By Dan Butcher
January 30, 2009
MLB's Tickets.com on a BlackBerry
MLB’s Tickets.com, a global provider of integrated ticketing services, is introducing ProVenueMobile, a client product offering that will let patrons buy tickets from their mobilized Web site.
The offering will launch during the International Ticketing Association’s 30th-annual INTIX Conference & Exhibition in Salt Lake City, UT, taking place Feb. 3-6. The ProVenueMobile platform works in synergy with Tickets@Phone, a feature launched by Tickets.com in 2006 that delivers bar-coded tickets directly to mobile phones.
“The strategy behind Tickets.com’s launch of ProVenueMobile is to provide our clients a complete range of technology products, allowing them to sell from all channels, including mobile, with no restrictions,” said Larry Witherspoon, CEO of Tickets.com, Costa Mesa, CA.
“Being the first to market with not only mobile delivery, but the ability to provide our clients private label mobile sites is a continuation of our strategy to provide the best, most technologically advanced ticketing platform,” he said.
For the technology powering ProVenueMobile, Tickets.com partnered with Usablenet, which specializes in providing companies with the means to translate all existing Web site functionality to a full-featured mobile interface.
Mobile bar code ticketing“Buying a ticket on a mobile device was previously a negative user experience, forcing consumers to click-to-call,” Mr. Witherspoon said. “Tickets.com partnered with Usablenet, a leader in bringing ecommerce technology to mobile devices, to fully mobilize the ticket purchasing experience."
Usablenet's other clients include US Airways, NWA, American Airlines, Pfizer, Amtrak, Marriott, 1-800-Flowers, Nissan, Travelocity, CTIA, McGraw-Hill, Campbell's Soup, conEdison, Virgin, Hilton, The Waldorf-Astoria, Four Seasons, New York's Metropolitan Transport Authority and Hertz.
MLB's Tickets.com on an iPhoneTickets.com claims that ProVenueMobile’s combination of technologies allows for an entirely mobile, green and secure ticket transaction.
ProVenueMobile is compatible with all makes and models of Internet-enabled mobile devices.
Tickets.com can activate individual mobile Web sites that let ticket buyers search listings and make real-time purchases from a mobile phone without the need to click-to-call to complete the transaction.
Following a purchase, customers can then digitally receive unique bar-coded tickets using the proprietary Tickets@Phone technology from Tickets.com, enabling a full-circle mobile ticket-buying experience.
Tickets.com claims that clients mobilizing their Web sites through the ProVenueMobile suite of services will reap the benefits of the booming mobile sales channel, including expanded reach and increased revenue through the proliferation of mobile devices worldwide.
ProVenueMobile extends a client's existing ecommerce site into a mobile experience.
“Our new platform allows us to rapidly offer new, advanced ticketing solutions to the market and our clients,” Mr. Witherspoon said. “We have the ability to develop in-house solutions or to partner with best-of-breed companies.
“Tickets.com partners with other companies to bring additional value to our clients and consumers,” he said. “To mention a few: Thumbplay, Givex, Turnkey, Mondial Assistance (SM) and StubHub.”
On the consumer side, buyers can access a venue, organization or team's branded mobilized site and online ticket inventory using their handset, getting rid of the need to navigate box office lines.
Tickets.com is a provider of integrated event ticketing solutions for thousands of arts, entertainment and sports organizations worldwide.
Tickets.com has been a privately held subsidiary of MLB Advanced Media LP since 2005.
The company also sells tickets directly to consumers at http://www.tickets.com.
“Mobile ticketing is still relatively new to North America, so by launching the ProVenueMobile product, we continue to be innovators in the ticketing industry,” Mr. Witherspoon said.
“Consumer adoption is continuing to grow as advances in technology such as Tickets@Phone and ProVenueMobile become available and consumers become more comfortable conducting transactions on their mobile phones,” he said. “The market potential is huge as consumers demand the convenience and flexibility to buy tickets anytime, anywhere.
“Venues that offer these technologies will be able to expand their customer base and satisfy demand.”
Learn more about ProVenueMobile >
