ABOUT US

Alfi was founded in 1962 when Gianni Colombo and Giovanni Ippolito began an intense activity in the electronics sector with the specific goal of creating products with high levels of innovation and technology.

In 1974, ALFI invented the world’s first electronic access control system for ski lifts in San Vigilio di Marebbe, and the following year, it provided the newly established Superski Dolomiti with the equipment for ticket issuance and control.

This was the first step in a growth that would see Ages capture more than eighty percent of the Italian market and a significant share of the French market.

In 1983, the owners decided to sell the access control sector and the related Ages brand to Olivetti after a brief collaboration, changing the company name to Alfi.

Meanwhile, other research, development, and production activities in the IT and scientific-medical sectors continued at the company’s headquarters in Borgoticino, on the shores of Lake Maggiore.

In the early 1990s, Alfi decided to re-enter the ski resort access control sector, which had undergone significant changes: it faced a market almost entirely dominated by new Austrian competition but still managed, in a short time, to achieve excellent results, remaining the only Italian company present in the market.

Starting in 1989, Alfi, among the first companies in Italy, began research and development activities in the RFID technology sector, which led to the creation of the first “hands-free” access control system for ski lifts.

After gaining the trust of over 80 Italian ski resorts, Alfi decided to expand internationally with the development of the Liberté gate, installing the first systems in France, Poland, and Japan starting in the 2000/2001 season. Meanwhile, it actively participated in the creation of Skipass Lombardia, providing equipment for management.

In the 2004/2005 season, the Espace Diamant resort in the French Savoy used the full hands-free Liberté system integrated with the new low-cost Flexicard, achieving great success from both operators and users.

The positive feedback from ski operators encouraged Alfi to continue the adventure that began more than 30 years ago. With the advent of the Internet, Alfi developed the first system in Italy for managing a multifunctional tourist card with a transponder, providing the Incoming Abruzzo company with a system for managing summer and winter tourist packages.

Alfi then specialized in integrated access control systems in the recreational and sports sectors, while continuing an intense research activity in the industrial and ICT sectors, filing numerous patents for product and document anti-counterfeiting and transponder security.

Among its various applications, the following are also notable:

Attendance tracking and access control with optical technology, the first implementations in Europe (Bank of Italy, Alfa Romeo…)
Industrial terminals (all Fiat and Alfa Romeo plants, over 1500 terminals on assembly lines)
Special terminals, readers, and markers for managing railway wagons for the Italian State Railways
Production of thousands of OEM terminals for Olivetti and Honeywell
Creation of the first numerical control scale
Design and production of knitting machines
The pursuit of innovative solutions has always characterized the company’s activities, which has filed numerous patents in Italy and worldwide over its fifty years of existence, including the IFC system for product and document anti-counterfeiting.