Custom OCPP integration development
If you manage charge points, you want to know which one is charging, which one is idle and who has charged, regardless of brand. That is possible via OCPP, the open protocol between charge point and backend. Appfront builds OCPP integrations so that charge points from different manufacturers talk to your own system: recording sessions, controlling charge points remotely, managing power and spotting faults before a user calls.
What is an OCPP integration for charge points?
OCPP, the Open Charge Point Protocol, is the open protocol a charge point uses to communicate with a backend. It is maintained by the Open Charge Alliance. Version 1.6 is still the most widely used, 2.0.1 adds better device management and security, among other things, and 2.1 was released in January 2025 as an extension of it and subsequently published by the IEC as IEC 63584-210. Via OCPP, a charge point reports that a session is starting, sends meter readings and faults, and can be controlled remotely by the backend.
Many operators work with the manufacturer's backend or that of a third party. That works, until you have charge points from several brands, want to use the data in your own systems or want to control the power yourself, for example during grid congestion or together with solar panels. Then you are left with separate portals, exports and a fault you only hear about when a user calls.
We build custom because every operator has different chargers, users and systems. Which brands and OCPP versions you use, who charges, how you bill and whether you want to control power determine what the integration needs to do. If your current backend already does everything you need, custom isn't necessary, and we'll tell you so.
Any brand
One backend.
Everything in view
Sessions and faults.
Take control
Power and access.
How we build your OCPP integration for charging stations
We start with your charging stations: which brands and OCPP versions, where they are, who charges, how you bill, and which systems need the data. Then we build a first integration for a subset of your stations, covering sessions, status and faults, because that is where the foundation lies. You work with it for a while. Authorisation, remote control, power management and the integrations with billing and energy management follow once that goes well. After that, we maintain the integration when the protocol or your stations change.
Brands, versions, users.
Sessions and status.
Access, control, power.
Go-live, monitoring, and maintenance when things change.
What an OCPP integration for charging stations actually does
The components below appear in almost every OCPP integration. Which ones you need depends on your stations and your users.
Sessions
Start, stop and meter readings.
Authorisation
By card or app.
Control
Restart remotely.
Power
Manage per site or station.
Breakdowns
Spotted before anyone calls.
Invoicing
Sessions to billing.
Who we build an OCPP integration for charging stations for
The integration is intended for anyone who operates charging stations and wants to keep the data and control in their own hands. The more stations and brands, the more it delivers.
Operators
Public and semi-public.
Fleets
Your own charging hubs.
Real estate
Offices and owners' associations.
Installers
Management for clients.
Technology and integrations
This page is about the integration between charging station and backend. For roaming between networks, see our page on the OCPI integration, for the user our page on the EV charging app, and for energy our page on energy management software. You can read about our approach on custom software development.
Why Appfront for your OCPP integration for charging stations?
A charging station that has been down for days without anyone knowing, a session that doesn't make it into billing, or a site that overloads the grid connection costs an operator money and users. That is what we build around: every brand in one backend, faults you see before the user does, and power you control yourself.
Less downtime
Faults spotted immediately.
Not locked in
To one brand or portal.
Smart charging
Within your connection.
Security and privacy in an OCPP integration for charging stations
Charging sessions contain data about users, cards and times. We only use what is necessary, the connection to the stations is encrypted where the station supports it, access is set up per role, and keys and certificates are stored encrypted.
The backend runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage and daily backups. Every command sent to a station, such as a restart or a release, is logged with name and time.
Frequently asked questions about an OCPP integration for charging stations
Questions managers ask before getting started.
OCPP, the Open Charge Point Protocol, is the open protocol that a charging station uses to communicate with a backend. It is maintained by the Open Charge Alliance. Through OCPP, a station reports sessions, meter readings and faults, and the backend can control the station remotely.
That depends on your stations. Version 1.6 is still the most widespread, 2.0.1 offers better device management and security, among other things, and 2.1 builds on that. The integration can support multiple versions side by side, so old and new stations work together.
OCPP covers the connection between charge point and back end. OCPI covers the exchange between networks, for example so that a driver with another provider's card can charge at your charge point. Many operators need both.
Yes, as long as they speak OCPP. Every brand has its own quirks, so we test the integration with your charge points before they go live.
Yes. Via OCPP, the back end can limit the power per charge point or per site, for example within your grid connection or based on solar panel output. How smart that needs to be, we work out together with your energy management.
The integration detects that the charge point has lost its connection and raises an alert. Sessions the charge point stored in the meantime are processed as soon as it is back online, so no session is lost.
For operators with charge points from several brands who want to use the data in their own systems or control the power themselves. If you have a few charge points from a single brand and the manufacturer's back end does what you need, you don't need a custom integration.
All your charge points in one back end?
Tell us which charge points you manage and how you currently monitor and bill them. We'll show you how the OCPP integration works.