VDV eTicket Service GmbH & Co. KG

VDV eTicket Service GmbH & Co. KG (VDV ETS) is a German company owned by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and a group of transport operators and authorities. It is the body responsible for the national electronic fare management (EFM) standard in German public transport, known as eTicket Deutschland. The company issues and maintains the VDV-Kernapplikation (VDV KA) and its successor, (((etiCORE, and operates the central technical systems that make interoperable electronic tickets work across different transport networks. VDV ETS was founded in 2003 as VDV-Kernapplikations GmbH & Co. KG, following a research project launched in 2002 by transport companies, the VDV, the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, and industry partners. It was renamed VDV eTicket Service GmbH & Co. KG in 2014. Its shareholders include major city transport operators such as Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Duisburg and Mainz, regional transport authorities including Rhein-Ruhr, Rhein-Sieg, Rhein-Main, Nürnberg and Oberelbe, the Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, and Deutsche Bahn through DB Vertrieb. The company's activities cover the full lifecycle of electronic ticketing: it publishes specifications, certifies components and participants, manages security keys and certificates, operates the central clearing system for cross-network journeys, runs the control and blocklist service KOSE, and provides the Motics mobile ticketing crypto service. It also offers seminars and consulting for transport operators and suppliers. Through these services, VDV ETS enables passengers to use a single electronic ticket across different German transport networks and ensures that revenue is settled correctly between operators. VDV ETS is a private company, not listed on a stock exchange. Its work is central to German public transport digitalisation, including the Deutschlandticket, for which KOSE is proposed as a nationwide validation and blocking mechanism. The company describes its mission as creating efficiency, progress, security and trust for public transport ticketing, with a focus on IT security, interoperability and digitalisation.

The origins of VDV eTicket Service lie in a research project launched in 2002. Transport companies and authorities, together with the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, the VDV-Förderkreis e.V. and several industry companies, set up the project "Interoperable VDV-Kernapplikation" to develop a common electronic ticket standard for German public transport. To develop and manage this standard, VDV-Kernapplikations GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 2003. The company's core task was to issue the VDV-Kernapplikation (VDV KA), a specification for electronic fare management (EFM) that allows tickets to be used across different transport networks. Over the following years, VDV ETS built up the organisational and technical infrastructure for eTicket Deutschland, including certification of participants and suppliers, security management, and central services. In 2014 the company was renamed VDV eTicket Service GmbH & Co. KG (VDV ETS). By then it had become the central body for electronic ticketing in German public transport, with shareholders including major city operators, regional transport authorities and Deutsche Bahn. A significant step came in 2018 when VDV ETS introduced a clearing system for eTicket Deutschland. This central service enables transport companies and authorities to sell electronic tickets for cross-regional journeys. The development of the clearing system was financially supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The clearing system has three components: product clearing for cross-regional fare, product and price determination; claims clearing for mutual financial claims; and financial clearing (settlement) for payments between all transport companies and authorities. Another important service is KOSE, the control and blocklist service, which has been in regular operation since October 2011. KOSE is a central database that allows tickets and travel authorisations to be checked on board. If a ticket is reported lost or stolen, it is stored in KOSE and can be recognised as invalid nationwide during an inspection. In February 2023, a recommendation and requirements analysis proposed using KOSE for the Deutschlandticket, bringing together issuance and control transactions from all customer contract partners and service providers, and allowing all companies involved in the Deutschlandticket to block or check the ticket via KOSE. VDV ETS also developed Motics (Mobile Ticketing Crypto Service) to address the growing demand for tickets on smartphones. Motics creates a link between the mobile ticket and the passenger's smartphone and displays the digital ticket with a dynamic barcode. It works offline and independently of providers or operating systems. In addition, VDV ETS provides the ASM (application and security management) tool to participants of eTicket Deutschland via the partner IVU Traffic Technologies AG. This web service is used for administration and organisation, for example to define access rights to eTicket Deutschland data. Companies can access ticketing standard specifications and order security components. Registration is required for full access. The company also manages security for participants. It has central keys and security certificates managed in a trust center operated by T-Systems. Secure Application Modules (SAMs), used by transport companies in control devices and ticket machines, are loaded with security keys by Deutsche Telekom Security (DTS) on behalf of VDV ETS. This security procedure allows the network manager to control access. Today VDV ETS continues to develop new technical solutions for transport companies and authorities, and its standard eTicket Deutschland remains the basis for interoperable electronic ticketing in Germany. The company is also involved in the transition to (((etiCORE, the successor to the VDV-Kernapplikation.

• 2023

  Recommendation and requirements analysis proposes using KOSE for the Deutschlandticket.

• 2018

  Clearing system for eTicket Deutschland introduced, enabling cross-regional electronic ticket sales.

• 2014

  Company renamed VDV eTicket Service GmbH & Co. KG.

• 2011

  KOSE control and blocklist service enters regular operation in October.

• 2003

  VDV-Kernapplikations GmbH & Co. KG founded as the development company for the standard.

• 2002

  Research project "Interoperable VDV-Kernapplikation" launched by transport companies, VDV, Fraunhofer IVI and industry partners.

The central standard-setting and service organisation for interoperable electronic ticketing in German public transport, owned by the industry itself.

• eTicket Deutschland

  The national standard for interoperable electronic tickets in German public transport, issued and managed by VDV ETS.

• VDV-Kernapplikation (VDV KA)

  The core specification for electronic fare management (EFM) in German public transport.

• (((etiCORE

  Successor version to the VDV-Kernapplikation, developed by VDV ETS.

• Clearing system

  Central service introduced in 2018 for cross-regional electronic ticket sales, with product, claims and financial clearing components.

• KOSE

  Control and blocklist service, a central database for checking tickets and blocking lost or stolen tickets nationwide.

• Motics

  Mobile Ticketing Crypto Service that links a mobile ticket to the passenger's smartphone and displays a dynamic barcode, working offline.

• ASM tool

  Application and security management web service provided via IVU Traffic Technologies AG for participants of eTicket Deutschland.

1. 1Wir machen (((eTicket Deutschlandeticket-deutschland.de
2. 2VDV eTicket Service – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3VDV eTicket Service GmbH & Co. KG – Wikidatawikidata.org