FocusMEI
Advance works alongside legacy CASHFLOW SC units already in the field, allowing operators to upgrade their slot floors at their own pace.
G3: A large number of the traditional casino-focused OEMs are now targeting the street/VLT sector – how important is this sector to MEI and how do you see this market developing in regards to high/low-end validation in the future?
The ultimate product validation
G3 interviews MEI’s newly appointed VP for gaming and retail EMEA, James Boje
G3: What have been your professional dealings with MEI products to date and how, from your former role, was the company and its products viewed from the OEM perspective?
I have worked with many note validators through my years in the gaming industry as both an operator and manufacturer. During my tenure at IGT, CASHFLOW SC was the clear choice of the casinos – earning a higher ship share in IGT products throughout the European markets than any other note validator supplier. Operators appreciated the value of the best acceptance rates and low cost of ownership, and manufacturers understand that better components make better comprehensive product offerings.
G3: What attracted you to the role at MEI and what do you bring to the position?
As an MEI customer for many years, I valued the quality products MEI offers and their superior customer service. I bring a fresh perspective to the table for MEI by understanding the current challenges our OEM clients face and the vital role that a peripheral supplier plays as a piece of the puzzle. It’s imperative that MEI continues to ensure our solutions offered are meeting the needs of the industry today and into the future.
G3: How do you see the market place for validation in Europe - what are the
“My key objective is to have the best
Gaming and Retail team across the EMEA region
providing superior product and
customer service to all our clients. MEI
has a fantastic sales team. While I can enhance their
gaming knowledge, at the same time
they can educate me
on the nuances found in the Retail sector.” James Boje, MEI
challenges and opportunities in 2011 and beyond?
The validation market is under constant pressure to have the fastest speed and acceptance rates without sacrificing security. Recently, the gaming industry has been defining its requirements for recyclers. MEI recycling technology has already been adopted and implemented in some European markets such as Germany, Spain and Italy.
G3: MEI has forged a strong relationship not just with OEMs, but also with the end- user, European casino operators. How do you see this relationship developing in the future with the range of new products from MEI including the SC Advance and EASITRAX Soft Count?
MEI’s quality product portfolio and the value provided to the operators have enabled us to develop strong relationships throughout the industry. MEI has embraced all the operating business models. Specifically in reference to those where several properties are managed by a single operator, EASITRAX Soft Count has been developed to allow data collected by individual note acceptors to be reported via a network to a central database. This enables operators to create newfound efficiencies in cash management – saving 20-30 seconds per cashbox on every drop.
MEI recognised that properties do not always have the capital to reinvest in their note acceptors and wanted to reward customers for previous investments in MEI products. As an example, the SC
G3 I MAY 2011 I PAGE 27
Throughout the recent economic hardship climate, gaming suppliers have been required to adapt to market needs in order to survive. VLT opportunities became prominent and continue to expand leading suppliers to focus on developing and deploying the appropriate products for each market. MEI is committed to providing our VLT customers the best product solutions featuring unrivaled security and the best acceptance rates across the industry.
The street market varies so much between countries. MEI continues to evolve its portfolio to address the wide range of needs. GEO Gravity and CASHFLOW SC are proven solutions depending on the environmental need. And MEI is currently developing additional products given the desire to implement recycling as a means to reduce hopper starvation.
G3: Recycling has become a major issue for street/small location operators - what is MEI's strategy in this area and how much of a focus is this for you?
MEI knows recycling. Our Swiss developed technology is at the heart of the MEI BNR (Bank Note Recycler), a four-denomination recycler that has proven successful in self-checkout, ticket vending and bill breaking machines. We are now reviewing how to leverage knowledge from BNR, and our single- denomination recycler for vending, to develop additional solutions for the Europe Gaming market space.
G3: What are your key objectives regarding the team, the products and customers this year?
My key objective is to have the best Gaming and Retail team across the EMEA region providing superior product and customer service to all our clients. MEI has a fantastic sales team. While I can enhance their gaming knowledge, at the same time they can educate me on the nuances found in the Retail sector. Our customers can leverage off MEI’s global market leader position for innovative solutions knowing quality product is delivered with exceptional service levels.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68