ts.com

Salford Reds win with mobile tickets

Leading ticketing technology provider ts.com Ltd. teamed up with its partners Trinity Mobile and Gavitec to pilot the latest in SMS event ticketing for the Salford City Reds Rugby Club. Fans were able to use their mobile phones to get entry to the exciting home game win against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on Friday 19 th August.

The SMS ticketing pilot comes as an addition to the multi-channel ticketing service ts.com has been providing the club during the 2005 season, which has enabled fans to buy over the web, phone and on the day of the game.

Working with Trinity Mobile, providers of the latest high performance phone scanning kiosks and Gavitec AG, suppliers of specialist barcode readers, ts.com was able to offer Salford Reds' fans the opportunity to receive a mobile ticket via SMS for the first time.

Fans received a ticket on their mobile handset, which included a 2-d matrix barcode containing data unique to the ticket holder and event. The bespoke ticketing service meant that tickets could be sent to all makes of phone and could also be scanned and verified from all phones at stadium access control points. Scanning during the pilot had a 99% success rate compared with only 50% achieved during previous trials using traditional scanning hardware. At the ground, the mobile ticket was not only discounted from the normal ticket price, it also acted as a promotional voucher entitling the customer to a free beer or burger.

Commenting on this innovative ticketing service Salford Reds CEO Dave Tarry said, “With the move to our newly-designed and purpose-built stadium in 2007, we wanted fans to experience one of the brand new innovations we will also be bringing to our event ticketing. We are delighted with the positive feedback from the fans”.

Matthew Hare, Managing Director of ts.com added, “We are delighted with this latest addition to our ticketing product portfolio. Our alliance with Trinity Mobile and Gavitec allows us to offer a new and innovative ticketing technology to our clients and their customers. Received very favourably by the fans and easy to use, we look forward to increasing interest in using SMS ticketing from the sports and other ticketing industries”.

Trinity Mobile Managing Director, Rod McKinty said, “We are seeing tremendous business growth with our enabling technology solutions. Salford Reds are a very forward-looking club as their new stadium proves, and we look forward to working with ts.com to roll out the solution to other clubs and venues in the coming months”.