Bus operator First UK Bus is rolling out m-ticketing across its operations in the U.K., according to an announcement from company technology partner Corethree. The First Bus mobile tickets app allows customers to buy tickets, download them to their phone and have them available for inspection.

First UK Bus m-tickets already are on offer in Aberdeen and Worcester, and further rollouts across the company's other operations are planned for 2014. First UK Bus has a fleet of 6,500 buses and operates 20 percent of the U.K.'s bus services.

First Bus UK's m-ticketing service is hosted by the Core Engine platform from Watford, U.K.-based technology company Corethree. Core Engine provides real-time monitoring as well as business intelligence and analytics.

To prevent fraud, Corethree uses a digitally-watermarked mobile e-ticket and user profiles for authentication.

Other Corethree transport clients include Go Ahead, the Transdev transport group, Rotala, Lothian Buses and Cardiff City Transport Services.

Corethree's m-ticketing app is available for both iOS and Android smartphones. The cloud-based app can be updated instantly and has potential for future commercial use, Corethree said.

According to a Corethree blog, in the first eight weeks after the launch of Lothian Buses' mobile ticketing app in November 2013, more than 100,000 m-tickets were sold.