Showing posts with label provenue mobile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label provenue mobile. Show all posts

Friday, July 2, 2010

MLB teams step up to the mobile ticketing plate

13 major league baseball teams let fans purchase seats using mobile devices.

Internet Retailer
Brian Rogal


With m-commerce picking up steam, concert halls and sports teams want in on the action (and sales). Thirteen major league baseball teams including the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A’s, recently began allowing fans to purchase seats using such hand-held devices as the BlackBerry or iPhone.

The teams, which all operate mobile sites on technology provided by Tickets.com Inc., decided to begin offering ticket purchasing on their sites within the past year to take advantage of strong growth in traffic, says Sheri Fink, head of e-commerce and strategic alliances at Tickets.com.

Steve Fanelli, executive director of ticket sales for the Oakland A’s, says his team sends about 1,000 bar-coded tickets for each game to fans’ mobile phones, though so far only a few hundred of those tickets are also purchased on a phone, with most of the rest bought through a PC. When a fan arrives at the ballpark with a mobile phone ticket, a gate keeper scans the bar code on his mobile phone screen.

Fanelli adds that, even though he expects mobile commerce ticket sales to grow slowly, it holds a lot of long-term promise. “It’s not huge right now, and it’s certainly not taking over as the dominant channel to purchase tickets,” he says. “Most people still prefer to go to a regular PC or use cash.”

However, he believes it’s important to offer the option, pointing out that when baseball clubs first began selling tickets over the web it took several years before customers got comfortable with that method.

Before the A’s and the other teams began offering mobile ticket sales, Tickets.com had already been providing each team with its own mobile web site through the company’s branded mobile web site technology, ProVenueMobile, developed in partnership with Usablenet Inc., an m-commerce technology vendor. Usablenet translates the information sent to and from the mobile devices.

Several years ago, the teams began offering game schedules, player statistics and other bits of information on their mobile sites, and many eventually added the more advanced features offered by Tickets.com, such as streaming video. But in the past year, traffic on the teams’ mobile sites doubled. That’s when the teams decided to let fans purchase tickets via the mobile sites, Fink says.

Baseball fans do not need to download an app onto their mobile device to buy tickets, Fink adds. They just get on their team’s mobile site, even if it’s a few minutes before game time, register an account, select the seats they want and pay with a credit card. They then receive a ticket on the mobile device in the form of a bar code.

All major league teams already used bar code scanners for traditional paper tickets, and making them usable for mobile devices required only minor upgrades, Fanelli says. He declined to provide costs related to developing the mobile sites, noting that each team has different contractual terms with Tickets.com to provide a variety of services, with the mobile option being just a small part.

Fanelli says the A’s have pushed mobile technology harder than most teams, and began experimenting with sending bar-coded tickets to mobile devices as early as 2006, although it was not until this April that customers could complete a purchase.

He adds that he believes as mobile devices like Apple Inc.’s iPhones and those that run on Google Inc.’s Android operating system get less cumbersome and more powerful, purchasing tickets via a mobile device will eventually become as standard as web-ticketing is now.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Mobile Commerce Daily: Thirteen MLB teams launch mobile ticketing initiatives

Dan Butcher
Mobile Marketer


Major League Baseball Advanced Media’s Tickets.com has incorporated the ProVenueMobile ticketing service for all 13 of its Major League Baseball clients.

The 13 MLB clubs on the Tickets.com client roster using ProVenueMobile include the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals.

ProVenueMobile powers client-branded ticket transactions to be made 24/7 from select Internet-enabled mobile phones through each club’s mobile Web site, offering fans the option to digitally receive unique bar-coded tickets directly to their mobile phones.

Mobile Commerce Daily’s Dan Butcher interviewed Sheri Fink, head of ecommerce and strategic alliances at Tickets.com, Costa Mesa, CA. Here is what she had to say:

What is the strategy behind the partnership between Tickets.com and the 13 MLB clubs?
Tickets.com is at the vanguard of mobile technologies and Web site mobilization in the ticketing and admissions service industry.

The MLB clubs are very sophisticated and have games that appeal to a mobile-savvy audience.

We are excited to offer these innovative services to 13 MLB clubs as well as a wide variety of other clients.

What challenges does ProVenueMobile address for these teams?
ProVenueMobile enables the teams to sell tickets up to the last minute. Fans want convenience when they are purchasing tickets and arriving at events.

ProVenueMobile provides the ultimate convenience—the ability to purchase tickets anytime, anywhere. It enables fans to buy tickets on the way to the ballpark using their mobile phones.

With Tickets@Phone mobile ticket delivery, fans can also have the tickets delivered directly to their mobile phones without ever having to wait in line at the box office or will call.

ProVenueMobile is open to all mobile phones without requiring fans to download an application.

This allows anyone with an Internet-enabled mobile phone to purchase the teams’ tickets quickly and conveniently just by going to their Web sites.

What demographic is this targeting?
Mobile ticketing appeals to a broad audience. We are currently working with the baseball teams to build a strong mobile fan base.

We have clients in the concert and performing arts industries who are using ProVenueMobile as well.

We are seeing mobile ticketing become especially popular with smartphone users.

How do baseball fans complete a ticket purchase via their mobile device?
Baseball fans simply go to their favorite team’s Web site using their mobile device and select the game for which they would like to buy tickets.

Then, they log into their MLB.com account where their customer information is stored or enter their payment information if they’re a first-time customer.

Fans select their preferred delivery option, make their purchase and then receive a confirmation of their transaction.

If Tickets@Phone mobile ticket delivery is chosen, the ticket bar codes are sent directly to their mobile phone via SMS or MMS.

The ProVenueMobile product contains all of the security features and added functionality available on the teams’ private-label Web sites.

This seamless compatibility with mobile phones enables fans to purchase tickets using promo codes, if applicable, on the teams’ mobile sites.

Mobile transactions are conducted in real time via the ticketing system, so reporting and ticket inventory display up-to-date numbers.

Why is mobile bar code ticketing better for fans and the teams?
Mobile bar code ticketing offers an improved fan experience by providing the ultimate convenience for ticket purchase and delivery. It saves fans time by enabling them to enter the ballpark without waiting in box office or will call lines.

And, because most people carry their mobile phones all the time, the potential for lost or misplaced tickets is greatly reduced.

From the teams’ perspective, mobile bar code ticketing improves the fan experience, enables the teams to sell tickets up to the last minute, reduces operational costs—due to having fewer people in will call and box office lines—and increases revenue by enabling fans to enter the ballpark earlier where they can begin purchasing food, beverages, and merchandise instead of waiting in line outside.

It is also better for the environment because it saves paper and reduces printing.

How are Tickets.com and the 13 teams getting the word out about this mobile ticketing platform?
Several of the teams are already advertising this new technology via in-stadium announcements, signage, Yearbook ads and programs.

MLBAM is working closely with the teams on messaging the mobile ticket purchase capabilities within the teams’ mobile Web sites.

Tickets.com is promoting it via PR and social media marketing on our company blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tickets.com Integrates its ProVenueMobile™ Product with all 13 of its Major League Baseball Clients

Tickets.com, a leading global provider of integrated ticketing solutions, announced that it has incorporated the ProVenueMobile™ ticketing service for all 13 of its Major League Baseball clients. ProVenueMobile enables full-circle, client-branded ticket transactions to be made 24/7 from select Internet-enabled mobile phones through the club’s mobilized web site.

ProVenueMobile marks a milestone in the admission services industry as the first mobile ticketing technology allowing fans to browse listings and make real-time purchases from their mobile phones without the need to “click to call” to finalize the transaction. To maximize the potential of ProVenueMobile, the MLB clubs that utilize the proprietary Tickets@Phone® technology will offer fans the option to digitally receive unique barcoded tickets directly and securely to their mobile phones for a 100% mobile—and green—ticket-buying experience.

"We are proud to be at the vanguard of website mobilization for Major League Baseball clubs,” said Derek Palmer, Chief Commercial Officer, Tickets.com. "Being able to offer our sports clients a product that enables brand differentiation and secure mobile ticketing from start to finish is essential in today’s increasingly digital marketplace. We understand that our MLB partners want to be at the forefront of this exciting new era in ticketing.”

The 13 MLB clubs on the Tickets.com client roster using ProVenueMobile include: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals.

“It was really important for our organization, and the other teams that I’ve talked with, to offer a mobile ticketing platform to fans,” said Carl Rice, Senior Director, Facility Management & Information Technology, Chicago Cubs. “In addition to purchasing tickets from their mobile phones, fans can opt-in for team updates and other features. Sports enthusiasts are early adopters of new technologies, and they’ll find that ProVenueMobile offers a valuable way to stay connected to the team.”

Friday, June 4, 2010

Ticketing Industry News: Smartphone use drives mobile ticketing

Sports Business Journal
By ERIC FISHER
Staff writer


Ticketing thus far has been slower than many other industries to adapt to today’s lightning-quick, “there’s an app for that” digital world. But full end-to-end mobile ticketing is now rapidly becoming a widespread reality.

Tickets.com, which late last summer introduced its ProVenueMobile product with the Oakland A’s, has since expanded the program to all 13 of its regular-season MLB clients. The program builds in part off its prior Tickets@Phone effort in which bar codes good for entry into a facility are e-mailed to a ticket purchaser’s smartphone. ProVenueMobile goes significantly further by also providing real-time mobile search, seat selection and payment.

Ticketmaster provides similar functionality for BlackBerry devices, as the industry giant holds an official partnership with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Inc. StubHub, the dominant player in secondary ticketing, is putting the finishing touches on its own iPhone application. And a fast-growing collection of smaller primary and secondary ticket sellers, such as Arizona-based eSeats, similarly are embracing mobile-based ticket purchasing.

Providers of mobile ticketing systems earn their revenue from a variety of sources, such as convenience charges on purchases or revenue sharing with client teams.

“We love mobile and we’re huge believers in it,” said Derek Palmer, Tickets.com chief commercial officer. “By allowing fans to complete an entire transaction anywhere, we think this is going to spur a lot more last-minute purchasing. What’s basically happened is that we’ve opened up a major new retail sales channel, and one that people have constantly with them.”

The spike in mobile ticketing owes in part to surging smartphone sales, as well as consumers’ increasing comfort with making purchases over the devices. Market research firm Gartner recently estimated that 54.3 million smartphones were sold worldwide during the first quarter of 2010, a 49 percent increase over the first quarter a year ago. And smartphones are assuming a greater percentage of all mobile phone sales, with the devices representing 17.3 percent of all mobile unit purchases, up from 13.6 percent a year ago.

Within those rising numbers are particularly meteoric sales for iPhone and Android devices, each of which are posting triple-digit percentage sales increases compared with a year ago.

The Mobile Marketing Association earlier this month released similar research estimating that one in five U.S. mobile phone owners have used their device for a mobile-based purchase in the last month, a percentage certain to rise. And those figures are much higher for smartphone owners, as more than half of iPhone owners and 34 percent of BlackBerry owners have bought content through their devices, also suggesting greater user comfort with mobile as a purchasing platform.

Utilization of mobile ticketing thus far predictably has been small. In early tests of Tickets.com’s ProVenueMobile system, purchasing over the mobile platform has represented less than 1 percent of available single-game tickets. But a quick escalation to at least mid-single-digit percentages is anticipated.

Mobile ticketing also is not just a consumer-facing application, either. Veritix for several years has used mobile authentication units that ticket agents wear over their shoulder to swipe electronic fan identification such as credit cards or driver’s licenses to help enable their digital ticket platform.

“We as a culture are still a little slow to let go of our physical tickets, but we’re anticipating a very quick ramp-up into more all-digital events and all-digital venues,” said Sam Gerace, Veritix chief executive.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Tickets.com® Partners with Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing to Offer Clients Real-Time Mobile Interactivity with Fans

Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—has announced a partnership with Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing, the recognized leader in mobile interactivity. The new alliance allows Tickets.com—the first and only ticketing company in the United States to offer both mobile ticket transactions and mobile barcode delivery—to expand and enhance the products and services it offers its clients in the explosively growing mobile realm.

By harnessing the power of mobile marketing from Txtstation, Tickets.com makes it possible for clients to dynamically interact with fans at games, concerts, events, and broadcasts in real-time. In addition to heightening the overall experience for consumers with interactive promotions and marketing, Txtstation capabilities will help Tickets.com clients strategically build brand identity with target markets with an engaged and captive audience in place. Custom programs and graphics will differentiate campaigns for each individual brand and client’s needs.

Additionally, real-time one-to-one dialogue with event attendees will allow Tickets.com clients to identify and capture data on potentially all audience members—not just ticket buyers—that can be used for opt-in, ongoing mobile marketing, cross promotions, and other revenue-building initiatives. Mobile marketing solutions from Txtstation also deliver incremental revenues from premium text messages (SMS), multi-media messages (MMS), and content downloads.

“Our alliance with Txtstation is in alignment with our strategy to partner with industry-leading companies who can provide exceptional technologies at competitive pricing,” said Sheri Fink, eCommerce and Strategic Alliances, Tickets.com. “We look forward to offering our clients real-time mobile interactivity with their fans.”

Txtstation Global Mobile Marketing (www.txtstation.com) has been providing mobile interactivity products and services to events, sports teams, music/entertainment properties, broadcasters, brands, and agencies since 2004. “We are excited about collaborating with Tickets.com to boost mobile interactivity for their clients,” said Michael Falato, Vice President of Sales & Business Development, Txtstation. “I think our companies are well matched in terms of commitment to technological innovation and customer service, and I see many opportunities for synergy in supporting Tickets.com and its broad range of clients.”

Tickets.com is at the vanguard of mobile technologies and website mobilization in the ticketing and admissions service industry. Its proprietary ProVenueMobile™ product is the first mobile ticketing technology allowing fans to browse listings and make real-time purchases from their mobile phones without the need to “click to call” to finalize the transaction. Its Tickets@Phone® technology is another pioneering product, offering consumers the option to digitally receive unique barcoded tickets directly and securely to their mobile phones for a 100% mobile—and green—ticket-buying experience.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

More than 1 in 10 mobile subscribers to use mobile ticketing in 2014 globally, says new Juniper report

Travellers, cinema goers and sport fans to embrace the convenience of tickets on their mobiles according to new Juniper report

A new study by Juniper Research has forecast that more than 1 in 10 mobile subscribers will either have a ticket delivered to their mobile phone or buy a ticket with their phone by 2014. This represents a five-fold growth over the next five years.

The Mobile Ticketing report found that services are developing fastest in the transport sector, with SMS, bar code and, increasingly, app driven services being offered by rail & metro companies and airlines.

The potential for rail, metro & bus mobile ticketing is shown by early adopter market hotspots such as Japan, Scandinavia and Austria. Global impetus is being added by the rapidly growing number of airlines offering not only mobile boarding passes but ticket booking and payment as well. Beyond transport, mobile ticketing is already seeing traction across a wide range of sporting and entertainment venues including baseball, concerts and movies.

Report author Howard Wilcox stated: “Our research established that ticketing providers are exploiting apps to deliver innovative offerings - not just on smart phones either. One of the keys to widespread acceptance is going to be the ease for users of “silent” equipping via pre-installation. Telecom Italia’s new SIM cards for 2010 are a good example.”

Juniper Research gained unique market insight on top trends, issues and likely future developments directly from the heart of the market through its primary research interviews with leading mobile ticketing operators, application developers, consultants and vendors. The report includes a detailed five market forecasting suite covering key market parameters.

Further key findings from the report include:
  • Europe, Far East & China & North America regions are all forecast to see double digit penetration by 2014

  • Growth constraints include multiple ticket scheme environments such as certain transport markets, with their potential resulting user issues such as support and help


Read more >

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tickets.com in the News: Digital tickets for Oakland A's fans

San Jose Web 2.0 Examiner
Bonnie Boglioli-Randall


The Oakland Athletics sealed a deal with Costa Mesa-based Tickets.com to offer its fans complete mobile ticketing from start to finish. The A's are the first Major League Baseball club to implement start-to-finish mobile ticketing with the ProVenue mobile platform technology. With no applications necessary or calls to make, the purchase is short and sweet. Even better is the digitally delivered bar-code that eliminates the once necessary 3 P's of m-commerce: print, post or pick-up.

The A's Executive Director of Ticket Sales, Steve Fanelli, cited the importance of getting a piece of the mobile pie. "Staying ahead of advances in the mobile web market is critical in pleasing our fans and growing our organization," Fanelli said in a press release.

To see just how easy this process is, visit the mobile friendly A's website from your smart phone. Click on the prominent schedule link, choose your intended game, pay for it from your cell phone and wait briefly for your 2-D digital ticket. A slew of phones are compatible with the new ticketing feature including the iPhone (and iPod Touch), several Blackberry's and a few LG's. The Athletic's note that more devices are expected to be enabled shortly.

Response to the ProVenue platform has been positive thus far, with clients such as the Daytona International Speedway already on board. Tickets.com is currently the only ticket provider in the U.S. to offer complete ticketing via mobile. With m-commerce (mobile) usage on the rise since the advent of smart phones, it is expected that more such options will be made available within the next year for other sporting clubs.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Tickets.com Launches ProVenueMobile Mobile Ticketing for Oakland Athletics Tickets

Oakland Athletics Become First Major League Baseball Club to Fully Leverage the Potential of ProVenueMobile™ from Tickets.com

Tickets.com, a leading global provider of integrated ticketing solutions, announced that the Oakland A’s recently became the first Major League Baseball Club to implement the full functionality of ProVenueMobile™. Tickets.com is the only ticketing provider in North America to offer client-branded web site mobilization. Using this technology, Athletics fans can complete full-circle, real-time ticket transactions from select Internet-enabled mobile devices without downloading an application. Search, selection, payment and ticket delivery (using Tickets@Phone®) can be done directly through the Athletics mobile web site at wap.oaklandathletics.com without the need to “click to call” or access a computer.

“We are excited to be making this unrivaled mobile technology available to our fans,” said Steve Fanelli, Executive Director of Tickets Sales and Operations, Oakland Athletics. “Staying ahead of advances in the mobile web market is critical in pleasing our fans and growing our organization. With Tickets.com leading the way, we are confident we have the industry’s best technologies and customer service in our toolkit.”

“ProVenueMobile provides a complete end-to-end ticket buying experience by allowing fans to purchase tickets from their mobile devices and have them electronically delivered via a 2D bar-coded ticket to that device,” said Steve DeMots, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Tickets.com.

The Athletics’ adoption of ProVenueMobile continues their tradition of innovation in serving their fans; the Athletics were also the first Tickets.com client to offer Tickets@Phone when this convenient and groundbreaking delivery channel was originally introduced in 2007. (Today, Tickets.com remains the only ticket provider in the United States to enable ticket delivery to a mobile device.)

Tickets.com expects it will launch the ProVenueMobile service for other MLB clubs on its client roster before the start of the 2010 baseball season.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Tulsa Performing Arts Center site has tickets going mobile

Tulsa World
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer


For about a year now, patrons to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center have been able to have their tickets sent to their cell phones. They just haven't been able to order those tickets by using those cell phones.

Until now. The Tulsa PAC is one of the first performing arts center in the country to have a mobile-device access site, from which patrons can order tickets to any show available through the center's ticketing Web site.

"It was one of the odd instances where you would think one technology — the ability to buy the ticket — preceded the other — being able to receive the ticket," said John Scott, PAC director. "In fact, we were the first to approach our partner, Tickets.com, about creating the technology so people could order tickets from their cell phones."

The PAC's mobile access site (TulsaPAC.mobi) reformats the PAC's Web site so that it will be readable on a cell phone screen. Patrons can now order and pay for their tickets via the cell phone.

Tickets purchased through the .mobi site may be picked up at the theater, be mailed to the receipt, printed at home or received as a text message containing a bar code.

This bar code is scanned by a PAC usher, who carries a microprinter that produces a paper ticket. This service, called Tickets@Phone, costs $2 per ticket.

"We know there are people who more or less live through their cell phones," Scott said, "and we've been pleasantly surprised at how quickly some of our patrons have taken to the new technology."

He added that the convenience fees for all these various ways of obtaining tickets for PAC events are "are quite reasonable, especially when compared to some other venues."

For example, the convenience fees for two tickets purchased online for the play "August: Osage County," playing Jan. 26-31 at the PAC, are $9.50. Fees for two tickets to events at the BOK Center can range for $16.75 for a Tulsa Oilers hockey game, $19.05 for the Monster Jam, and $32.35 for the March concert by Eric Clapton.

"Our ticketing fees are true convenience fees," Scott said. "So if someone takes the trouble of coming downtown to our ticket office to buy their tickets, then the only fee they have to pay is the $1 facility fee that was recently instituted. All the other fees are waived."

Friday, December 4, 2009

Tulsa Performing Arts Center Goes Live With ProVenueMobile™ from Tickets.com

ProVenueMobile Now Available for December 7 On-Sale Date for January 2010 Run of Legally Blonde–The Musical.

Tickets.com—a leading global provider of integrated, high-performance ticketing solutions—has added its proprietary mobile platform ProVenueMobile™ to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center (TPAC). TPAC’s decision to offer ProVenueMobile differentiates them by allowing patrons to complete a ticket transaction on any Internet enabled mobile phone with the option of Tickets@Phone® delivery. TPAC patrons can utilize ProVenueMobile to purchase tickets for Legally Blonde—The Musical; on-sale December 7, 2009.

ProVenueMobile™ allows full-circle ticket purchases to be made 24/7 from any Internet-enabled mobile phone, directly through a client’s branded, mobilized website. The mobile platform set a new standard in the ticketing industry in early 2009 by being the first technology to allow real-time ticket transactions from a mobile phone that also offers Tickets@Phone; the delivery of a digital, bar-coded ticket via MMS or picture message.

Mobile ticketing has arrived and we are delighted to be one of the first organizations to offer the user-friendly ProVenueMobile to our customers,” said John Scott, director, TPAC.

TPAC presents outstanding cultural events and performances spotlighting artists—ranging from international stars to local favorites—touring shows, arts organizations, and community-based programming. In addition to Legally Blonde, other shows on sale include The Nutcracker, performed by the Tulsa Ballet, David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries and Tony Award winner August: Osage County.

“We’re thrilled that TPAC has embraced ProVenueMobile,” said Larry Witherspoon, chief executive officer, Tickets.com. “It’s so gratifying to work with clients that integrate new technologies into their ticketing services portfolio.”

Tickets can also be purchased through the venue’s website (http://www.tulsapac.com) or box office.

The national U.S. touring company of Legally Blonde runs January 5 – 10, 2010 at TPAC’s Chapman Music Hall, the largest of the Tulsa, OK-based Center’s four theaters.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tickets.com partner Usablenet makes inroads into the mobile ticketing arena

TicketNews
Kelly McWilliams


Usablenet's mobile platform, a tool long familiar to travelers and commuters, is beginning to make its mark in the mobile ticketing world.

Launched in 2000, Usablenet sought to translate web material into a mobile-friendly product for consumers. The company, with offices in both New York City and Udine, Italy, worked first with Amtrak to offer passengers cutting edge web-to-mobile service. Initially, it remained in the service of the traveling population, soon starting accounts with air travel providers such as Jet Blue and hotel chains such as Hilton Hotels. Next was a foray into the world of commuters, translating the Web sites of transit companies into mobile for their daily riders.

Most recently the company has been working with retailers such as CVS, Staples, Victoria’s Secret and American Eagle, and in the past year, it has added two major ticketers, Telecharge and Tickets.com, to its list of clients.

As Jason Taylor, Usablenet’s VP of Mobile Products, explained: “What Usablenet mobile allows our clients to do is to…identify anything on their Web site that they want to offer to their mobile users. Usablenet then goes about extending that and becoming the client’s mobile partner.” Much of the company’s technology has come from its earlier efforts to provide web-to-mobile service for the disabled, which the company now markets as a separate package entitled Usablenet Assistive.

Taylor highlighted four qualities of Usablenet’s platform that defines it as unique in today’s mobile and ticketing markets. “First, it requires no IT development or backend coding, so all [the client has] to have is a website. Second, it supports all mobile phones worldwide, as long as a phone is web-enabled. Third, we have a very fast delivery mechanism of 6-8 weeks. And fourth, there is no functionality (of a website) that we can’t make mobile.”

Discussing the relatively new relationship that Usablenet enjoys with Tickets.com and Telecharge, Taylor said, “The general idea is that, especially with Tickets.com, [we are] a vehicle for two specific things. One is last minute tickets, to take advantage of deals when you are not near a computer. Also, if you are on the road or visiting a town, you can buy tickets for that town. Moments when you’re not near your computer make mobile a powerful solution.”

When asked about the transferability of tickets from Tickets.com and Telecharge through Usablenet mobile services, Taylor noted that Usablenet provides the technology only and has no control over the nature of services offered by the web client: “The way that our platform works is it extends the business features of our clients. Whatever those sites offer in terms of benefits or transfer options, then those are available to the mobile customer.”

Derek Palmer, Chief Commercial Officer for Tickets.com, notes that Usablenet has been providing web-to-mobile services for the company since November of 2008, and that Tickets.com has been pleased with the relationship.

“What they offer is not just a generic flow but also a customized look and feel, the same look and feel as the website. It’s a real advantage from a branding perspective. [It leaves the] consumer feeling comfortable that they are dealing with the organization’s site,” Palmer said.

As for transferability of tickets, that is still a work in progress. “Nobody’s doing that currently,” Palmer added, “though there’s nothing from a technology standpoint that would prevent someone from doing that, as long as there was an integration with a reseller and the primary ticketing provider. We have an integration with StubHub [in their relationship with] Major League Baseball, but we have not gone down the path of doing mobile with them.”

After starting discussions with Usablenet a year and a half ago, Telecharge came on board this past summer. Jennifer Tattenbaum, Interactive Services Director for Telecharge, has also seen the benefits of going mobile.

“I had been focused on [use of] the mobile site for customer service, to check the address of your venue, to get info about an event. I thought that people would be hesitant to input their credit card number into a mobile device, so I didn’t picture it as something that would generate ticket sales. A lot has changed in a year and a half, and it’s turned into a sales channel.” As for transferability, mobile tickets from Telecharge are bound by the same restrictions as those purchased on the Telecharge Web site, and so are non-transferable. Tattenbaum declined to comment on the reasons why Telecharge does not offer a transferable product at this time.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tickets.com's Mobile Ticketing System Allows For Real-Time Search, Selection And Payment

SportsBusiness Daily
Eric Fisher


Tickets.com will deploy its ProVenueMobile wireless ticket solution for all of its MLB team clients for the '10 season following a successful test run with the A's at the end of this year's regular season. The mobile ticketing system -- building upon prior Tickets.com efforts delivering tickets to wireless devices through Tickets@Phone -- allows for real-time mobile search, selection and payment in addition to the barcode delivery.

The system, built in partnership with mobile services outfit Usablenet Inc., is accessible via any Internet-enabled cell phone. The system was also installed earlier this year at Daytona Int'l Speedway. Rival ticketing outlet Ticketmaster also has been active in mobile ticketing, similarly emboldened by the increasing power of smartphone devices, but Tickets.com is also offering client branding on its mobile ticketing sites. "The initial usage in Oakland, quite honestly, was minimal, which we expected since this is brand new," said Tickets.com CIO Brett Michalak.

The A's were among the league's weaker drawing teams in '09, and the mobile test came at the end of a last-place season. Michalak: "But the workflows and timing [of the mobile purchasing] worked really well, and we're convinced that mobile ticketing is going to be a big part of the industry going forward." The A's were also the first club to use the original Tickets@Phone. Tickets.com currently works with 16 MLB teams.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Tickets.com Mobile Ticketing Solutions

Tickets.com Mobile Ticketing Solutions:

As mobile web adoption continues to surge, companies worldwide realize the importance of providing customers a successful experience when going to their sites from mobile phones – even if the mobile experience is limited or done in phases. The mobile site is now analogous to the web site as the hub of your interaction with customers’ mobile phones.

ProVenueMobile™
Expand your reach by making tickets available for purchase through mobile devices. Now you can offer customers the ability to complete a ticket transaction from a mobile phone. Customers are no longer limited by time or place. Mobilizing your website – including event listings, venue information, and purchase process – offers your customers the ultimate convenience: the ability to buy your tickets anytime, anywhere!
Learn more about selling mobile tickets >


Tickets@Phone®
Send paperless, barcoded tickets directly to your customers’ mobile phones. Tickets@Phone are redeemed at your venue directly from their mobile phone display through the use of a barcode scanner.
Learn more about mobile phone tickets >



Friday, July 3, 2009

M-commerce is catching on: 5% of the top 500 e-retailers offer mobile sites

Internet Retailer

Mobile commerce, what some retailers call the fourth sales channel, is catching on. Today, 5% of the largest e-retailers offer m-commerce sites or iPhone-optimized m-commerce sites, according to new research from e-commerce and m-commerce consulting firm Acquity Group LLC.

“Within five years that figure will approach 50%,” predicts Adam Boysen, project manager at Acquity Group. “The trends all are pointing in that direction—people are increasingly on the move, smartphone sales are soaring, awareness of mobile web browsing is growing greatly. We’re primed for big growth in mobile retailing.”

Learn about ProVenueMobile from Tickets.com >

Read more >

Monday, June 29, 2009

Daytona International Speedway selling tickets on mobile phones

Daytona sells mobile tickets using ProVenueMobile technology Daytona International Speedway is proud to announce their latest innovation in customer service convenience. Now race fans have the ability to purchase select tickets for the Coke Zero 400 or the Subway Jalapeno 250 using their web-enabled mobile phones. This new service provides an easy-to-use and secure process for purchasing tickets for the fans. To purchase tickets on your web-enabled phone visit mobile.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Learn more about ProVenueMobile ticketing technology >

Monday, May 4, 2009

Mobile Web 2009 = Desktop Web 1998

User testing organized by Jakob Nielsen, a leading web usability expert, shows significant issues for mobile phone users accessing regular websites on their mobile phones. Key issues with accessing regular websites from mobile devices today include download time, scrolling, bloated webpages and more.

To ensure the best end-user experience, Jakob Nielsen says you need a mobile site and it needs to be optimized for the specific capabilities of each handset. Read more >

Tickets.com's ProVenueMobile product extends your private label to be available on mobile phones including the purchase flow.

Learn more about ProVenueMobile >

Friday, March 20, 2009

Tickets.com Product Highlight: ProVenueMobile

ProVenueMobile from Tickets.com ProVenueMobile™

Expand your reach by making tickets available for purchase through mobile devices. Now you can offer customers the ability to complete a ticket transaction from a mobile phone. Customers are no longer limited by time or place. Mobilizing your website – including event listings, venue information, and purchase process – offers your customers the ultimate convenience: the ability to buy your tickets anytime, anywhere!

Learn more about ProVenueMobile ticketing >

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

ProVenueMobile In The News: Dramabiz's "Green Theatre Product"

Tickets.com's ProVenueMobile
The First Mobile Web site that Enables Customers to Buy and Receive Tickets Through Their Mobile Phones

Dramabiz - February 2009

ProVenueMobile Video Tickets.com, a global provider of integrated ticketing solutions recently launched ProVenueMobile. The new system lets the ticket buyer complete a ticket transaction from any Internet-enabled mobile phone device including Blackberrys, iPhones and basic cell phones. The customer gets a bar coded ticket directly to their mobile phones and all they have to do is present their mobile phones for a scanned entry into the venue. Convenient and green.

For more information on this product, visit the Tickets.com Web site at www.tickets.com, or request more information by selecting Tickets.com on the BizAdvisor page at www.dramabiz.com/bizadv.htm.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Check out the ProVenueMobile Microsite!

ProVenueMobile from Tickets.com
ProVenueMobile is a fast, secure and cutting-edge solution that mobilizes your existing website to enable your tickets to be purchased using mobile devices.

Key benefits include:
  • Increase ticket sales

  • Gain a competitive advantage

  • Give customers the ultimate convenience

Mobilizing your website – including event listings, venue information, and purchase process – offers your customers the ultimate convenience: the ability to buy your tickets anytime, anywhere!

Learn more about ProVenueMobile >

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

MLB’s Tickets.com to launch ProVenueMobile

Mobile Marketer
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 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.

Tickets.com Mobile on an iPhone MLB's Tickets.com on an iPhone

Tickets.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 >