German stadiums embed chips in 2006 World Cup tickets(2)
[author:Margaret Public time:May 24, 2006] |
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Season ticket holders at Cologne’s 1. FC Köln Rhein Energie Stadion began using credit-card sized and shaped plastic entrance tickets with a Philips MIFARE DESFire chip in August 2004. They are read with a MIFARE DESFire SAM ticketing interface. Among the reasons the stadium picked Philips was because it anticipated the decision of World Cup organizers to go with Philips, says Daniel Däuper, in the ticket management department of 1. FC Köln GmbH & Co.
For now, the system at Cologne is being used for access, planning and security. The cards speed up the entrance of fans and the data generated by the system is helping stadium operators make logistical adjustments. For instance, if they determine that a large number of fans tend to arrive at a particular entrance, organizers can post more security guards in that area. Already it appears that a southern entrance to the stadium that is near the area where fans stand rather than sit is a favored entrance.
FC Köln also benefits from extra security for the cardholders, said Markus Luidolt, Philips marketing manager for event ticketing. Each card is unique and if it is lost or stolen, operators can block the card and replace it.
The Philips chips are fully compatible with ISO 14443 type A. They are also compatible with Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, which allows people to download electronic tickets to their mobile devices and use the mobile devices to enter a venue. Philips and Sony have jointly developed an NFC solution.
The Cologne system investment was a six-figure investment and is designed to supply payment functions that will eventually boost revenues in fan shops and at concession stands, Däuper says. The electronic payment function is planned for the next season.
“Some people say sales could rise 10%, others say they could rise 40% to 50%,” Däuper said, because fans tend to spend more when they don’t have to pay with cash for their drinks and souvenirs.
The system was implemented with a host of service providers. It was purchased through Novo GmbH in Bonn and Bonn-based T-Systems, part of the Deutsche Telekom family, helped with the integration. SportFive Tixx, a software company in Hamburg, also participated. Card readers and software were provided by Axcess, a ticketing technology company based in Salzburg, Austria.
The readers can validate tickets with bar codes or chips. According to Däuper, those implementing the system encountered few problems with the chips. Work on the project began in February and was completed by June. Some software problems arose when data from some chips was transferred to new chips. During the games, an occasional card was unreadable because it was damaged by a fan. Those season ticket holders then took their cards to a service point where information was validated.
Source: http://www.msn.com/
Printed From:http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200605/1148472892.html
Source:Free Press Release
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