Wireless Developer Network

October 7, 2009 mBlox, the world’s largest mobile transaction network, today announced that the company has been powering In Stadium Solutions’ (ISS) rapidly growing security and marketing fan text service for sporting events held in prominent venues such as Dolphin Stadium, Notre Dame Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Daytona International Speedway and marquee events such as the NFL Super Bowl and BCS National Championship Game.

ISS’ service has proven to be so successful that in just one year, it has grown to cover over 60 sporting venues and handles tens of thousands text messages a month. The service is currently used by venues in several major sporting leagues, including the NFL, NCAA, NBA, MLB and NASCAR.

ISS’ text messaging system reduces the number of incidents and improves security at venues by allowing fans to simply and discreetly text a shortcode with a keyword and a brief description of the issue and its location. Ushers, public safety personnel, first aid and event staff can then quickly and efficiently take action as needed. This has helped reduce the number of unruly incidents and dramatically increased the response time to any type of issue such as medical situations, housekeeping and other guest service issues.

In addition to security and safety issues, ISS enables venues to engage directly with fans both while they are at the venue, through mediums such as quizzes and special offers, and after the event with incentives for the fans to return. The system can also be used to generate sponsorship revenue.

“Our service is all about letting venues and major events improve the fans’ experience. Depending on the size of the venue we will receive between 50 and 150 inbound SMS per event allowing fans to solve issues often before they become bigger problems,” said Scott Meyers, VP Sales & Marketing at ISS. “mBlox provides a carrier grade service that offers high reliability at the right price and can also grow with us both domestically in the USA and also globally.”

“In Stadium Solutions is a highly innovative company which has taken SMS and turned it into a service that enables stadium ushers and security personnel to address incidents before they turn into problems,” said Brian Johnson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas and Asia Pacific for mBlox. “Billions of SMS are sent each month so consumers know and trust the format. Clearly, the major sporting venues have seen the value in enabling spectators to alert staff inconspicuously with no danger to the fans themselves.”

"We used the text messaging system for Super Bowl 43 in February and were very pleased with the results. Our fans were empowered to exercise control over their environment by using the system to report fan conduct issues. In turn, we were able to respond and address the problem at an early stage," said Jeffrey Miller, NFL Director of Strategic Security.

mBlox is the world’s largest mobile transaction network. The company specializes in simplifying the complexities, commercial and technical, of mobile billing and message transmission for our clients. Via a carrier-grade network, mBlox enables companies to communicate with mobile subscribers on more than 600 carriers in 180 countries, millions of times each day. The company has U.S. headquarters in Silicon Valley, with EMEA headquarters in London, Asia headquarters in Singapore and offices around the world. For further information, visit www.mBlox.com.