Check-in app fast-tracks skiers

Forget Gone in 60 Seconds, an Australian technology company is promising carloads of skiers on their way to Mount Buller and Mount Stirling that they will wait no longer than it takes to wind down their windows to complete COVID-19 health requirements.

Jeromy Wells, CEO of Whispir, says his app allows for a much more innovative way for people to move around the mountain Picture: David Geraghty

Forget Gone in 60 Seconds, an Australian technology company is promising carloads of skiers on their way to Mount Buller and Mount Stirling that they will wait no longer than it takes to wind down their windows to complete COVID-19 health requirements.

Ahead of the ski season opening on Monday, listed cloud communications provider Whispir has signed a contract with the two Victorian alpine resorts, which it says could also be introduced at AFL and NRL games to ensure crowds are registered, tracked and monitored in case of a fresh coronavirus outbreak.

It uses QR code and mobile technology to share skiers’ details so when they arrive at a resort all they need to do is scan their phone, rather than fill out paperwork, which has become the norm as restaurants and hotels reopen.

Whispir chief executive Jeromy Wells said if registrations were manually processed it would take at least two minutes, meaning only 30 cars could be processed in an hour.

“That would mean you would have this massive tailgate because there is not the capacity at the gate to deal with hundreds of cars an hour, and they expect 1600 cars a day at a minimum,” Mr Wells said.

“Our technology is solving that problem but it’s also a much more innovative way for people to move around the mountain and quickly do contact lists for entry into buildings.

“It will only take a few seconds — faster than it takes to wind down the window of your car — and positions Mount Buller and Mount Stirling as innovators. It gives them a much more elegant solution for the community.”

Mr Wells said as well as fulfilling government COVID-19 health requirements, the technology could also provide skiers with essential communications, such as tree falls or other hazards.

“Mount Buller and Mount Stirling also have the capability to draw a geofence or to communicate to people based on location and where they have been. This is a new capability for the mountain to, with confidence, communicate with all stakeholders.”

The person who booked their resort entry receives a message, pre-populated with their name, number and car registration. They then enter the names and phone numbers of people travelling with them.

The information is supplied to Whispir, and an SMS is sent to every contact they entered, providing a QR code to each phone along with all of the names of the people in that vehicle. Mr Wells did not disclose the cost of installing the technology, but said it did not require special scanners, with resort employees able to use their own mobile phones to scan customer QR codes.

Mt Buller-Mt Stirling Resort’s Mark Bennetts said using the technology also protected the health of staff by not having to share pens and clipboards.

“We are using Whispir to create a digital visitor record and eliminate the need for visitors to manually record all their details at the resort entrance gate and at food and beverage venues within the resorts,” Mr Bennetts said.

“It means people won’t be asked to handle (shared) pens or clipboards.”

It comes after Whispir — a Telstra Ventures-backed company, which floated on the ASX in June last year — forecast a full-year loss of $7.4m-$7.9m, down from the $9.4m it originally projected in its prospectus.

Since the sharemarket crash in March, Whispir’s shares have surged more than 214 per cent from 71c to $2.23.

The coronavirus pandemic fuelled a spike in clients for Whispir, which already has BHP, Qantas, Telstra, Red Cross, Australia Post and the NSW and Victorian ambulance services on its books. In March, it signed up the Victorian government, which will use its technology to communicate with those exposed to coronavirus cases. Whispir expects to release its audited 2020 full-year results on August 26.