Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming June 2014 38 Tech Talk It’s taken a long time for JCM Global ’s iV8 table game bill validator to evolve from prototype to final product. As General Manager of New Business Development Kunal Mishra explains, that’s because the company prefers to patiently evaluate and refine its new creations before selling them—sacrificing short-term gains but potentially creating best of breed products that have longevity as market leaders. That’s what JCM has managed with its main earner, the iVIZION bill validator for slots, and what it looks poised to repeat with the iV8 J CM Global’s iV8 table game bill validator is finally set to be rolled out onto casino floors across Asia, three years after the release of the initial prototype. In the intervening period, the company conducted thorough field research and gathered detailed customer feedback, on the basis of which it thoroughly refined the product, making a host of changes ranging from making It more dealer-friendly to adding a light in the escrow chamber at the request of casino surveillance departments. The latest version of the iV8 on display at the JCM stand at last month’s G2E Asia is also decidedly more compact and sleeker than the rather clunky 2011 prototype. Kunal Mishra, JCM Global’s general manager of new business development, acknowledges the product could have been rushed to market sooner. “You can take a short cut many times that leads to short-term pain.” But perfection can’t be rushed, and by taking the time to fine-tune the iV8, Mr Mishra believes it offers the best achievable solution to the business problem it was designed to address. “And that problem is ‘How do you increase hands per hour at casino tables?’ Everyone who comes into a casino has a finite time that they can gamble. The casino wants to maximize the decisions per hour. And certainly they still have to be wary of security, so be cautious of accepting only good money.” In high-volume cash markets such as Macau and Singapore, manually counting and validating currency during buy-ins can shut down play for minutes at a time. By processing eight notes per second, the iV8—“iV” stands for “intelligent validation,” the 8 for the processing speed—enables more hands to be played. “In certain markets where the amounts of money wagered is very high this product’s potential ROI [return on investment] is almost on the first day you use it,” claims Mr Mishra. Another benefit is that by eliminating downtime during buy-ins, the iV8 “increases the entertainment value for the customer as well.” Mr Mishra is justifiably proud of the development effort behind the iV8. Not only has JCM invented an all-new product category with clear revenue-boosting potential for its customers, but it has also wisely invested sufficient time and resources in refining the iV8 to ensure that it remains the market leader in that category even when other manufacturers inevitably come out with competing products. “I’m an engineer by trade,” says Mr Mishra. “I believe you design to a standard, not a specification. Designing to a standard means you create the best of breed product. A specification means you cater to the minimum needs of the market. And based on my engineering background, I’m committed to building a product to the highest standard. And that’s what the iV8 represents today. “We have a fantastic team in Japan who’ve designed this product, and who have reacted thoughtfully to customer input. And while In high-volume cash markets such as Macau and Singapore, manually counting and validating currency during buy-ins can shut down play for minutes at a time. By processing eight notes per second, the iV8— “iV” stands for “intelligent validation,” the 8 for the processing speed—enables more hands to be played. Creating the Gold Standard