“TransAct is truly a global player”

(Exclusive interview).- Tracey Chernay revealed to Focus Gaming News the company’s successful results.

TransAct is the leading manufacturer of casino printer solutions for gaming centres around the world. Special opportunities as Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas are the perfect platform for TransAct to introduce new products to its international clients, reinforce the relationships with associates and expand the business in new markets. Tracey Chernay, Vice President, Global Casino, Gaming and Lottery at TransAct, shared every detail of this year’s edition of the gaming event, where the company launched its latest technology and planned its further targets.

How did the public react to the newest Epicentral SE, Epic Edge and other TransAct’s exhibitions at G2E?

The new Epic Edge TITO printer builds on the tremendous success we have had with our flagship product, the Epic 950 ticket-in, ticket-out printer. Epic 950 customers have enjoyed the extreme reliability and the product stability of the Epic 950 since its launch at G2E 2004. Integrated into all game types, the Epic 950 has become synonymous with a real workhorse printer, a peripheral that operators know they can count on.

So it was with some interest that operators came to view the Epic Edge for the first time. What could it offer that the Epic 950 did not? How could it improve?

As it turns out, the Epic Edge offered even more than they envisioned. Epic Edge has all the reliability features that the operators had come to count on from TransAct but it also offers a great deal more. Beginning with a 300 dpi print head which provides a 50 percent increase in resolution, this higher quality print will enable operators to significantly improve the acceptance rate of tickets going into Bill Validators.

Another feature of the Epic Edge that captured the imagination of both casino operators and slot OEMs was the “short ticket” feature of the Epic Edge. For operators, the flexibility to select from two paper sizes in the Epic Edge, the standard TITO ticket size and a new short ticket size, this new printer introduces the opportunity to differentiate “your” tickets from those of your nearest competitors. OEMs were similarly interested in differentiating TITO tickets from VLT tickets where they co-exist in certain markets. The paper saving aspect of the shorter tickets seemed particularly compelling to those that have environmental or “green” initiatives.

Finally, the ease and options for updating firmware, including dedicated a USB port and a Micro SD card slot, on the new Epic Edge rounded out our conversations on the new printer. In short, the customers were nothing less than excited and enthusiastic about the Epic Edge.

In addition, TransAct launched a new version of Epicentral at G2E this year. Epicentral SE (System Edition) is specifically designed to work seamlessly with the Casino Management Systems from companies like Scientific Games, Aristocrat, Konami, and IGT. To quote a number of the casino operators who viewed the demonstration, “this is what we have been looking for!”

TransAct demonstrated this capability at G2E with Bally’s CMP system. Epicentral SE combined with CMP will allow the casino marketing team to create promotional programs that will be available to players via a printed coupon. To enable this new feature of CMP™, TransAct was asked to develop a solution using Epicentral SE that leverages several of Epicentral’s unique software modules – Design Center and Print Manager – to design, print and deliver the CMP™-defined offers directly to the slot player at the gaming machine they are playing, and System Center, for management and configuration of the slot machines in order to accept notification of a coupon or promotion. Casino operators running Epicentral SE will be able to fully track and report on all promotions, giving marketing teams and slot floor managers a true all-in-one view of the player environment.

OEMs were similarly interested in differentiating TITO tickets from VLT tickets where they co-exist in certain markets. The paper saving aspect of the shorter tickets seemed particularly compelling to those that have environmental or “green” initiatives.

This year, TransAct has been very active in participating at gaming events, which market is the strongest for the company and which market will be the next to land in?

TransAct is truly a global player in peripherals and enjoys significant coverage and market share in each of its markets. We look forward to growing as new geographical areas such as Saipan, Philippines and Korea expand but it is even more important that we grow in adjacent and complimentary gaming product spaces. We are expanding from a world-class printer company to a world-class, enterprise software and hardware business that does business in a variety of vertical markets.

During the event, TransAct’s latest products were experienced at the Scientific Games booth, are you planning on working together again?

TransAct and Scientific Games have many customers in common and we are looking forward to creating additional value for those casino operators by helping them engage with their loyal player base through the delivery of a printed offering in real-time at the game. We’ll demonstrate this in even more detail at the planned SG Users’ Conference next spring.

We are expanding from a world-class printer company to a world-class, enterprise software and hardware business that does business in a variety of vertical markets.

G2E is one of the biggest gaming reunions of the year, how well is the company positioned with the clients and further associates?

Our position at G2E is well-established and our booth has become a destination spot for many customers and new prospects alike. In 2016, we positioned ourselves not only in our booth but in partner booths with demonstrations at Scientific Games, SuzoHapp, and CPI.