This week Shopworks attended the GamCrowd Tech Week, as part of London Tech Week, the first event dedicated to the global gambling technology sector.
GamCrowd set out a vision to give a platform for the amazing tech that the gambling industry develops and at the same time helps the industry understand and navigate the tech landscape which is coming as part of the fourth industrial revolution.
Shopworks were invited to speak to debate the issues and create a path through industry challenges and showcase breakthrough technologies that are transforming the Gambling industry.
Shopworks Ian Hogg talked about the impact of new technologies on the “buy vs build” debate. Citing, the rapid pace of technology changes, cloud, AI and new business models as reasons to look again.
“With a whole range of new opportunities and challenges being brought
to a tidal wave of new technoloigies such as AI and Blockchain, operators are
likely to be rebuilding many elements of their technical infrastructure.”
Looking at it from both sides – as an operator and a supplier he discussed the implications on both sides and made some recommendations:
Suppliers:
• Have a model which justifies the ROI
• Choose tech that can deliver at pace
• Focus on being “best of breed”
• Remain at the leading edge
• Be open
• Suppliers with an old predatory business model that don’t seek to partner with customers
are not long for this world
Operators:
• Focus on one or two key elements of your overall system that you want to own
• Be the best at delivering those products
• Focus your efforts on staying ahead for those products
• Integrate best of breed suppliers for everything else.
• Sign short term contracts with these suppliers and switch them out if they no longer fit the strategy.
• Put the risk on the supplier, make them invest in your project and prove their system before you contracts.
