Comtrade to introduce sCore 2.0 at ICE

Why is ICE Totally Gaming an ideal opportunity to unveil your next generation solutions? What can you tell us about the products you're planning to unleash at the trade show?
 
Comtrade Gaming's product development centred around the idea that player data and business analytics curate the modern multi-channel experience. Our curent product breakthroughs include improved features with cognitive functionalities in business and marketing reporting.
 
As a development to launching iCore 2.0, Comtrade Gaming sharpened its player data and business metrics capabilities to surpass standard features and unlock further business value. This improved data strategy sleekly records and compiles additional user activity, segments preferences and intelligently responds to player profiles to continuously improve player life-cycles.

This year we are also introducing sCore 2.0. The revamped G2S enhanced Central Monitoring and Gaming Management Solutions, now more than ever, improve operations with advanced venue and terminal performance reports, analytical tools and remote optimisation possibilities. Updates on our Game Server focus on investments in the game development frameworks with advanced animations to specifically focus on multi-device support. The gCore framework now encourages the reuse of components across different devices with advanced optimisation to achieve refined user experiences.
 
How do you feel the European gambling markets will evolve in terms of player trends and technology impacts?
 
The European gambling markets will continue to evolve along three separate fronts: the legislative guidelines of regulators, player preferences and the capabilities of leading technologies.

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Player activity will dictate everything from marketing strategies, including bonusing and campaigns to the developing and enhancing multi-channel experiences

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Operational insight and business intelligence will require greater data collection and analysis capabilities. In order to meet specific demographic preferences, there will need to be a quick design to market process with immediate and frequent feature adaptations with a dynamic product offer to long-term player engagement.
 
Operators will continue to invest in comprehensive monitoring and gaming management systems to function on regulated terms. Strong fraud prevention processes and central financial reporting, not only strengthen individual markets drive player confidence and regulator trust. Building on offering unique gaming content, operators will find that streamlining internal processes will need to include software downloads, remote configurations and software verifications. Central system reporting with CRM and business intelligence with real-time data collection not only for venue insight and system performance, but for compatibility with player demands and interests.

Which jurisdictions do you feel currently offer the most potential for gaming growth?

The type of potential we place on individual markets is based on their market status. As far as established markets go, Italy, UK and Australia offer exciting possibilities in incorporating our core product offering. 

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Prospective markets such as Poland, Brazil and possibly Japan will shape the strategies to which the entire industry will develop

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As we negotiate on new global entry points, Comtrade Gaming continues to anticipate regulator, operator and vendor needs as we adjust our participation along their priorities.

 
What discussions should drive the 2017 agenda? Where will the focus be?
 
The trends that we will see take centerstage in 2017 are an extension to what the industry focused on the past few years, including big data, cognitive technology and mobile gaming.

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The most extensive question trending in the gaming industry is: How can we drive business performance with player data?

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Customer information fundamentally changes business practices to fit specific player needs and personal preferences. Decoding player patterns as »customer habits« means creating new revenue streams, offering tailored experiences and being one step ahead of the competitor. The multi-channel experience is now the reflection of its user, having advanced from mass-market campaigns (though not quite to the space of one-on-one personalisation efforts, which leads to our next point.
 
In the past few years, monitoring player activity advanced to such an extent, that the industry can no longer single-handedly manage and implement data-based customisations. Big data effectively brought machine learning and cognitive technology to the forefront due to the complexity that is associated with the level of information that we as an industry acquired. Currently, the industry is witnessing the first steps in cognitive technology in the form of automised processes and machine learning. As innovation emerges, advanced systems and platforms will supplement industry knowledge and experience to increase brand sophistication and player analysis. The first layer of process simplification lies in content curation, with platforms and systems creating customised player presentations on the basis of aggregated data sets and personalised suggestions. Responses will soon surpass the current “predictive” status and fall under intuitive programming. iCore, now more than ever, perceptively targets players to sharpen industry practices and optimise the digital gaming experience.
 
Lastly, operators and vendors are removing the uniformity between products by creating a brand experience as a point of differentiation – one of the most effective being the mobile casino.

The decision is more than a technical preference, but a business strategy. With the rise of the “experiential” casino, players are not only using a product, but seeking something unique that defines their experiences. Embracing the correct strategy in creating mobile apps targets two challenges facing the gaming industry: millennial engagement and redefining the modern casino business so that it runs along digitalized channels. Since the mobile experience drives the relationship between player, operator and vendor, statistics are reinforcing the correlation between app design and a consumer’s relationship to a company.
 
What is going to be your strategy this year to out-perform competitors and grow your market share?
 
Comtrade Gaming anticipates 2017 to be highly focused on managing customer prospects, refining our products and continued investments into strengthening the brand. We expect operators to optimise their digital experience and gain deeper understanding in the ways in which players drive business value. Comtrade Gaming is looking to work intensely with regulators and operators in regards to national priority points and with vendors to curate the modern gaming experience. Most of all, we look forward to a dynamic market and the projects that will provide welcomed challenges to shaping the gaming industry for continued success.