Ticketmaster, part of Live Nation Entertainment, is the global leader in ticket presale. Ticketmaster sells tickets for event holders in various countries worldwide. These events range from concerts, theater performances, comedy shows, indoor/outdoor festivals to sporting events. In addition to selling the tickets, Ticketmaster also provides support and access control for entrance tickets. Checking the entrance tickets is done with a handheld scanner that is connected to the internet. To always be guaranteed a stable internet connection, Comgate Ticketmaster has provided the back-up solution in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark by means of a 4G data SIM card in the handheld scanner.
When entering an event, Ticketmaster ensures that all tickets are scanned at the entrance. To scan the tickets and check the validity in real time, handheld scanners are used that are connected to the Wi-Fi network of the event location. In addition, the data obtained from the handheld scanners is shared with the event holders. This provides real-time insight into how many people are already inside and when the peak times are at the entrance.
Sometimes it can happen that the Wi-Fi connection on location is unstable or unreliable. When the Wi-Fi connection is overloaded or does not have good coverage, the tickets must be checked offline with the handheld scanner. This ensures that the data obtained from the handheld scanners is no longer shared in real time with the event holders. And the event holders have no insight into the influx of visitors. Also, the barcodes of newly purchased tickets cannot be recognized by the handheld scanners because they are not in the offline database.
To enable a redundant connection for the handheld scanners, Ticketmaster was looking for a connectivity provider that could provide a back-up connection. Ticketmaster has chosen Comgate for the events in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. In Belgium and Denmark, this is done using SIM cards from KPN-IoT. In these countries, the SIM cards can use all existing networks, so that the backup is optimal. In the Netherlands, KORE Wireless was chosen for the same reason. KORE Wireless offers multiple networks in the Netherlands, so there is always at least one strong 4G network connection available. Even in the countryside.
Nicolai Seidenfaden, Offices & Field IT Manager North-West Europe at Ticketmaster says: “Including Comgate's backup SIM card in the handheld scanners has given us an extra security net during the execution of the access control. If we do not have a working internet connection, a proper check cannot take place and we cannot deliver the desired quality to the event holder. That is why it is extremely important for us to always have failover.”
Seidenfaden continues: “An advantage for Ticketmaster is the use of Comgate's platform, which provides insight into all SIM cards per country. The SIM cards are very easy to configure and the interface of the platform works nicely. It often happens that the Wi-Fi connection at the event location is not optimal. Comgate's 4G failover solution ensures that we can provide our services with high quality, independent of existing WiFi networks.”
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