Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solutions are evolving into mobility ecosystems that integrate a wide range of diverse and dispersed platforms.

In this post, we will explore how crucial it is to properly design the various components that make up such a platform in order to support scalability challenges, agility in new integrations, adaptation to new environments and technologies, and urban growth.

The goal? To offer the end-user a unique and seamless experience.

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Challenges and Opportunities in Urban Mobility

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Urban mobility today faces a series of significant challenges:

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• Fragmentation and Disconnection: There is a lack of integration between public and private operators, as well as between different modes of transport, especially in first- and last-mile connections. This limits efficiency and accessibility for end-users.

• Obsolescence and Inefficient Management: Many operators still use outdated software and manage data in a static manner, hindering the provision of real-time information and fleet optimization.

• Urban Inefficiency and User Distrust: Urban infrastructure is often not optimized to maximize data use, leading to a poor user experience characterized by a lack of personalization and an overreliance on private transportation.

• Environmental Impacts: Inefficient mobility contributes to pollution and negatively affects air quality and quality of life in cities.

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From a Fragmented System to a Connected Ecosystem

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Since the conceptualization of MaaS (Mobility as a Service) in 2015, and in light of these challenges, the market has gradually recognized the need for connected mobility solutions and the value of services aimed at more sustainable, digital, and efficient mobility.

More and more, public transport consortia and authorities are seeking ways to solve the puzzle of urban mobility, while public agencies focus on city sustainability through the promotion of active mobility.

Connected mobility involves integrating all available modes of transport (both public and private) into a single channel (app or API) that allows users to plan, book, and pay for their journeys seamlessly.

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Key Features:

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• Intermodal Connections: Allows customers to book and pay for any mode of transport (or multiple modes) in a single trip.

• Multimodal Routes: Combines various transport options and operators, from free-floating to station-based modes.

• Sustainable Mobility: Connected mobility promotes a cleaner, more cost-effective system that reduces congestion in cities—an alternative to private cars.

• User Preferences: Meep provides accurate routes based on user preferences, contextual information, and real-time operator data.

• Efficient Payment: Creates and validates virtual tickets for all modes of transport in any journey. Simplifies and unifies transactions within the same application.

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The CIO’s Approach to Defining the MaaS Infrastructure

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To build a MaaS or connected mobility platform, it is essential to correctly design its various components. This is where the role of the CIO (Chief Information Officer) comes into play.

For a CIO, technology should be a business enabler. They focus on reducing technology costs to enable business growth and facilitate the integration of technology across the organization.

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CIO’s Responsibilities in Relation to Infrastructure and Software:

• Considers whether the company is a startup or a multinational to choose the appropriate infrastructure.

• Decides between prioritizing open licenses or using specific technologies.

• Seeks agility in setting up and dismantling the infrastructure.

• Requires automatic scalability and self-managed services.

• Evaluates the need for security versus the ease of implementing security mechanisms.

• Decides whether to build a team to manage the infrastructure or use self-managed infrastructure.

• Focuses on developing quality software to avoid costly increases in memory and CPU, ensuring it is properly structured and encapsulated.

• Isolates the software that impacts the core of the business and structures the non-core part in a scalable manner.

• Ensures that the business core is solid and capable of supporting the non-core part.

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The CIO’s role involves considering business complexities, from growth to international expansion. Whether the company experiences rapid initial growth followed by stagnation, or a slow start followed by a sudden increase, the CIO must be prepared to adapt.

This is why it is crucial that the business core is managed internally by the best available team, preferably in-house, while the non-essential part can be outsourced to handle workload peaks.

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The 4 Fundamental Components of a Scalable MaaS Platform

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To build a robust and scalable MaaS infrastructure, the following components must be considered:

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1. Basic Architecture:‍

To ensure a solid infrastructure, a technology-neutral IaaS is carefully chosen. The software architecture is based on microservices with Spring Boot, promoting flexibility and modularity, while prioritizing the use of open-source software and basic technology-independent services. The application can be deployed on different systems and is automated with Jenkins.

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2. Application:‍

The application is fully "apified" with a RESTful API, allowing seamless integration with various services and offering a multichannel, multilingual, and multibrand experience. Exposed services include authorization, profile management, real-time multimodal planning, fares, bookings, and payments.

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3. Security:‍

Security is always a priority from the outset. Application-level measures are implemented to protect data and privacy, including a single access point, burst control, rate limiting, and authorization control. Perimeter security is reinforced with a WAF and a custom firewall.

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4. Data:‍

A data analytics and BI platform is used to optimize the user experience and improve service efficiency. Data on transport demand, behavior patterns, and traffic zones are analyzed, and the environmental impact and citizens' quality of life are evaluated.

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The Impact of Scalability

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In summary, scalable architectures in MaaS are essential for addressing the current and future challenges of urban mobility, providing integrated, efficient, and secure solutions that benefit both users and cities.

Thanks to a scalable infrastructure, Meep has integrated more than 160 operators, managed over 4.5 million daily backend interactions, and developed more than 7 multi-country white-label applications.

This approach has enabled the coexistence of various transport services and other urban services, improving the quality of life in cities.

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