When the Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) began its search in 2013 for an electronic, mobile ticketing platform, it quickly became clear that the most fitting product on the market was developed by Genfare \u2013 an ATN solutions provider for more than a decade.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe obviously serve the employees and the commuters that come to the Anaheim Resort area, as the resorts are the largest employer in Orange County,\u201d says Diana Kotler, Executive Director of ATN. \u201cBut the other side of the coin is that the resorts are the primary attraction for Orange County. We are very cognizant that many of our riders are travelers coming to \u2018The Happiest Place on Earth.\u2019 That\u2019s the core. Since we began our relationship with Genfare, they\u2019ve always provided state-of-the-art systems,\u201d says Kotler. \u201cStill, we needed something that was custom-built for our very unique ridership demographics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Genfare was already developing such a solution. \u201cATN asked us for a more dynamic way to help riders get on the coach without having to do a bunch of work at any given bus stop,\u201d says Mark Mahon, Director of Sales, Western Region for Genfare. Genfare partnered with CooCoo, Inc., a mobile ticketing provider, to develop the new solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe give customers the ability to purchase passes through a mobile application,\u201d says Ryan Thompson, president at CooCoo. \u201cThis makes it easy and convenient for everyday riders as well as visiting tourists to purchase their pass and board a bus. Riders can also view schedules, system maps and alert-related information through the app. Riders want the ability to use their phone to plan a trip, purchase their passes and board the bus,\u201d Thompson says.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting riders accustomed to the app was another initial challenge,\u201d Kotler says. \u201cWhen a person comes here for three or four days, they’re not totally thrilled about downloading yet another app. That\u2019s a barrier that had us starting pretty slowly \u2013 but now we are exceeding our initial expectations for the use of the app. Our in-app purchases are probably fourfold what we anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Genfare Mobile Link by CooCoo ticketing application opens up a tremendous amount of opportunities for ATN. \u201cThe platform \u2018Uberizes\u2019 ATN service, which is important not only for our unique demographic but also for transit ridership going forward,\u201d Kotler says.<\/p>\n