SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
It’s two years since Phil Parry became CEO at Iforium, and he hopes that 2015 will see the firm’s Gameflex and Wagerflex solutions taken up by more operators than ever before.
What has your company and its services and operations learned from 2014?
2014 proved a year of rapid progression and growth for Iforium. It saw Iforium expand the team, deliver our platform to multiple operators and secure several new and exciting partnerships.
Some of the key lessons we learned during 2014 were to constantly innovate and not be afraid to push the envelope. The industry continues to move at such a rapid pace that it is crucial to be in a position to evolve your system and deliver the right solution.
Iforium possess a flexible and modular enterprise class platform and it’s testament to the vision of our core team that we’re not handcuffed by legacy technology. This means we’re able to rapidly adapt to meet our partner’s needs as well as catering for change in the regulated and emerging markets.
What new products will your company be delivering in 2015?
The year ahead for Iforium will focus heavily on the continued expansion of our Gameflex and Wagerflex solutions. We have an aggressive plan across all verticals that will see further enhancements to our single view, cross product, seamless, CRM and mobile capabilities this year.
Gameflex is Iforium’s multi-vendor casino engine product that provides operators a rapid integration with the functionality of seamless bonusing, loyalty modules and business intelligence across multiple gaming vendors. Gameflex delivers gaming content from the likes of Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, NYX and 12 other premium content providers all via a seamless API integration. We have an exciting 2015 roadmap for Gameflex that will see new partnerships, further premium content integrations and the launch of Gameflex to several high profile operators.
We are also predicting big things in 2015 for our Wagerflex platform. Wagerflex is our core player account management and common wallet solution. The Wagerflex platform is the heartbeat of the operation and is Iforium’s gateway to the regulated markets. Wagerflex operates in harmony with Gameflex and can be integrated into any third party sports or gaming platform across online, mobile and retail.
Iforium has entered 2015 in a great position and we’re really looking forward to ICE to kick things off. We’re located on stand N4-310 at Excel, right next to the bar so we look forward to welcoming SBC readers who can grab their ticket to London Baby!
What key topics and discussion do you feel will dominate industry in agenda in 2015?
The usual suspects of regulation, consolidation and mobile will continue to dominate the headlines during 2015. The challenge for many operators and suppliers alike will not only be answering the growing technology questions they face today but also being positioned to look several steps ahead.
The wave of regulation that is sweeping the industry is beginning to force survival of the fittest with operators and suppliers jockeying for position. This has created increased M&A activity which will accelerate during 2015. There could also be a further push from traditional B2B suppliers seeking acquisitions and entering the world of B2C as we saw in 2014.
Regulation is a double edged sword for some operators who have long dominated their local retail and online markets. The introduction of a licencing regime brings security but also the risk of increased cost and competition from new entrants. This is driving a need to innovate and differentiate by reviewing their existing platform, technology and multi-channel strategy.
This is where Iforium comes in with both Gameflex and Wagerflex. With Gameflex we have the ability to integrate to any platform, any wallet and with any gaming content. When this is combined with the power of our bonus engine, loyalty and business intelligence modules we can rapidly deliver a true multi-vendor gaming experience to the operator. They in turn retain control and benefit from the constant innovation that Iforium provides.
For new operators who are seeking the right platform or established operators who are considering the decision to re-platform then it’s all about Wagerflex. Through Wagerflex Iforium can deliver the complete solution including the wallet, payments, affiliates, content, third party integrations and regulatory compliance.
It’s important we deliver this level of system flexibility and also why we work closely with each of our operators to establish what the touch points need to be on both the front and back end.
Which new technology, service or consumer trend will have the biggest impact on the igaming industry in 2015?
The game has changed rapidly over the past 12 months at the front end and that will accelerate during 2015. We’re seeing a new breed of front-end focused operators entering the market and taking on the old guard with a combination of brand, content mix and targeted campaigns. The front end on both web and mobile is fast becoming the innovation battleground.
From Iforium’s perspective it means we’re actively exposing more of our platform to permit operator front-end control and differentiation. Those who find the right technology partner to facilitate this area are putting themselves in a strong position.
I also feel 2015 could be an interesting time in the world of sports data and media rights. We’ve seen a recent awakening from rights holders which has triggered some major deals, a raft of M&A and increased enforcement in the sector. Collectively this has the potential to throw a few curve balls for sportsbook operators, B2B and turnkey suppliers involved in that space over the next 12 months.
Why have you chosen to begin the year by sponsoring London Baby 2015?
London Baby 2015 will see Iforium’s third consecutive year of sponsorship. It provides an excellent opportunity for us to complement our ICE activities and also to enjoy time with our partners in an informal and fun environment.
London Baby has really grown as an event year on year and for Iforium it plays a big part during the busiest industry week of the year. The 2015 edition at Café de Paris on February 2nd 2015 promises to be the best yet!
Finally can you give SBC readers one industry prediction for 2015?
I’ll give you two predictions. My first prediction for 2015 is that I will remain unchallenged as the undisputed King of Fantasy Football at Iforium (sorry team couldn’t resist)!
My second prediction is 2015 will be the year we’ll all be hearing a lot more about BIG data!
Competition is increasing and margins continue to be squeezed due to regulation, taxation and growing operational costs. Operators will increasingly realise the need for a big data strategy to better define customer value and behaviour. This in turn will drive suppliers to innovate in the areas of data storage, segmentation, messaging, targeting and CRM.
Big data has all the ingredients to be one of the hottest topics of 2015. With our enterprise class platform Iforium are already well positioned to meet BIG data challenge head on!
London Baby! is being held on Tuesday 3 February at the swanky Cafe De Paris in Central London. The free networking evening is made possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. Sign up here to make sure you have a ticket.
