Top European Access Management Tech Makes its Way to North America

Building on a strong history of access management solutions, the European company Axess AG introduced their latest innovation, Axess Resort Solutions, to North American ski resorts.

Known for secure ticketing and high-quality gates, the company is expanding its range of services to include innovative software solutions.

Engineered in Europe, recognized worldwide

Formed more than 25 years ago, Axess AG focuses on tickets and gates for access management. Built for high efficiency and reliable performance, the company’s products have expanded into various business areas, including the ski industry.

With its factory in Austria, and 21 sales and support subsidiaries around the world, Axess provides customers with excellent quality and support. The products stand out for their high-security standards and durability.

“The modular design of our gates makes it easy to carry out retrofitting or repair damages to components independently,” said Igor Jacimovic, senior sales engineer at Axess.

“We’re proud to note that our U.S. team is steadily growing. This growth enhances our ability to deliver top-notch service, ensuring we can address our customers’ needs, requests and feedback quickly and effectively.”

Nancy Rainey, Axess

When it comes to ticketing, RFID cards have been the standard for ski lift access for nearly 20 years. To ensure data security, Axess AG developed a sophisticated encryption process to protect card data from manipulation.

“The firmware for our tickets includes enhanced security mechanisms to distinguish clones, and allows for the reporting and review of discovered copies,” Jacimovic said.

Looking to improve customer experience, Axess has increasingly shifted its focus toward a software-centric approach. The company is committed to analyzing the data collected via tickets and gates. In recent years, Axess has built a future-proof bridge for its customers with numerous software features, including its latest innovation: Axess Resort Solutions, a holistic platform for managing various ski resort touchpoints.

The future of ski resort management

“Secure ticketing and efficient access are just one aspect of successful ski resort management. The real advantage comes when various touchpoints are integrated into a single system. This holistic approach delivers significant benefits to both customers and ski resorts. This is why we developed Axess Resort Solutions,” said Jacimovic.

From ticket sales and equipment rentals to booking ski lessons, integrating food and beverage services, retail and online sales, the Axess Resort Solutions platform consolidates diverse touchpoints of ski resorts into a single data center.

This approach allows ski resorts to personalize their choice of features. The modular software architecture can be adapted to meet individual requirements. Integration with third-party systems enables resorts to follow a best-of-breed approach, an advantage that is particularly beneficial for larger ski resorts.

Tailored implementation for ski resorts’ unique needs

Implementing the setup can be accomplished swiftly. The timeframe varies primarily due to the decision-making process and discussions about the ski resort’s wants and needs, which are carried out prior to placing the order.

“Our equipment can be added to the current environment or we can consider a whole new integrated system,” said Nancy Rainey, managing director of Axess Americas. “That’s why our first step is to start a conversation about the resort’s needs and wants. We ask our clients about the pain points they are trying to solve.”

The usual stages involve sales, project management, implementation and installation.

“Once a customer decides to move forward, a project management strategy and implementation plan is established,” she said. “Depending on the scope of the project, the implementation can take a few weeks to a few months to complete.”

With 180 references in North America using Axess products, the company demonstrates its ability to meet the market’s needs, whether it’s a family ski resort or a large mountain resort.

Axess boosts North American presence with renowned clients

Axess AG is pleased to showcase its substantial impact in the North American market, proudly serving approximately 180 ski resorts. This clientele includes prominent industry leaders such as Alterra Mountain Company, POWDR Corp. and Boyne Resorts, each benefiting from Axess’ advanced access management solutions.

A notable highlight is the company’s ongoing partnership with Pacific Group Resorts Inc., where Axess AG has successfully deployed its hardware across all of Pacific Group’s ski resorts, demonstrating the exceptional quality and reliability of the Axess products.

Furthermore, Pacific Group Resorts is now transitioning to Axess’ sophisticated software solutions. This year, three of Pacific Group’s six resorts will adopt software features, further enhancing the overall guest experience.

“We’re proud to note that our U.S. team is steadily growing. This growth enhances our ability to deliver top-notch service, ensuring we can address our customers’ needs, requests and feedback quickly and effectively,” said Rainey.

Shaping the future with cutting-edge developments

In addition to its holistic approach of centralizing diverse touchpoints, the Austrian company has another ace up its sleeve. Axess is advancing access management’s future by introducing digital smartphone tickets.

“Tickets can be purchased and saved on the app ‘Axess Ski Wallet’ regardless of time and location. Since the technology is based on Bluetooth Low Energy, gates can be opened without having to take the mobile phone out of the pocket,” Rainey said.

In a bold move, one of Axess’ North American partner resorts is already fully implementing this innovation. By digitizing tickets, Axess is not just keeping pace with technological advancements, but is actively shaping the future of access management. This latest development underscores the company’s commitment to modernizing the user experience and addressing the demands of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

As the industry watches, Axess continues to demonstrate its leadership in driving innovation and setting new benchmarks for excellence.