Modern and smart stadia solutions

Interview with Christian Heidegger, Director of International Sales at Axess AG

What makes a smart access system? Which characteristics does it have?

“Above all, for being a smart access system is has to be easy to operate and reduce the workload on the game day with automated processes. Such a system not only simplifies the handling of the pre-game phase, it also provides insight into the status of occupancy in the stadium that is relevant to the operator at all times. For stadium visitors as well as stadia operators Axess systems are easy and intuitive to use.”

What are innovative solutions that Axess offers today?

“In addition to continuous development of access control software and hardware, Axess is working on a wide range of new and innovative solutions for automating and digitizing applications for our customers. This year, for example, a system for the automated legitimation and accreditation of press representatives was introduced at 1. FC Köln. Axess offers an online "press" portal for this, in which press representatives can create an account and place a legitimation request. As soon as the club releases the legitimization, the press representative can independently select his accreditations for those events which have been approved by the association for him. The accreditations are sent by e-mail from the portal in pdf format as well as wallet/passbook format to the press representative. He automatically exchanges it in the stadium at an Axess Smart Gate with badge box and gets a branded accreditation with zone authorization. Our latest accreditation innovation is currently in development and will enable our customers to easily and conveniently distribute work accreditations online. The solution will on the one hand reduce the hassle for the operator enormously and on the other hand provide traceability for employees in the stadium.”

What role plays the integration of individual systems or the integration of interfaces currently and in the future? Meaning the communication of the individual system components.

“The integration of individual systems is already a standard today and indispensable in our opinion. Axess systems offer bidirectional interfaces for all areas of application, which for example return access information to the ticketing system or to business intelligence systems. From a technical point of view, there are no limits to our customers, only the data protection basic regulation valid since May 2018 has a limiting effect in this respect.”

To what extent does this include the integration of new technologies such as smartphones (mobile ticketing, etc.)? What other examples can you name?

“Axess systems are always open to new technologies. Access to smartphones via mobile tickets has been used by many of our customers for years. Other trends such as NFC technology have not yet made their breakthrough. Axess RFID readers have already been prepared for reading NFC chips for more than 10 years, but unfortunately smartphone manufacturers have not yet been able to agree on a uniform protocol that can be used by ticketing providers. By using Axess systems in a wide variety of applications, we work with a variety of technologies such as UHF, but for applications in the stadium and arena area next to 1D / 2D barcodes and various RFID standards no groundbreaking alternative can be expected.”

What significance will wearables (such as smart watches) have for ticketing and payment in the future? How are you prepared for this?

“For some time now, we have seen the importance of smartphones and smart watches as indispensable. With the increasing digitalization and networking of systems, it can be assumed that the proportion of mobile ticket users will continue to increase. Axess constantly takes new emerging trends into account in its product development. Last year, for example, during the development of our new reading device, the Axess Smart Scanner 600, special attention was paid to the ergonomic and comfortable readability of smart watches.”