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| Amsterdam City Card First in the World to Use RFID Technology The new edition of the I amsterdam Card allows visitors to pass the tickets desks of museums and other attractions in Amsterdam without putting their card through a scanner. The Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board (ATCB) is the first tourist organisation in the world to use RFID technology in a city card for tourists and other visitors. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and is the technology that is used e.g. in the Dutch public transport chip card and in the new Dutch passport. After a one-month trial period, the conclusion is that the system works satisfactorily. The I amsterdam Card gives visitors to Amsterdam free access to 25 museums, a canal boat trip and use of pubic transport. They also receive 25% discount on many other attractions and restaurants. The ATCB has sold a city card for tourists since 1982: the first years as a voucher booklet, since 2003 as an electronic chip card and since 1 January 2007 (the 25th edition) as a contact-free smart card. In the past two years, the ATCB has developed the necessary hardware and software, which has been used since 1 January at the 25 participating museums and attractions, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and De Nieuwe Kerk. It is important for the museums and other participants that the new system offers various reporting functions, such as information on visitor flows. The introduction of RFID has provided the ATCB with an innovative technology at a high quality level. In the near future the ATCB intends to develop applications for new products also, both for itself and for other parties. The ATCB works together at an international level with tourist organisations within European City Tourism. One of its projects is the European City Card, for which cities such as London, Vienna, Barcelona and Amsterdam share their expertise in this field. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Computing News :: home page |