Boxoffice-September.1989

COMPUTERS IN EXHIBITION
Automated Cinema
Ticketing System
(ACTS)
The Automated Cinema Ticketing
System (ACTS) from Newton-Brown
Associates of San Francisco offers a
low-cost computer and software package
with applications for both the boxoffice
and the manager's office.
In the boxoffice, ACTS incorporates
such features as overpimch and refund
functions, advance sales for unlimited
future dates, the issuance and redemption
of re-admissions, sale of gift certificates
(either pre-printed or generated
by ACTS), and a constant record of each
cashier's drops. Security procedures
safeguard access to all the system's
functions. The cashier's statistics display
is updated as transactions occur to
show exactly how much cash should be
in the drawer at any given time. If
exhibitors have unique requirements for
reporting and communication, or for
interfaces with other systems, customization
is a possibility.
In the manager's office, ACTS features
more than 30 displays to help print
reports of daily and weekly boxoffice,
distribution accounting, attendance, and
ticket series audits. The system also
generates wall schedules for projection
and cleanup, and keeps track of bank
deposits and snack bar income. ACTS
software emphasizes ease of learning,
readouts of up-to-thc-second statistics,
and failsafe operation — in the event of
a computer failure, double-logging of all
transactions allows the transfer of a diskette
to another PC and resumption of
operation without losing any data.
Since each ticket printer is controlled
by its own personal computer, all tickets
are printed in less than a second each,
2(1 BOXOKKKK
regardless of how many printers are
working simultaneously. Printers produce
unique tickets that are vet^y' difficult
to copy. When not in use for ticketing,
the PCs supplied with ACTS can be
used for management functions such as
spreadsheets.
Contact Newton-Brown at 1527
Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94123;
415-921-2407.
Computerised
Automated Tickets
Sales (C.A.T.S.)
C.A.T.S. is the leading computerized
boxoffice system in the United Kingdom.
New York offices opened recently
to provide installations and after-sale
servicing in the US. The C.A.T.S. System's
free support package features 24-
hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week hotline
consultation; replacement of faulty
equipment, as opposed to on-site repairs;
a backup contract with hardware
suppliers such as Texas Instruments;
and remote servicing via telephone modem
(each C.A.T.S. system contains the
necessary communication equipment).
Each C.A.T.S. Concession Till contains
its own micro-computer and works
completely independently. A customer
display panel shows full transaction information.
Customers can read on a
screen the name of each item purchased,
and its price. The last transaction
can always be recalled and
checked. Each till has 42 preset buttons.
The software assigns each item and its
price to a button. The system processes
the data and supplies a full set of
reports, which will include opening
stock counts,
closing counts, and total
sales by item and by value. Yield calculations
are obtainable.
The C.A.T.S. boxoffice system uses
IBM Personal Computers or well
-known compatibles as the "brain centers"
of the system. The ticket printers
are from Texas Instruments. Tickets
may be sold in advance for the same
day, or for any future date. C.A.T.S. also
reverse side. Coca-Cola, Burger King
and Pizza Hut have already availed
themselves of this advertising medium.
A color screen shows customers full
details of films showing, hours of performances,
and availability of tickets.
This information is automatically updated
eveiy 30 seconds. Another option
involves the purchase of magnetic
cards, like gift certificates, for use at the
boxoffice or the concession stand.
Contact C.A.T.S. at 1650 Broadway,
Suite 1208, New York, NY 10019; 212-
262-6122, or 212-262-6126; FAX: 212-
262-5880.
Cinema Computer
Systems
Cinema Computer Systems of Dusseldorf,
W. Germany offers a complete
turnkey theatre computer system consisring
of the CCS Cinema Administration
System and CCS Boxoffice System.
Among the features incorporated by
the CCS Cinema Administrarion System
are:
- input and control of admissions, turnover,
and daily boxoffice reports
- printouts of weekly film rental accounts
- handling of distributor payments
- an efficient film database
- centralized programming of CCS boxoffice
systems
- data transfer between the boxoffice
and headquarters via modem or diskette
- modifications to take care of payroll,
bookkeeping, lease accounts, concessions,
word processing, and desktop
publishing.
The CCS Boxoffice System offers
- flexible design of admission prices,
seating plan, number and time of performances,
price sections, and ticket
imprint
- ticket sales for all auditoriums and all
performances simultaneously from any
number of selling stations
provides the opportimity to sell reserved - thermal and matrix printers for fast
specific seats. The computer chooses issue of tickets
the seats by itself. This avoids aisle - numbered seats (optional)
crowding and maximizes seating capacity.
Different prices for different areas days
- advance ticket sale for a period of 365
of the larger auditoriums can even be - constant display of free and reserved
accommodated.
seats
C.A.T.S. affords operators the opportunity
to design their own tickets. Color customer cards and credit cards
- automatic invoicing of all magnetic
and size are variable, with an option for - a variety of customer information displays.
additional income from coupons on the