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SKIDATA

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SKIDATA GmbH
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAccess systems
Founded1977; 49 years ago (1977)
FounderGünther Walcher
Headquarters
Grödig (Salzburg-Umgebung), Salzburg (state)
,
Austria
Key people
Thomas Moser
(Head of SKIDATA)
Diana Safta
(CFO)
Number of employees
approx. 1,500 (2025)
ParentASSA ABLOY
Divisions
  • Parking & Mobility
  • Sports & Entertainment
Websitewww.skidata.com

SKIDATA GmbH is an Austrian technology company that provides access and revenue management solutions for people and vehicles. Its systems are used in sectors including airports, car parks, urban areas, shopping malls, office buildings, educational institutions, hospitals, mountain destinations, hotels, stadiums and arenas.[1] SKIDATA systems are installed in 100 countries worldwide, with around 11,000 installations internationally.

History

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Foundation

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SKIDATA was founded in Grödig near Salzburg. In 1977, Günther Walcher developed the first printed personal ski tickets and a cash register for ski resorts, replacing the handwritten ski passes previously used.[2][3] In 1979, the first cash register was implemented that used an electromagnetic stamp unit to print tickets. The System 320 was released in 1981, consisting of a register computer and an automated output device.[2][4]

By the late 1980s, SKIDATA released the first access systems using hands-free RFID technology, known as the KeyCard. With this product, SKIDATA expanded its business beyond ski destinations to include parking management.[5][6][4] The introduction of machines in 1989 allowed drivers to enter parking facilities and pay by credit card at the entry point. Düsseldorf Airport was equipped in 1991, followed by Munich Airport in 1992.[2]

Expansion and partnerships

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A collaboration with Swiss company Swatch in 1995 resulted in watches with integrated access authorization. Two years later, French chip card manufacturer Gemplus acquired a majority stake in SKIDATA.[7] The Swiss Kudelski Group took over the company in 2001, expanding its market presence.[8]

In the following years, SKIDATA expanded its sports and event ticketing business. For UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal, SKIDATA equipped the four European Championship stadiums of Benfica Lisbon, FC Porto, Leiria and Faro with access systems.[4]

Operations in India began in 2007 through a local partnership, leading to the formation of SKIDATA (India) Pvt Ltd in 2009 as a joint venture with Hinditron, a company with a software and IT history dating back to 1966.[9] The company has since implemented car access systems at GMR Hyderabad International Airport, Bangalore International Airport, and Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, as well as commercial properties and malls. SKIDATA (India) Pvt Ltd has also provided access systems for ten Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stadiums and the Formula One circuit at Buddh International Circuit.[10]

To expand its business in the United States, SKIDATA acquired a 25% stake in the software developer RTP (Resort Technology Partners LLC) in 2009.[11] In 2010, SKIDATA fully equipped the parking facilities at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.[12]

In April 2015, the company installed its 7,000th Parking.Logic system in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.[13] That same year, an office opened in Tunisia.[14] In addition, SKIDATA acquired 60% of Sentry Control Systems, a family-owned parking systems company in Van Nuys, California.[15]

Recent developments and sale

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The access system for Familypark was updated in March 2016.[16] During the Intertraffic exhibition in Amsterdam the following month, the city of Amsterdam signed a contract with SKIDATA to equip 25 parking areas, covering a total of 25,000 parking spaces.[17] A partnership with the Minnesota Vikings led to the creation of a Vikings App, which included digital ticketing, route finding, food and beverage ordering, merchandise ordering, push notifications, and videos.[18] In May 2016, SKIDATA installed a new parking management system at Salzburg Airport. The system manages 3,200 parking spaces at the airport.[19]

At the end of 2016, the existing car park systems in Miami Beach, Florida were replaced. As part of this contract, SKIDATA upgraded or installed new systems across 10 multi-level parking garages and 6,000 parking spaces.[20]

In 2020, SKIDATA released Mobile Flow, a system in which the smartphone acts as a ski pass.[21] In 2024, the system was implemented in the Levi ski resort in Finland.[22] In 2024, sMove was introduced, an access system for skiers, mountain bikers, families and people with disabilities.[23][24]

In February 2024, the Kudelski Group announced the sale of SKIDATA.[25] In July 2024, a takeover by ASSA ABLOY was announced.[26] The sale of SKIDATA to ASSA ABLOY was completed on 13 September 2024.[27]

Company structure

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SKIDATA GmbH is based in Grödig, Austria, and has been part of ASSA ABLOY since the completion of the sale on 13 September 2024.[27] As of 2025, the company employs approximately 1,500 people.

Products and development

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The business divisions are Parking & Mobility and Sports & Entertainment. The products and technologies include car park systems, access systems, data carriers and the associated software.[28] The KeyCard and KeyTicket data carriers are used both as car park tickets and ski passes.[29][30]

SKIDATA systems are used in 100 countries worldwide and account for around 11,000 installed systems internationally. Examples of sites using SKIDATA systems include the Zugspitze Railway in Bavaria, the Konjiam ski resort in South Korea, the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, and the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, Australia.

The products and the technology underlying them are being further developed. In 2021, SKIDATA introduced the NFC ticket. NFC (near-field communication) tickets enable the contactless transfer of data over short distances, typically a few centimeters. In skiing, they are used to facilitate access to ski resorts by serving as digital ski passes on smartphones. Instead of using a physical card, skiers can keep their smartphone in their pocket, and the gate opens automatically.[31]

SKIDATA also offers Mobility Suite as a Service, a subscription-based parking management system. It provides a hybrid parking software platform with an on-premise core and cloud-based services.[32][33]

References

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  1. ^ "Segments". SKIDATA. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  2. ^ a b c "About SKIDATA access solutions". SKIDATA. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  3. ^ "Kompetenz in Zutritt und Ticketing". Kleine Zeitung (in German). 2012-10-14. p. 2.
  4. ^ a b c Sempelmann, Peter (2005-01-01). "Sesam, öffne dich". Trend (in German). p. 179.
  5. ^ "Grenzenloses Schneevergnuegen mit der neuen Keycard". Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten (in German). 1996-10-05.
  6. ^ Bock, Karin (1997-01-17). "Neues Skidata-Produkt stößt auf Vorbehalt. KeyManager-Programm soll All-Inclusive-Angebote erleichtern". Wirtschaftsblatt (in German).
  7. ^ "Gemplus erwirbt Mehrheitsanteile an SkiData". OTS.at (in German). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  8. ^ Triebe, Benjamin (2024-07-23). "Viele Skipässe werden bald von Schweden verkauft: Kudelski verkauft Skidata". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  9. ^ "Skidata forms JV with Mumbai's Hinditron". Business Standard India. 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  10. ^ "Revenue Control Solutions". Hinditron. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  11. ^ Mayr, Michael J. (2009-01-08). "Skidata kauft Axess den US-Partner weg Salzburg: Neuer Gipfel im jahrelangen Kampf der Zutrittssystem-Lokalrivalen". Wirtschaftsblatt (in German). p. 7.
  12. ^ "Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Parking Control System". Airport International. 2010-07-15. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  13. ^ "SKIDATA posts record: 7,000th parking system installed". Copybook. 2015-04-09. Archived from the original on 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
  14. ^ Salzmann, Sabine (2015-02-04). "Skidata erobert Märkte". Kronen Zeitung (in German). p. 29.
  15. ^ "Skidata tritt in den USA stärker auf". Salzburger Nachrichten (in German). 2015-01-31. p. 8.
  16. ^ "Saisonstart im Familypark". Freizeitpark Welt (in German). 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  17. ^ "Intertraffic Amsterdam". Daily News. 2016-04-06.
  18. ^ "Vikings, VenueNext Announce Partnership to Enhance Fan Experience at U.S. Bank Stadium". Vikings. 2016-04-04. Archived from the original on 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  19. ^ Veigl, Stefan (2016-05-19). "Prestigeprojekt vor der Haustür". Salzburger Nachrichten (in German). p. 8.
  20. ^ "San Francisco, Vegas, Miami: Skidata in den USA top". Kronen Zeitung (in German). 2016-11-04. p. 18.
  21. ^ "Ein Stück Wald in der Anoraktasche". Medianet (in German). 2020-11-06. p. 81.
  22. ^ "Levi Ski Resort Introduces Smartphone Ski Pass For Seamless Winter Sports Access". Snow Industry News. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  23. ^ "Zutrittslösung sMove von SKIDATA". SBT Magazin (in German). 2024-10-02.
  24. ^ Janisch, Johanna (2024-10-07). "sMOVE: Rasch und unkompliziert in die Berge". Seilbahnen International (in German).
  25. ^ "Kudelski erleidet 2023 mehr Verlust und will Skidata verkaufen". Handelszeitung (in Swiss High German). 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  26. ^ "ASSA ABLOY to acquire SKIDATA". ASSA ABLOY. 2024-07-22. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  27. ^ a b "Kudelski Group closes sale of SKIDATA to ASSA ABLOY" (PDF). Kudelski Group. 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  28. ^ Minichberger, Michael (2024-07-23). "Für Skidata beginnt eine neue Ära". Salzburger Nachrichten (in German).
  29. ^ "Kein Warten an der Kassa, eine Karte für 73 Skiregionen". Tiroler Tageszeitung (in German). 2017-12-20. p. 23.
  30. ^ Schörghofer, Birgitta (2021-07-07). "Skidata hat Platz für kreative Köpfe". Salzburger Nachrichten (in German). p. 13.
  31. ^ "Das Smartphone kann auch Ski-Pass sein". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  32. ^ Symonds, Dan (2021-11-15). "APT Skidata upgrades entire parking system at Heathrow Airport". Passenger Terminal Today. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  33. ^ "Mobility Suite as a Service". SKIDATA. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
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