Casino supplier Good Times Amusements needed to find a space saving PC that could withstand the harsh 24/7 environment of gaming operations. In this environment, the PC also acts as a point-of-sale for the casino, so it not only has to be reliable, but also needs the processing power to run all the gaming software applications that casino guests use. Good Times Amusements found the answer with Cybernet’s iOne-GX31 all-in-one LCD PC. It was powerful and reliable enough for all the applications, and durable enough for 24/7 use. The iOne-GX31 also ended up lowering the cost of ownership for the casinos.
The Customer
Constant action. 24/7 operations. Cigarette smoke and ash. Spilled drinks. Boisterous patrons. Except for the continual, round-the-clock operation, you wouldn’t think that the uninhibited environment of a mid-sized casino would have much in common with the hushed tones, astringent aromas and professional dignity of a hospital. Yet Terry Prekop, President of Good Times Amusements Inc. in Florida, found that when choosing a computer there’s an important similarity.
The Business Challenge
Because both are harsh environments for electronic equipment, a computer that proved successful in the medical field would provide the high quality and dependable performance he was seeking – which he found in the
iOne-GX31 touchscreen
All-in-One computer by
Cybernet.
Keeping their gaming machines running and earning revenue is one of the key business challenges for the small- to mid-sized casinos Terry works with. Behind the glitz of the enclosing cabinet where patrons can sit and play, Good Times’ product is essentially an
All-in-One PC in a touchscreen LCD monitor, networked with an on-site server offering up to 60 games. The only peripheral is a card-swiping device on which patrons use a player’s card, coded with their personal information, transaction data and current balance, purchased at a separate point-of-sale kiosk.
Good Times Amusements has skin in the game as well. Their machines are typically leased to the casinos with a revenue-sharing agreement. For the sake of their continued business relationships as well as their own income stream, Good Times is just as invested in each machine’s reliability as its customers.
The Cybernet SolutionOne day Terry mentioned his need for ultra-reliable computers to a business associate who told Terry that he should look at
Cybernet. In his research Terry discovered the
i-One All-in-One PC family of products, and liked how the
All-in-One PC design would simplify the fabrication and wiring of his machines and reduce costs. More importantly, he noted the success of the
iOne-GX31 in the medical field where it would regularly be cleaned with powerful disinfecting solutions and in many cases would never be turned off. He understood that if the
iOne-GX31 could earn its place at so many nurses’ stations in continual use, on medical carts brought into patients’ rooms for tests, and in imaging suites and diagnostic labs, it could withstand the abusive environment of a casino and the hurried and often overly generous use of cleaning sprays by the housekeeping staff.
Good Times Amusements purchased three
iOne-GX31s to conduct a two-part trial. One was tested at their own offices where the computer was connected to a server loaded with their gaming software and evaluated in use by employees. The other two were placed at the offices of Good Times’ customers, where a number of different employees at each company worked on them using typical office applications. Users filled out evaluation cards to rate their level of satisfaction with the computer’s performance. When Terry and his team looked at the response, the reviews were as bright as a casino marquee.
Key ResultsWith the proven results of the evaluation process and the confidence of the
iOne-GX31’s established reputation for optimal performance in critical operations, Good Times slowly started buying the
Cybernet units and placing them in the field. Their performance in daily, non-stop use has been so successful in delivering the unmatched reliability his customers and he demand, that now Terry is purchasing anywhere from 25 to 50
iOne-GX31 All-in-One PCs at a time.
“The team said, ‘Buy more!’” Terry says. And he has, knowing that with
Cybernet he’s not gambling with interrupting the flow of his customers’ – or his – revenue stream.
