the world. The OMTA wants to standardize the way the phone and transit systems communicate with one another so users can have the same travel experience no matter which city they are traveling in. The idea is to let people purchase transit tickets through a single app and use their NFC-equipped handset to tap their way onto buses, trains, and subways. The OMTA has already conducted limited trials and expects to launch wider trials in several cities around the world later this year. Other participants in the OMTA include Scheidt & Bachmann, Thales, and Verifone Mobile Money.


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