another story on octopus in hong kong

What gets me is that ERG are not mentioned in this story again. The Octopus system is brilliant in HK, it is being used everywhere. In Universities it is used for photocopying, buying snacks, and in 7-11 stores it is used, in addition to trains, buses and ferries. Further, it is used at parking stations.

Who is making maoney out of it?

Desmond

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

MTRC to share gains with Octopus


DENISE TSANG

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Celebrating the export of the Octopus are (from left): Eric Tai of Octopus; Andre Brouwer, consul-general of the Netherlands; Secretary for Commerce John Tsang; and Phil Gaffney of the MTRC. Picture by Dustin Shum

MTR Corp (MTRC) and its subsidiary Octopus Cards will share a combined $200 million income from a consultancy project in the Netherlands, which will introduce the popular Octopus electronic payment system nationally.
The two firms will be responsible for providing the central clearing system software and operating the electronic ticketing system for the country's public transport network, which includes trains, buses, trams and ferries.

MTRC acting chief executive Phil Gaffney said it was now looking at expanding the Octopus system in other parts of Europe and had already qualified to tender for a public transport electronic payment system in Copenhagen, Denmark. "We are also looking at similar projects in Switzerland, North America, Asia and especially China," he said.

Expanding overseas through its consultancy services unit is a key business strategy for MTRC as its property development and fare revenue face challenges from a poor market and deflation.

The Dutch project, the first phase of which is due for implementation next September, was awarded to a three-company consortium, East West, comprising Thales, Accenture and Vialas. Thales sub-contracted part of the job to MTRC and its 57.4 per cent owned Octopus.