Axess, a provider of stadium ticketing and access management systems, is in the process of adding Wicket’s facial-authentication software to its entry pedestals, which would allow venues to support the widest range of ticket authentication technologies in a single piece of hardware.
Though the product doesn’t yet have a formal name (UPDATE: Per a LinkedIn comment, Axess says it is called the “Axess Smart Scanner 600 FR”), Axess and Wicket may show a prototype of the device at next week’s National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) conference in Las Vegas, according to the companies.
Ren Steyn, managing director for the U.S. division of the Austria-based Axess, provided a photo of one of the Axess pedestals with a Wicket-enabled camera system built in.
So far, stadiums using Wicket’s technology for ticketing authorization have mainly used DIY-type installations of an iPad running the Wicket software mounted on some kind of pole. Having Wicket’s software in a standard-type ticketing entry pedestal has several potential benefits, including being inside a stable, hardened tower system. Most stadiums using Wicket have also so far used dedicated entry lanes for the facial-authentication programs. With Wicket embedded in a standard pedestal that also supports more traditional technologies like bar codes and NFC, venues could eliminate the need for a special facial-authentication line.
According to both Steyn and Wicket chief operating officer Jeff Boehm, one of the driving forces behind the Wicket/Axess integration is Christian Lau, chief technology officer for Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club. At BMO Stadium, the LAFC IT team has become known for its propensity to try new things on the technology front.
Since BMO Stadium has long used Axess pedestals and has recently done a trial of using Wicket for facial-authentication ticket authorization, the peanut butter/chocolate plan of combining the two systems seems like a smart step forward. Lau, who was unavailable for comment Friday (BMO Stadium is hosting two concerts this weekend), did confirm the integration idea, which is not yet in production mode. But Wicket’s Boehm said via email “we have a version [of the integrated pedestal] working and should be rolling it out at upcoming games.”
According to Steyn, the integration of the Axess hardware platform and the Wicket software and Ticketmaster account programs took a total of about four months’ time. While the deployment at BMO Stadium will be the first one, Steyn said Axess is already talking to other stadiums about the integrated device.
“This innovative solution will revolutionize the way fans enter stadiums and other venues, making the process faster and more intuitive than ever before,” Steyn said.
Over the past couple years, Wicket has made good headway in the world of stadium entry technology. Teams that currently use Wicket for ticket authorization include the Cleveland Browns, the New York Mets, the Atlanta Falcons, the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers.
Axess has also run a “proof of concept” trial of integrating Amazon’s Amazon One biometric technology with its entry pedestals, allowing fans to authorize tickets by using the palm of their hand. Other Axess customers for entry technology include the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.
