The National Hockey League franchise Dallas Stars announced on Wednesday that it has partly ditched standard ticket pricing in favor of a dynamic pricing model. Software developer Qcue plans to provide the technology the team needs to adjust prices.
The Dallas Stars have inked a one-year deal with Qcue for it to analyze several factors to determine the right price for each home game. The Stars want to ensure that as many people as possible are attending the team's games. The changes will affect only individual game tickets in the upper level. Season ticket holders and those in the lower level will pay a standard rate for all games.
According to Geoff Moore, Dallas Stars senior vice president of sales and marketing, Qcue's technology analyzes the Stars and its opponents' win-loss records, attendance, stats, opposing players, and more. Standings, supply of tickets left, and attendance also play a part. Combine all those factors (and more), and Qcue's proprietary algorithm spits out the suggested pricing on each seat.
How Qcue determines pricing.
(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)In order to make the pricing as effective as possible, the Stars have decided that the team will sell tickets in two-month blocks only. The first block, for games in October and November, will be offered on September 12.
As the season progresses, Qcue will continue to tweak its algorithm while adding as much data as possible to the software. Ticket prices will change based on last year's information, as well as this season's performance. Moore believes that selling tickets through Qcue's service is the best way for the Stars to achieve its financial goals.
"Our goal is to increase the number of ticket-buying customers we have," Moore said. "We believe that Qcue's software will increase our revenue, but it's likely that the number of bodies in seats will increase at a much more rapid rate. That's exactly what we want."
... Read more
(Credit:
Microsoft)
Microsoft announced 3,000 layoffs earlier this week. The layoffs inch Microsoft closer to its goal of cutting 5,000 employees from its payroll. The company claims the layoffs are a part of broader strategy that aims at making the software giant more focused on others areas of its operation.
Whatever the logic, there's one person at the company that, over the past nine years, has performed quite admirably: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
I'll be the first to admit that Ballmer can be eccentric. He's often criticized for his outspokenness and willingness to mix it up with tech royalty (I'm looking at you, Apple). He has a tendency to open his mouth when he shouldn't. And he has embarrassed himself on a few occasions.
But when we look at his performance as a CEO from a financial perspective, I don't think even the most ardent Microsoft hater can say that he has done a poor job. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that these layoffs are a mark on his record, but when taken as a whole, Ballmer has proven to be one of the tech industry's most competent CEOs.
... Read more
Sega should go back to the console business and forget about software. And least, that's what I think.
Even better news: you can now subscribe to this show. Just add it up right here!
And as always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter!
- prev
- 1
- next
