Hong Kong's Octopus smartcard system was launched in 1997. The high level of reliability and convenience enables Octopus diversified applications. Nowadays, virtually all public transport modes in Hong Kong accept Octopus. Its savvy use also covers parking, retail, vending machines, kiosks, leisure facilities and access control for residential and commercial buildings. Currently, 10 million Octopus cards are in circulation, with the Octopus System handling about 8 million transactions per day, amounting to HK$54 million.



MTR and Octopus together secured a series of contracts with Thales to create an Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system in the Netherlands. The two companies will work with the East-West Consortium to provide the Central Clearing House System Software as well as expertise in the operation of a new public transport e-ticketing system. The new system will be the first in the world to be implemented on a national scale and will offer integrated travel covering all modes of public transport including train, bus, tram, metro and ferry. The first phase for the Rotterdam area is planned for September 2004.