Accesso Acquires 1RISK Technology
Accesso Technology Group PLC, a prominent technology provider serving attractions worldwide, has announced a significant move to expand its capabilities through the acquisition of the technology assets of 1RISK. 1RISK is recognized as a provider of cloud-based online liability waiver and incident risk management data solutions tailored for the leisure and recreation sector, with a particular emphasis on the ski industry. This strategic acquisition is set to integrate 1RISK’s proven solutions into accesso’s comprehensive product ecosystem, making them exclusively available to accesso clients moving forward.
Developing Specialized Risk Management Tools
Established in 2012, 1RISK dedicated itself to creating technology designed to optimize and streamline the often cumbersome process of securing liability waivers. Their solutions cover a range of activities crucial to the leisure sector, from standard ticket and pass purchases to essential components like equipment rentals and lessons. Over time, 1RISK expanded its suite of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based offerings to include sophisticated risk management tools. These encompass critical functions such as detailed incident reporting and efficient dispatch operations tracking, providing operators with essential data points. By leveraging the insights gained from this data, operators can work towards incrementally lowering both the frequency and severity of incidents occurring at their venues, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.
Waive Leads the Ski Industry
Central to the acquired technology is 1Waive, 1RISK’s flagship liability waiver application. This product has emerged as the leading solution of its kind specifically designed for ski resorts across the North American market. Its widespread adoption is evident in its usage by over 160 venues throughout the region. Notably, almost half of these venues are already existing clients of accesso, highlighting a natural synergy between the two companies’ customer bases. The scale of 1Waive’s impact is further underscored by the sheer volume of transactions it facilitates; last year alone, the technology enabled the completion of more than 4 million waivers, demonstrating its robustness and reliability in handling high-volume operations critical to the ski season.
Integrating Solutions for Exclusive Client Benefit
The relationship between accesso and 1RISK is not new. accesso has a history of supporting integration with the 1Waive application across its own eCommerce and Point-of-Sale (POS) technologies for a considerable period. This prior collaboration likely paved the way for the current acquisition. Looking ahead, the full range of 1RISK solutions will become an integral part of accesso’s extensive product library. A key aspect of this acquisition is the strategic decision to make these valuable risk management tools exclusively available only to accesso clients, providing them with a competitive advantage in managing operational risks.
Leadership Praises Strategic Alignment
Steve Brown, CEO of accesso, commented on the significance of the acquisition, particularly in the context of accesso’s strong presence in the ski market. “As the leading provider of commerce solutions for the ski operators across North America, further enhancing the accesso offering with 1RISK’s proven technology extends our commitment to delivering innovative, comprehensive solutions to the leisure sector,” Brown stated, emphasizing how the acquired technology strengthens accesso’s position and service offering to a key segment of its clientele.
Joining Forces for Enhanced Risk Management
Adding to this perspective, Charles Mickley, founder and CEO of 1RISK, shared his insights on joining the accesso ecosystem. “As a long-standing partner of accesso, we have seen firsthand their dedication to innovation and guest experience,” Mickley remarked. He added, “We are excited to see the range of 1RISK technology become an integral part of accesso’s powerful ecosystem, helping operators support their overall approach to risk management,” signaling optimism about the future development and reach of the technology under accesso’s stewardship.
Expert Team Joins accesso
As part of the asset acquisition agreement, key staff members from 1RISK will transition and join the accesso team once the acquisition is formally completed. These individuals bring valuable expertise and experience in developing specialized risk management technologies for the leisure industry. Their integration into accesso will enable them to continue contributing to the development of advanced solutions. Their focus will remain on creating technologies specifically customized to address the unique needs and challenges faced by ski resorts, various recreation venues, and other activity-based destinations located across the world.
Context of Broader Global Growth
This acquisition comes as accesso continues to demonstrate momentum in securing significant contracts within the global attractions market. Just last month, accesso announced it had been selected as the guest experience technology provider for the ambitious Qiddiya giga-project currently under development in Saudi Arabia. For that large-scale undertaking, accesso is set to roll out its leading-edge ticketing and visitor management solution, known as accesso Horizon, across Qiddiya’s varied range of upcoming attractions, highlighting the company’s ongoing global reach and the deployment of its core technological capabilities.
Acquisition Enhances Client Offerings
In conclusion, accesso’s acquisition of 1RISK’s technology represents a strategic move to integrate specialized online waiver and risk management data solutions into its core offering. By making these tools exclusive to its clients, accesso aims to provide enhanced capabilities for managing operational risks and improving safety at leisure and activity-based venues, particularly within the North American ski sector, where 1Waive is already a dominant force. This integration is poised to strengthen accesso’s comprehensive product library and further solidify its position as a key technology partner for attractions worldwide.
