SilverRail Adopts OSDM in its Global Rail Distribution Platform

SilverRail is excited to announce that its global rail distribution platform will include an Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM) connector. The announcement is an important step in improving the way ground transportation is retailed — supporting SilverRail’s mission to change the way we move and build a greener planet.

At the end of 2021, we set out on building a unified distribution platform that consolidates over 21 years of experience helping rail operators and travel agencies transform how they serve customers and run their businesses.

Our goal is to provide SilverRail’s clients with a next-generation content platform that leverages the latest technologies and best practices from across our global engineering and product teams — providing a single hub to sell combined travel easily and cost-effectively.

As part of the delivery of this new-and-improved platform, we have committed to building an OSDM connector as part of our portfolio of integrations, offering a streamlined and scalable solution. We see OSDM as a future-proof and reliable modal to optimise the booking process for travellers and reduce the distribution costs for retailers and carriers.

As the Head Of Portfolio Management at SilverRail Technologies AB, Håkan Augustsén, puts it:

“OSDM presents an opportunity for the rail industry to move away from bespoke interfaces and move to a common language. Doing so will make connecting to rail content easier, which should drive more cross-border rail.”

What Is OSDM?

OSDM is an evolution of the new Tariff Model (nTM) and Full Service Model (FSM 2.0) initiatives — two innovations that sought to standardise processes involved in selling public transport content to travellers via a combination of retailers, distributors and carriers.

Tariff Model (nTM)

Initiated by UIC, nTM builds on the existing PRIFIS (PRIce and Fare Information Storage) database to define new standards for retailing offline fix-priced segments and online dynamically-priced segments.

Fare providers feed priced segments into a central distributor that then processes this information into consistent fare offers that are presented to travellers as booking options or tickets.

Full Service Model (FSM 2.0)

FSM 2.0 was developed to standardise and simplify the distribution of public transport products and services via a unified interface. Similarly to nTM, FSM 2.0 defines a series of open standards to streamline the management of bookings, reservations and a number of additional services that help to enhance traveller experiences.

OSDM builds on these two innovations to deliver a truly unified experience that makes it easier than ever for retailers and carriers to interface with public transport data and deliver consistent content to their customers.

Benefits of OSDM for SilverRail’s Distribution Platform

SilverRail’s Head Of Portfolio Management, Håkan Augustsén, describes the following benefits of building our unified distribution platform with an OSDM connector:

Wide-Spread Adoption

Lots of rail operators including SJ, Samtrafiken and Vy are already adopting OSDM. The model is set to be the industry standard — its growing popularity will mean the interface between retailers, distributors, carriers and travellers will be smoother and more diverse than ever.

Third-Party Integrations

SilverRail’s new-and-improved distribution platform will also integrate with Hermes and a suite of bespoke third-party connections.

Rich Content

With OSDM, SilverRail handles all of the heavy lifting and simplifies complex feeds of content so that agencies and other retailers can easily access multiple rail markets. Our OSDM connection provides clients with a breadth of public transport content that is rich, accessible and easy to handle.

Minimal Technical Development

SilverRail’s distribution platform is designed for seamless migration, set-up and integration. We provide clients with an elegant interface that requires minimal development work for agencies or retailers.

“SilverRail’s customers will benefit from the new solution without bearing any significant migration costs in moving to a new platform. Our team is so proud to play its part in pioneering green transportation.”

-Anders Aronsson, Head of Commercial at SilverRail Technologies AB.

Changing the Way We Move

We are incredibly excited about pairing our unified distribution platform with OSDM to make it easier than ever to retail public transport, change the way we move, and build a greener planet.

As SilverRail’s VP Of Product Management, Jean-David Oladele, puts it:

“SilverRail’s OSDM connector furthers our commitment to building more efficient, consistent, and scalable travel products. Products that make rail easy by improving the way travellers and others in the rail ecosystem find, buy, and use rail.”

For media inquiries, please contact:

Frederic Kalinke, Marketing Director at SilverRail

e: marketing@silverrailtech.com

About SilverRail Technologies (www.silverrailtech.com)

SilverRail is delivering the digital infrastructure for the global rail industry.

SilverRail’s technology makes rail easy for rail operators, travel agencies and travellers. Its product suite spans the full customer experience: journey planning, distribution, fulfilment, customer service and data insight.

SilverRail:

• Handles more than 1 billion online rail searches each year
• Distributes tickets for more than 35 providers and carriers
• Processes more than 30 million bookings each year
• Serves more than 1,500 corporate customers worldwide
• SilverRail was founded in 2009 and has offices in London, Boston, Stockholm and Brisbane.