Inside Asian Gaming

March 2013 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 25 phone. So everyone sees the convenience and benefits of mobile transactions coming down the road, and casino operators just want to stay attuned and stay involved. The display on the MW2 would be ‘skinned’ with the operators branding, so it appears an extension of the operator. So it’s very interesting.” More important than the diversification of JCM’s revenue sources, however, is the evolution of its main product line— the award-winning iVIZION, which is packed “with an incredible set of bundled enhancement tools that empower casino operators to do much more than they ever thought possible, and in real time,” the company says. “iVIZION’s bundled enhancement tools fulfill iVIZION’s promise of delivering apps that keep it future-proof.” Contributing to that “future-proofing,” a new product unveiled at ICE called DNA (Dynamic Network Applications) “enables iVIZION to become so much more than a bill validator,” says Mr Nieman. “[With DNA] iVIZION becomes a communications hub, connecting with all of the peripheral components in the device. DNA maintains a two-way dialogue with the bill validator, with the printer and the display, which are the three critical elements in the gaming machine, and that communication gathers and delivers performance metrics as well as operator-defined alerts that are delivered immediately to the appropriate people. Further, DNA also does some predictive analytics that will inform the appropriate people to take overt action prior toperformancedegradation—refillingpaper supplies, cleaning bill paths or collecting a full cash box. All this information optimizes machine up-time and revenue generation. “As DNA continues its two-way dialogue with the peripherals inside the gaming machine, DNA also passively monitors the SAS line, identifying what the game is, what the model is, what the platform is, what software version it’s operating. And because DNA is only passively monitoring the SAS line, it cannot affect any of those things, but by listening and knowing those things it helps deliver critical alerts and reports to the operator and assists in defining the action that needs to be taken. DNA also provides bonusing or couponing, so that when a player has wagered ‘x’ amount, the casino can trigger the printing of an award coupon for use at a restaurant on property.” Furthermore, with DNA, operators can get extensive reports in real time and deliver firmware updates instantly, with no down time, across the entire operation. DNA also enables regulators to instantly verify peripheral devices, software versions, view reports and more. In other words, the technology is capable of further enhancing profitability, productivity and efficiency. “And this is all done on a wireless, encrypted network we created that is in the EGM’s candle tower [at the top of the slot machine],” adds Mr Nieman. “The transponder is about the size of a [US] 50-cent piece, and it’s both sending and receiving the data. DNA created this super candle that now is the communications port. The beauty of DNA is that it can function either wirelessly or hard-wired— it is the operator’s preference. So if an operator is in an older property and cannot tear up the floor to hard-wire, we will install a series of transponders throughout the property to create a safe, secure, wireless ecosystem. This is unique and separate of the hard-wired back-end CMS systems supplied by the OEMs. We don’t touch or affect that data.” DNA creates a unique and separate data stream and is agnostic to EGM supplier or platform, allowing even legacy machines to be included. “When we introduced iVIZION and said it was going to be the foundation of intelligent validation, this is the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise. We have moved from promise to reality,” Mr Nieman says. “And new ideas and new apps keep coming. Every time we exhibit at a trade show, someone visits our booth and asks, ‘Wow, can iVIZION ever do this?’ Then we’ve got another potential idea. We originally went into the design phase thinking only about the operator and what we can do with iVIZION to make the operator’s life more efficient, more productive. But regulators have come in and seen DNA and said it is outstanding. Regulators are excited that the type of information DNA delivers could be available in a seamless and secure fashion without interrupting operations. “We envision a day when JCM’s DNA will play a critical role in greater counterfeit security. The potential to scan images and store images will allow casinos to capture real-time event data that will make the counterfeiter’s decision to use a gaming EGM a poor choice for passing any bad notes.” Tech Talk Ahead of its time—MobileWager Wallet. Tom Nieman—‘We have moved from promise to reality.’