What Is CSMS? EV Charging Software and Providers in Turkey

First, let us separate the two roles that get confused

In electric vehicle charging, the most common confusion is assuming that the company that operates the network and the company that makes the software managing that network are the same. They are two separate jobs:

• CPO (Charge Point Operator) — the party that installs and operates the charging stations and sells the electricity. In Turkey it obtains a charging network operator licence from EPDK (Energy Market Regulatory Authority). This is the party that invoices the driver.
• CSMS (Charging Station Management System) — the software that manages the devices via OCPP and handles tariffs, authorisation, CDR generation, roaming and reconciliation. The CPO either buys it or develops it itself.

So a charging network brand is not a competitor of a CSMS product; most of the time it is its customer. SmartŞarj is a CSMS — ELPO is not a charging network operator; the brand seen in the field is the customer's.

Software providers active in the CSMS field

Alphabetical, not exhaustive, and it implies no ranking or claim of superiority. Each company's current capabilities and pricing should be verified from its own sources; here we only state that they are active in this field.

• AMPECO (Bulgaria) — charging network management software
• ChargePoint (USA) — charging hardware and network software
• Driivz (Israel) — charging network management software
• SmartŞarj (ELPO Bilişim, Turkey) — described separately below
• Monta (Denmark) — charging management platform
• Virta (Finland) — charging network management platform

Questions to ask when choosing a CSMS

1. Which OCPP versions are supported? 1.6J is widespread; 2.0.1 is required on newer devices. The phrase “OCPP compliant” on its own is not enough — ask about the version and the profile.
2. Is there OCPI for roaming, and which version? Accepting drivers from other networks and reconciling with them depend on it.
3. How do CDR generation and reconciliation work? See how the meter data is matched with the invoice.
4. Can you go to market under your own brand (white-label)? The driver app and the dashboard should be able to carry your brand.
5. Are EPDK reporting obligations supported? If you operate in Turkey, this is a separate layer.
6. Is it hardware-agnostic? Software that works with only one brand of device narrows your future procurement options.
7. Who holds the data and the customer relationship? The contract should make clear who holds the driver data and the payment collection.

Where does SmartŞarj stand in this picture?

• ELPO is not a CPO. We do not operate a charging network and we do not compete with you for the same driver. In the field, the customer's brand is what is seen.
• It works with OCPP and OCPI; the mobile app for drivers (SmartCharge) is part of the software, not a separate product.
• e-Belge under the same roof. ELPO Bilişim is on the official list of private integrators of GİB (the Turkish Revenue Administration) — an invoice arising from charging does not require a second integrator contract (e-Belge is the Turkish e-document system).
• Hardware is optional. AC/DC chargers are also offered, but the software works independently of the device.

For details, see the SmartŞarj page; for definitions of the terms, read the CSMS selection guide.