Accesso
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Accesso Technology Group PLC
| logo = Accesso logo.svg
| former_name = Lo-Q
| type = Public
| traded_as = {{Lse|ACSO}}
| predecessor = The Tellurian Devices Company, accesso
| image = Accesso (26669730229).jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Accesso booth at IAAPA IAE 2017
| successor =
| founder = Leonard Sim
| defunct =
| fate =
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Steve Brown (CEO), Andrew Jacobs (CCO), Fern MacDonald (CFO), Bill Russell (Non-Executive Chairman)
| industry = leisure, cultural, entertainment, theme park, technology
| services = ticketing, virtual queuing, guest management, eCommerce, access control, reserved seating, box office ticketing, point of sale ticketing, online ticketing, global ticketing distribution
| operating_income = {{increase}} {{US$|88.2 million}} (2018){{rp|3}}
| net_income = {{Increase}} {{US$|25.1 million}} (2018){{rp|3}}
| aum =
| assets = {{decrease}} {{US$|257.5 million}} (2018){{rp|55}}
| equity = {{Increase}} {{US$|181.5 million}} (2018){{rp|55}}
| owner =
| num_employees = {{unbulleted list |{{decrease}} 406 Seasonal (2018, avg monthly number){{rp|79}} |{{increase}} 518 Non-seasonal (2018, avg monthly number){{rp|79}}}}
| parent =
| divisions = accesso LoQueue
accesso Passport
accesso ShoWare
accesso Siriusware
Ingresso
The Experience Engine (TE2)
| subsid = Located in Europe and North America and Australia
| footnotes =
| caption =
| foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|2000|8}} (Lo-Q)
| location_city = Berkshire
| location_country = England
| location =
| locations = 4 Offices Worldwide
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.accesso.com}}
}}
Accesso Technology Group PLC (formerly Lo-Q) is a publicly listed technology company based in Berkshire, England.{{cite news|last=Whiterow|first=Philip|title=Lo-Q in the fast lane as new products come on stream|url=http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/27080/lo-q-in-the-fast-lane-as-new-products-come-on-stream--27080.html|accessdate=11 April 2012|newspaper=Proactive Investors Australia|date=29 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331130907/http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/27080/lo-q-in-the-fast-lane-as-new-products-come-on-stream--27080.html|archive-date=31 March 2012|url-status=dead}} Accesso has 9 offices across the world, and serves 1000 venues globally, providing ticketing, point of sale, virtual queuing, distribution and guest experience management services.{{Cite web|url=https://accesso.com/about|title=About Us|author=Accesso Technology Group|language=en-US|access-date=2020-11-23}}
History
Accesso was established around 2000, and had entered bankruptcy almost immediately. The company then reemerged in 2007.{{Cite web|date=2019-06-07|title=Insights: Riding a rollercoaster with Accesso|url=https://www.theticketingbusiness.com/2019/06/07/insights-riding-rollercoaster-accesso/|access-date=2020-03-04|website=TheTicketingBusiness News|language=en-GB}}
In 2012, Lo-Q PLC acquired the Lake Mary, Florida-based company, Accesso LLC, for {{US$|22 million}}.{{Cite news|last=Garcia|first=Jason|date=6 December 2012|title=Local park ticketing firm sold for $22M|page=A10|work=Orlando Sentinel|location=Orlando, Florida|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32232722/local_park_ticketing_firm_sold/|via=Newspapers.com}} At the time, Lo-Q focused on developing ride-reservation systems for theme parks, while accesso focused on online and mobile ticket sales software and the management of online ticket stores. The merger was seen as a joining of synergistic capabilities and complementary customer sets. Tom Burnet was the CEO of Lo-Q and retained this role after the merger.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32233096/multiple_items_in_tourism_section/|title=Reservation-only rides in the works?|last=Pedicini|first=Sandra|date=24 November 2014|work=Orlando Sentinel|location=Orlando, Florida|page=D3|via=Newspapers.com}} At the time of the merger, accesso's CEO and owner was former Disney executive Steve Brown; after the merger, Brown joined the board of the new company and became the COO of North American operations.
In November 2013, Lo-Q was renamed as accesso to reflect the company's operations.{{Cite press release|title=Lo-Q is now "accesso"|url=https://www.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20131112-907590.html?dsk=y|accessdate=15 November 2013|date=12 November 2013|work=The Wall Street Journal}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019|fix-attempted=yes}} In December 2013, accesso acquired for {{US$|12 million}} the Taos, New Mexico-based ticketing and point-of-sale software provider Siriusware.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32231545/several_headings_under_tourism/|title=Accesso buys Siriusware|last=Clarke|first=Sara K.|date=9 December 2013|work=Orlando Sentinel|last2=Garcia|first2=Jason|location=Orlando, Florida|page=D3|via=Newspapers.com}} The acquisition provided accesso with a client base that included the ski and snow sports market. On 10 November 2014, accesso acquired VisionOne and their ShoWare ticketing product, a customizable cloud-based ticket sales product, expanding the company's client base into entertainment markets such as theaters, sports stadiums and music festivals.{{Cite web|url=http://accesso.com/news/accesso-acquires-visionone-worldwide-ltd|title=**accesso** acquires VisionOne, Worldwide, Ltd.|last=Accesso|date=31 May 2017|website=accesso Technology Group plc|language=en-us|access-date=31 May 2017}} On 30 March 2017, accesso acquired Ingresso, a global distribution system for entertainment ticketing. Later in 2017, the company acquired The Experience Engine (TE2),{{Cite web|url=https://blooloop.com/news/accesso-acquires-the-experience-engine-te2/|title=accesso acquire software specialist The Experience Engine TE2|website=Blooloop|access-date=2020-03-04}} a guest experience management company, which included customers in venues such as theme parks, ski resorts, hotels, quick service food, healthcare and other hospitality-focused operations.{{Cite web|url=https://accesso.com/news/accesso-announces-plan-to-acquire-the-experience-engine-te2|title=**accesso** Announces Plan To Acquire The Experience Engine (TE2)|website=accesso Technology Group|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-04}}
In 2014, penetration of the South Korean market began via a three-year partnership with an in-country consulting firm.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32198177/lake_mary_firm_moves_into_south_korean/|title=Lake Mary firm moves into South Korean theme parks|last=Pedicini|first=Sandra|date=14 August 2014|work=Orlando Sentinel|location=Orlando, Florida|page=A12|via=Newspapers.com}}
Products
File:Lo-Q Q-Bot at Mirabilandia in Italy.jpg
Accesso offers products for ticketing, virtual queuing, distribution, guest experience and point of sale.
- accesso LoQueue Virtual Queuing:{{Cite web |title=accesso LoQueue Virtual Queuing System |url=https://www.accesso.com/solutions/virtual-queuing |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=accesso Technology Group |language=en-US}}
- Introduced in 2001, accesso's patented accesso LoQueue virtual queuing product allows guests to wait in virtual lines as opposed to physical ones.
- Products for virtual queuing include the Qbot (retired), Qband (retired), Qsmart, and Prism.{{cite web|url=http://accesso.com/solutions/loqueue|title=Products -accesso LoQueue|publisher=Your Guide|accessdate=11 April 2012}} Several patents have been registered for their concepts.{{cite patent|country=US|number=6529786|title=Queue management system|pubdate=1997-05-22|fdate=1996-11-15|inventor=Sim, Leonard|assign1=Maria N. Von Buhr|assign2=Chad Rapp}}{{cite patent|country=US|number=2008080445|title=Reservation Management System and Method|pubdate=2008-04-03|fdate=2006-09-28|inventor=Bayne, Christopher; Butler, Christopher; Sim, Leonard}}{{cite patent|country=US|number=2010277276|title=System For Regulating Access to a Resource|pubdate=2010-11-04|fdate=2010-05-12|inventor=Bayne, Christopher; Butler, Christopher; Sim, Leonard}}
- accesso Passport ticketing suite:{{Cite web |title=accesso Passport Online Ticketing System |url=https://www.accesso.com/solutions/ticketing/online-ticketing-system |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=accesso Technology Group |language=en-US}}
- Used by venues including Cedar Fair,{{cite journal|title=Cedar Fair chooses accesso to drive e-commerce platform|journal=Amusement Today|date=27 October 2011|url=http://www.amusementtoday.com/cedar-fair-chooses-accesso-to-drive-e-commerce-platform/|accessdate=15 November 2013}} Six Flags,{{cite journal|title=Mission Admission|journal=Park World Magazine|date=28 January 2009|url=http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1157/Mission_Admission_.html|accessdate=15 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105053639/http://parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1157/Mission_Admission_.html|archive-date=5 January 2011|url-status=dead}} and Palace Entertainment.{{cite journal|title=Kernels – September 2012|journal=Park World Magazine|date=7 September 2012|url=http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/2335/Kernels__96_September_2012.html|accessdate=15 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019213248/http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/2335/Kernels__96_September_2012.html|archive-date=19 October 2013|url-status=dead}} In 2015, Merlin Entertainments Group signed a long-term agreement with accesso.{{Cite web|url=http://accesso.com/news/merlin-entertainments-selects-accesso-as-its-exclusive-global-ticketing-solution-provider|title=Merlin Entertainments Selects **accesso** as its Exclusive Global...|last=accesso|date=31 May 2017|website=accesso Technology Group|language=en-us|access-date=31 May 2017}}
- accesso Siriusware ticketing & point of sale:{{Cite web |title=accesso Siriusware Point of Sale Ticketing… |url=https://www.accesso.com/solutions/ticketing/point-of-sale-ticketing-system |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=accesso Technology Group |language=en-US}}
- offers guest management, ticketing, e-commerce and point-of-sale solutions{{buzzword inline|date=July 2022}} for a wide variety of venues and attractions.
- accesso ShoWare live entertainment ticketing:{{Cite web |title=accesso ShoWare Box Office Event Ticketing… |url=https://www.accesso.com/solutions/ticketing/box-office-ticketing-software |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=accesso Technology Group |language=en-US}}
- The accesso ShoWare live event ticketing suite provides customizable, cloud-based ticket sales software.