Riener Returns With Expanded ETDNs

<H1> Riener Returns With Expanded ETDNs</H1><I>San Francisco </I>- Even as many in the travel industry say the heyday of the electronic ticket delivery network is behind us, John Riener and a group of big-name investors are betting that an updated version of the ETDN will go on beating near the heart of the travel industry.

Riener-up to his fifth life in the travel industry now-should well understand the concept of reinventing an existing product as he takes over the helm of Docunet Inc., the San Francisco-based electronic delivery system that bills itself as "the next generation ATM."

As the industry moves into an increasingly ticketless age-and one in which more products and services will be purchased online-the point is to deliver "important documents of all sorts, anywhere and any time," Riener said. In the here and now, the current version of Docunet machines offer airline tickets with complete printed itineraries, as well as theater and event tickets ordered through Ticketmaster. But the next version, due out in August, will add travelers checks and stored-value cards like Visa's Travel Money. Docunet also is in talks with the hotel industry to provide checkin services at the same machines in their lobbies, and last week it signed a deal to deliver tickets for USAir.

The believers in Docunet's future include a number of savvy players. Riener himself is no stranger to the industry, having headed corporate-market operations at Gelco Travel Network, American Express and Carlson Travel Network. Docunet is partnering with EDS, which is providing a nationwide ATM network, and Olivetti, which is providing hardware-and both have taken equity stakes in the company, Riener said. Also in the coffers are $7 million in newly raised capital from private investors.

"The future is all about eliminating distribution costs and the cost of information processing," Riener said. "At the same time, the customer wants convenience-he or she wants to be able to pick up tickets and cash in one place. We've taken the ETDN concept and expanded it, and we hope to be the delivery platform for the travel industry.