Nightkey – Customer ID Management Terminal

Going out to pubs, clubs, and other entertainment venues to socialise, often with an alcoholic beverage, is a common practice for many Australians of legal drinking age. In the Australian context, a large body of research has shown a relationship between alcohol consumption and crime and disorder. The annual cost of alcohol-related harm in Australia is estimated between $15.63 and $36 billion (4) depending on the model used and whether harm to others is included in the model. The personal cost of alcohol-related trauma to many individuals is overwhelming (4) Licensed entertainment venues operate with a serious legal and moral responsibility to keep the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone (operators, staff, patrons + community). The challenge was to develop the next-generation NightKey Terminal that would serve both operators and patrons in such a way as to create a smoother check-in process, a safe and entertaining environment, and a more profitable experience for operators. The system needed to streamline venue check-in process, ensuring business know exactly who is in their venues, when and to keep a record of any individuals anti-social behaviour.

NightKey is a patented Identity Management System. NightKey takes away the challenges facing identity management for venue operators. It is the first large scale biometric access control and ID verification system designed for the hospitality industry. The system has been developed to give venues the best tools possible for managing patrons at an alcohol licensed venue. NightKey provides an easy to use terminal backed by the most sophisticated software on the market to identify people safely and securely through fingerprint + facial recognition and across all forms of identification. NightKey puts the power of personal data ownership back into the hands of the customer, while letting them get on with enjoying socialising easily and safely (Customers can control their data by accessing the NightKey cloud via the NightKey website). NightKey complies with Federal Privacy Laws. NightKey is a I.D. Management terminal solution (Tabletop, Wall mounted, or Mobile Pedestal Configurations) which facilitates a better experience through a three-step check-in process: Scan, Verify, Log. Access to the terminal is restricted, requiring authorised staff members to login with account details or fingerprint scan. An intuitive graphical user interface guides the operator step-by-step to seamlessly check-in guests at entry.

In the Australian context, a large body of research has shown a relationship between alcohol consumption and crime and disorder. Current research indicates that virtually every type of alcohol-related harm is on the rise in Australia (5). The NightKey Identity Management System works to help prevent alcohol related crime and disorder in licensed venues, assisting in the creation of a safer environment for operators, staff, patrons and the community. If just one alcohol related incident is avoided due to the implementation of the system, the development of NightKey has been worth it. In 2020, the world encountered an unprecedented global pandemic event that has continued into 2021. In response to the spread of COVID-19, state governments around the Australia implemented various systems to enhance their 'contact tracing' capabilities with the goal of preventing further spread in the community. Within this context the NightKey ID Management terminal has proven a fast, effective, and secure tool that ensures accurate recording keeping. With the use biometrics, digital ID scanning (real-time verification), customer profiles and visit details - NightKey is one of the most accurate solutions within Australia to contract trace given patrons are not able to provide false contact details.

(4) Laslett AM, Catalano P, Chikritzhs T, Dale C, Doran C, Ferris J, Jainullabudeen TA, Livingston M, Matthews S, Mugavin J, Room R, Schlotterlein M & Wilkinson C 2010 The range and magnitude of alcohol's harm to others, Fitzroy Vic: AER Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre. (5) Livingston M 2011 'A longitudinal analysis of alcohol outlet density and domestic violence", Addiction, 106:5, pp. 919-25.