South African access control solution is just as good as the best in the world - probably even better. This local technology was proven again recently when the international music group Fall Out Boy appeared at the Coca-Cola Dome in Gauteng.
"It is of particular importance, because to effectively host the FIFA World Cup in 2010, South Africa will need to be ready to control thousands of spectators at numerous venues in the country," says Derick Terreblanche, Sales Director of Dex Africa Projects.
Computicket and Dex Security Solutions, in collaboration with Big Concerts, utilised the efficacy and speed of the system, together with handheld scanners to improve access control in accordance with requirements of international standards.
The entire solution is aimed at handling masses of people in such a way that the safety of all spectators can be guaranteed, counterfeit tickets are eliminated, and the organisers protected against financial losses. The same management technology was used during the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the A1 Grand Prix and various other international events.
The system ensures a large variety of built-in safety characteristics and management capabilities, including anti-passback, copy protected tickets, selective access to defined sectors, real-time information, post-event MIS, and much more. Where required, the process can include 'invisible' biometrical information on the tickets verifying ticket holders against biometric information, to allow access to high security areas such as players' change-rooms, presidential suites, etc. (Access to and flight tickets at airports can be controlled and secured in exactly the same way.)
Handheld scanners provide solutions in areas where turnstiles won't work well. They are also easily installed and used where permanent turnstiles are not utilised. Mobile scanners also work exceptionally well in combination with turnstiles - one entrance, for instance, may have turnstiles, while the other uses handheld scanners. All work on the same system. At vehicle entrances, parking permits or the tickets of people inside vehicles can quickly and effortlessly be scanned using handheld units. Handheld scanners are ideal in theatres, too, where ushers scan tickets at the doors and take patrons to their seats.
Another advantage of handheld scanners is that they can be used at mass gatherings to eliminate bottlenecks. If too many people flock together at one entrance, mobile handheld scanners can be deployed within minutes at that particular entrance.
It is estimated that the organisers of sporting events, music concerts and large exhibitions all over the world lose up to 40% of entrance fees because of fraud and illegal tickets.
Computicket has been printing a two-dimensional bar code on all its tickets for quite some time. This bar code on all their tickets is the first guaranteed level of security. All venues need to do now is either to buy the access control system or to rent it per event.
"There is no longer any excuse that it is too expensive or too difficult to guarantee people's safety," Terreblanche says. "That's why I'm confident that we'll be able to meet the challenges of 2010."
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