Ivan Montik: “2021 has been very productive for SOFTSWISS”

Ivan Montik, founder of SOFTSWISS, talked to Focus Gaming News about the return of physical events and the company’s achievements in 2021.

Exclusive interview.- Without a doubt, 2021 will be remembered as a special year for SOFTSWISS. The company expanded its geographical presence, was awarded Best Customer Service Company of the Year and launched the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator.

Ivan Montik, founder of SOFTSWISS granted Focus Gaming News an exclusive interview to talk about the achievements the company made this year and what are the prospects for the future.

SOFTSWISS has been part of the 2021 edition of SiGMA in Malta. What main aspects of the event could you highlight?

First of all, I didn’t expect that many visitors. Despite the fact that many companies couldn’t send their representatives to Malta because of the pandemic restrictions, (those based in Serbia, Ukraine and partially Russia couldn’t come, and that’s a huge market share) the first and second days of the show were still full. 

This year the level of organisation was very high, from the safety measures to the floor planning, agenda, conferences, etc. 

I also want to highlight the outstanding quality of networking events organised by Eman and the SiGMA team. They created an informal atmosphere and gathered top-level representatives of our industry. 

We had a perfect chance to discover mutual interests and establish new business relationships. 

What trends did you identify at SiGMA?

I noticed this time that there were more B2B companies than B2C representatives. This means that the competition in the B2B segment is growing and it will definitely have a positive long-term impact on the industry as a whole. 

We can expect the quality of software products will generally enhance. 

The focus on crypto has become quite obvious, and this time companies are not just talking about cryptocurrency out of mere curiosity, but already bringing it into their everyday operation. 

“Even the largest players on our market started integrating crypto into their business.”

Ivan Montik, founder of SOFTSWISS.

This growth of trust makes me personally very optimistic and proves my statement that it is the future of iGaming. 

How important is the return of live events after a year and a half signed by the Covid-19 pandemic?

Although everyone has almost got used to lockdowns and the home office has become a mastered practice, we’ve still missed the feeling of seeing each other in person. 

For iGaming, live events have always been something special, and it’s not just about nice locations and luxury parties (though they are great, too). It’s primarily a place where you can meet colleagues you probably haven’t yet met in person because you work in different geographical locations. 

For a company like SOFTSWISS with over 1000 employees and offices in 4 countries, it’s really crucial. You can also meet your current clients and partners and discuss ongoing issues face to face in a much more productive way. 

Finally, there’s no better way to market your company and products than at a show, so you always come back with an enhanced reputation and a number of hot leads. 

For me personally, shows are important in terms of getting a complete overview of the current situation in our industry, learning new trends, and exchanging experiences with other companies. 

It is very refreshing to see the progress made by competitors, it’s a perfect background for strategic planning. 

“I truly hope that 2022 will allow us to catch up on live events.”

Ivan Montik, founder of SOFTSWISS.

SOFTSWISS has recently launched a new project with Power Casino. What does this represent for the company? Can we expect similar partnerships in the medium term?

We’ve launched two joint projects with Power Casino this year and this new partnership is an important step for SOFTSWISS. 

It is the first time that we integrated our Sportsbook solution into a third party platform, and Power Casino is our first client to operate outside of the SOFTSWISS online casino platform. 

It has shown that although our product is quite new (launched in 2020), it has a good reputation on the market. Power Casino mentioned that they enjoyed the fast and smooth integration process and are happy with the performance. 

Their casino players now have access to a significant number of sport events, leagues and tournaments and can enjoy a wide variety of unique features, e.g. the recently added Hunting bonus.

I’m sure that further integrations with established brands are to follow.

What is the balance you could make of this year that is coming to an end?

2021 has been very productive for SOFTSWISS. We’ve grown to 1000 people and expanded our geographical presence by opening offices in Malta, Poland and Georgia, hiring local specialists and relocating our current employees who are eager to try out a new location. 

Moreover, for the first time this year, SOFTSWISS received awards in the nominations Best Customer Service Company of the Year at the International Gaming Awards (IGA) and Best Customer Service of the Year at the Starlet Awards. 

We are very proud of these awards because SOFTSWISS really does provide the best service to its clients. 

We’ve also reached out to the new markets and got licenses for Serbia, Greece and Nigeria. Nigeria is especially important for us and our clients as it opens up huge opportunities for entering the African market. 

SOFTSWISS has extended its portfolio, adding a number of new products and enhancing the functionality of existing ones. 

We’ve launched the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, a truly unique product that can be combined with any third-party platform, providers and aggregators. 

Another product released this year is our payment tool. We are using it internally at the moment, but we plan to offer it as a standalone product for other businesses next year. 

The SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator has become very popular in 2021. With the number of clients using it constantly increasing and new unique functionality added, it stands out among other solutions and brings great value to SOFTSWISS.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

There’s not much time left to start something new, so we will concentrate on finishing current tasks and planning next year’s big achievements. 

I hope the pandemic measures won’t include complete border closure and we will be able to spend the holiday season with our colleagues and families.