After Beijing Olympic games, ASK technology is once again selected for major event

Sophia-Antipolis, July 5, 2011: ASK, the inventor of C.ticket®, the 1st contactless paper ticket launched on the market in 2000, has once again been selected as a supplier of a major cultural event. Xi’an international horticultural exposition started on April 28th and will close on October 22nd, 2011 and is expected to attract more than 10 million visitors.

ASK tickets, based on its unique eco-friendly technology of silver ink printed antennas on paper and flip chip die process, are customized by the Bank of China for all visual security features (micro-text, UV text, embossing, OVD etc.). They are manufactured in ASK-Tong Fang, ASK Chinese facilities. 

The organizers state: “Proprietary microchip technology added to the tickets ensures that the tickets are secured, informative, highly efficient, and worthy of collection.”

Visitors may purchase regular tickets and specific day tickets at designated outlets including China Mobile, China Post, and the Line Supermarkets in Xi’an. More agencies and outlets will be added during the Expo period.

“We are really proud to provide our contactless paper ticket’s technology for Xi’an tickets, says Amand Cochet, Senior VP at ASK. They are a true technology showcase and combine both anti-counterfeiting security features and beautiful layouts. C.ticket® proves to be an ideal solution for global cultural or sport events. Organizers ensure high visibility of the event itself and its location during and after the visits as tickets are no doubt kept as collectors, he adds”.

Xi'an, an ancient capital, now a modern and ecological new city in China’s central region, is well known for its Terracotta Army, depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

The expo covers a total area of 418 hectares including 188 hectares in water area on the Guangyun Lake. Both the emblem and mascot were designed by Chen Shaohua, the designer of China’s Olympic bid logo. The concept of the expo is "Green Leads the Trend". According to the organizers, Xi’an expo is “an important opportunity to showcase green civilization and promote the nation's image.” The gardens include 28 international gardens and 5 worldwide gardens including the French garden, based on Le Nôtre style, who designed the famous Versailles palace classical gardens.

About ASK 

ASK, with over 200 million contactless products in circulation in more than 50 countries, is a worldwide leading provider of a full range of contactless products including smart cards, smart tickets, smart adhesive labels, readers, inlays for electronic passports or contactless smart cards and eDocuments. ASK is ISO9001 certified and holds a portfolio of 56 patents to date. ASK is a France-headquartered company with worldwide customers, and subsidiaries in China, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and the US.

Contact:
     
Claire Boyer   
Tel.: +33 (0)4.97.21.48.56
Cell: +33 (0)6.72.14.01.46
claire.boyer@ask.fr