Vertical Alliance Enters College and University Market With Texas A&M Partnership

Vertical Alliance Enters College and University Market With Texas A&M Partnership

A&M Students and Fans Immediately Benefit From Enhanced Ticketing Technology

DALLAS, May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertical Alliance, a leading provider of advanced, internet-based ticketing software and technology, announced today an exclusive ticketing services partnership with the 12th Man Foundation at Texas A&M University. The new agreement gives the 12th Man Foundation full control of branding, and provides a better method of targeting and communicating with fans using Vertical Alliance's exclusive customer management and web-based marketing tools. In addition, Texas A&M will for the first time provide a suite of digital ticketing options to the ticket buying public, including eTickets, which will grant customers the opportunity to purchase and print tickets from a personal computer.

"Given the number of diverse events that we host, it was important that we found the perfect ticketing partner," said Miles Marks, Chief Executive Officer, the 12th Man Foundation of Texas A&M. "What impressed us the most about Vertical Alliance was their unmatched technology, their web presence and their willingness to meet our unique needs. In the end, the combination of these three qualities helped to separate them from the other companies in the industry."

Advanced features that Texas A&M and the 12th Man Foundation will immediately apply include:

1. Touch-screen Box Office Monitors: User friendly ticketing terminal
monitors that will allow the box office employees to learn in less
than an hour how to sell tickets, service will-call orders, and manage
inventory by utilizing a convenient touch-screen application.
2. Driver's License Verification: The ability to capture the name and
contact information of cash-paying customers at the box office, as
well as aggregate purchases of repeat cash-paying customers onto the
same account, by swiping the patron's driver's license.
3. Online Digital Ad Space Management: A feature exclusive to Vertical
Alliance that permits clients to fully manage the layout, flow, and ad
placement of their ticket purchasing links and track the effectiveness
of each ad space independently.
4. Online Customer Management: The ability to manage customer
information, create targeted marketing campaigns, and communicate with
a database of customers, directly from the Vertical Alliance ticketing
system.
5. Online and Electronic Ticket Management: A suite of features that
will allow Texas A&M customers to personally manage their ticketing
inventory online, using a unique username and pass code. Features
include:
a. eTickets: Printing tickets from a personal computer.
b. Ticket Forwarding: Transferring unused tickets to a different
customer.
c. Schedule payments against selected open invoices.
d. Track order history, payment history, and total ticket inventory.
e. Manage contact information and interests.

In addition, the 12th Man Foundation at Texas A&M will be the first Vertical Alliance client to utilize the Lutz Software Donor Management tool integrated with the online ticketing system. This convenient interface will allow system users to view a snapshot of a patron's donor activity directly from the Vertical Alliance application.

"As one of the nation's premiere Universities, Texas A&M sets the standards for educational, athletic, and performing arts excellence," said Sandy Taylor, CEO of Vertical Alliance. "We consider it an honor that after such an extensive search for the right partner, the 12th Man Foundation selected Vertical Alliance, and we look forward to serving their many faithful fans and customers in the future."

About Vertical Alliance:

Established in 1999, Vertical Alliance, Inc. (http://www.verticalalliance.com/ ) is a provider of internet-based ticketing and contact management services for the college athletic, professional sports and live entertainment industries. Based out of Dallas, Texas, and privately owned, the Company offers its customers an integrated solution that combines ticketing, customer relationship management ("CRM"), eCommerce and content management services, which help to promote and drive each client's individual brand.

Please visit http://www.verticalalliance.com/ for additional company information.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060104/DAW032LOGO )

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060104/DAW032LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Vertical Alliance, Inc.

CONTACT: Vic Vannatta of Vertical Alliance, Inc., +1-972-248-5380, ext.
5933, or vvannatta@verticalalliance.com

Web site: http://www.verticalalliance.com/

-------
Profile: International Entertainment