M-ticketing ready to take off in Gulf

Dubai: Mobile ticketing, or M-ticketing as it is popularly known, is ready for take-off in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East.

Ticketing has evolved from pre-printed tickets to tickets printed at a ticket window at the time of purchase, to internet sales where customers print their own bar-coded tickets. The latter method is becoming increasingly popular, since it allows ticket buyers to avoid long lines and enables ticket sellers to eliminate printing and distribution costs - ultimately providing better service to customers.

M-ticketing, the next big step in the evolution of ticketing, will soon replace home-printed and pre-printed paper tickets, experts say. M-tickets can be sent to a mobile phone or PDA via SMS. This consists of a bar code that can be quickly read and validated directly from the mobile device's display screen.

"I think it is important to start off with what is a mobile ticket? We believe it is as simple as a ticket stored on a mobile phone for a later redemption at the pre-defined point of travel, a cinema ticket or even a concert venue, the areas are almost endless," said Rohan Britto, founder and digital media evangelist at MoSecure.

Resistance

The purchase of the ticket does not have to be initiated on the mobile phone itself, which is good news for the Gulf because non e-commerce resistance is still prevalent.

With entertainment venues, ticket suppliers and public transportation auth-orities facing fiercer competition every year, M-ticketing's ability to reduce costs, improve customer service and improve ticket validation efficiency will make it an attractive option for concerts, sporting events and cinemas.

"The main point of purchase for mobile tickets can be a telephone call centre or alternatively a physical ticket kiosk, but what better than sitting in the comfort of your home and getting the ticket off an e-commerce site and delivered right to your mobile phone inbox," Britto added.