The first integrated System for Admission Management and Automatic Ticketing

The Executive Order n° 60/99 has lifted the tax on shows/public events since 1/1/2000 and has since then subjected the activity of Fair Institutions to the standard tax regime of VAT (rate 20%) and has put them under the obligation of certifying the amounts due by making out receipts.
According to what mentioned above PGMR Italy has developed an integrated System that both issues tickets and controls and manages visitors' access to the event. It is especially conceived to meet the Fair Institutions' requirements in total observance of the applicable technical rules and tax legislation concerning VAT. The project has been developed using LINUX as operating system. All the elements of the System can "talk" to one another through an Ethernet at 10/100Mb by using a TCP/IP protocol.

Peculiarities and technological advantages that make our integrated System for Admission Management and Automatic Ticketing "unique".
The Operating System LINUX:
Innovating, technologically advanced, reliable and free.
Multi Tasking Software:
It can manage several events at the same time and issue the different final balances separately.
Security:
Our turnstiles can be unblocked at any time either by a software input sent through the system control unit or by the controller who will be provided with a special card containing a secret code. Use of two servers in clustering mirrored with encrypted protocols.
Hardware and Ethernet:
Fast and reliable, there is no necessity for other PCs for checking and linking up.
Turnstiles and Cash Registers:
They are easily transferable and can therefore be used in any critical spot during the event.
Monitoring of Turnstiles:
A single person can easily monitor a set of several turnstiles.
Supervisor of the Admission System:
A single person can control and manage the System.
Online Statistics:
The System updates and makes available via web the data about visitors divided by:
1. Event
2. Entrance gate
3. Ticket type
4. Time
Via web it is also possible to view and print the recapitulating data from the cash registers, which can be looked at through an ODBC driver. This makes it easy to handle the data system.
The System can be started and managed:
1. From the monitoring site in loco
2. Through a safe computer connection protected by LINUX's firewall
3. By mobile phones with GSM protocol
4. Through a LAN integrated with our Admission Management System network; the control software of the whole network monitors all the equipments connected to the LAN.
The System consists of five main elements:
1. The turnstile
2. The Admission Management Unit
3. The Cash Register
4. The Server
5. The Applications Software

The Turnstile
Made of stainless steel AISI 304 with special packings and seals for outdoor use. It is installed on a special footboard in order to easily assemble and disassemble it. The turnstile is provided with appropriate mechanisms, such as a "panic function" in case of absence of electricity, to face critical or emergency situations. As for the electric part, the connection is made through extractible male/female connectors.
The turnstile is also equipped with a display (two 16-characters lines) that shows any anomalies in the bar code, and with lights that visually mark the active entrance or exit ways.
It can be used as a way out as well, with no need of an operator to do anything. The T2000 turnstile can read the visitor's badge on both sides, as it has 4 laser bar code readers. With the new T2003 version there are no size limits for tickets.

The Admission Management Unit
This is the key element of our project as it enables the user to analyse the bar code printed on the card. The turnstile is controlled by the Admission Management Unit having read and verified the bar code, it activates the turnstile to allow the visitor's entrance.
As this check is made on site, it is no longer necessary to involve the server, so that the process becomes much more rapid.

The Cash Register
A PC-like all-in-one workstation of appropriate size provided with a 15" LCDE monitor with TouchScreen function.
Operating system: LINUX
Fast B&W printers connected to the cash register print the badges according to the tickets issued (see attachment C). The electronic ticketing software can manage several events at the same time.

The Server
In order to guarantee the correct functioning in critical conditions the System is made up of two nodes with a clustering configuration.
The System, which is type-approved and certified, is very fast and reliable and is fully compatible with LINUX.
It is also equipped with a smart card reader to affix the fiscal seal while printing the tickets.

The Applications Software
We have chosen to develop our System using LINUX as operating system. This choice allows us to exploit all the potentialities offered by the use of a network, both in terms of performance and in terms of reliability.

The System includes the following activities:
Event Planning and Organization.
Reception of different kinds of visitors.
Elaboration of admission reports based on the tickets effectively sold.
Elaboration of accounting reports based on the tickets effectively sold.
Optimization of information flow management in terms of time.
Checking of the invitation cards and elaboration of the relevant tax accounting.
Admission control with anti-pass-back function.
Movability of physical barriers (turnstiles) to meet the logistic requirements of the site.
Customized configuration of physical barriers and cash registers in order to satisfy the logistic requirements of every single event.
The same system is able to manage several events at the same time, provided that the total amount of visitors does not exceed 2.000.000 units.
The turnstiles are installed on footboards equipped with a small derivation box linked to connectors and they can easily be assembled and disassembled. The local network allows the connection of all the elements of the System, guarantees flexibility, the opportunity of implementation and above all the movability of every single element of the System.
All the transactions of the cash register and every visitor walking through the turnstiles will be registered in a database on the server (see attachment A) which will provide all the necessary data for the elaboration of statistics.

Type-Approval
The System observes the actual legislation and is provided with smart card readers to affix the fiscal seal on the tickets it issues.
The System has been checked, tested and approved by SIAE (Società Italiana Autori ed Editori) and by the Agenzia delle Entrate del Territorio. Furthermore, all the Fair Institutions which use our System have obtained the Ministerial licence.
Our company has obtained the type-approval and the licence to use the System in outsourcing for somebody else.

Certification
The Commission instituted by art.5 of the Ministry Decree dated March 23 rd 1983, implemented by a representative of SIAE (as disposed by the Agenzia delle Entrate), in its session on April 11 th 2003, having fulfilled all the relevant prescriptions on this matter, has judged our System (both its hardware and its software components) suitable for ticketing and admission management. The certified name of our System is:
"ACS versione 1.18.0 - Sistema Controllo Accessi e Bigliettazione Automatica"
Our company is the first one of its kind in Italy and has obtained this important recognition togethr with the activation card.
Protocol n° 2003/65489, April 17th 2003

services

• System for Admission Management