A Division of XMA Limited

A supplier worth taking a chance on

A supplier that can provide high quality service along with robust solutions sounds like a good bet. Thanks to IT provider, ICON,betting and gaming organisation Gala Coral Group knows both its gaming facilities and business operations will continue to run efficiently and reliably.

Gaming has become a popular pastime in the UK. And, whether punters choose to visit bingo halls, bookmakers, casinos or even bet online, Gala Coral is one company dedicated to ensuring people enjoy the experience.

However, behind the excitement of the flashing lights, roulette wheels and big wins, is a sophisticated business operation that relies on technology to keep it running, as Ian Carter, Divisional Infrastructure Manager for Gala Coral, explains.

He says: “The technology is at the heart of the systems which allow customers to use our gaming facilities. When they put their money into the machines, our underlying servers ensure they can play the game and their order is processed. “If the server isn’t working, then we would lose a lot of money, so reliability is vital for us in that respect.”

However, it isn’t only the users that rely on technology but also the company’s staff. Carter says: “We also rely on IT for our back-end operations such as payroll. It’s simple; if the payroll server isn’t working then people don’t get
paid.”

This reliance on IT and communications is one of the reasons why Carter chose IT provider, ICON, to deliver Gala Coral’s server, hardware, switches, PCs and laptops. He says: “We use a full range of products from ICON to support our operations in our bingos, our casinos and in our head office in Nottingham. For the last two or three years, a lot of this equipment has come from ICON.”

Along with the equipment, ICON has also delivered consultancy, help desk support and implemented a Citrix support contract.

A respected and responsive supplier
For Carter, choosing ICON was a straightforward decision. He had known about the company for a while and already enjoyed a good relationship with his account manager from previous projects.

He says: “To me, ICON was a known entity. I knew the company and understood how it worked. Gala Coral was happy to use a supplier that was based in Nottingham, which is also the location of our head office.

“Using a local organisation was good – particularly because we felt it allowed ICON to be very responsive. Quite often, I have had to put in a request and say,‘can you come back to me by 5pm?’ I think the rapid response that ICON has been able to give me has been very important.”

Taking advantage of ICON’s advice The fact that ICON staff were well placed to advise Gala Coral on the purchases it made, was another reason why Carter decided to use the provider. He says: “The reality of using ICON has been very good. We know that, with this relationship, we have everything we need in a single package.
“Sometimes we give them strange requests because we don’t really know exactly what it is that we need. They will come and help with the service side and advise us. They always tend to supply us with something that is good for the business going forward – so that helps us to know we are on the right track for the future.”

Carter also used ICON to help set up a help desk support and a Citrix support contract. He says: “We needed to know that we have everything in place if anything was to go wrong and ICON were willing to do that – and are very good at that. I feel we are in the hands of the experts.”

He adds: “Their accreditation levels are also excellent. We partner with Microsoft software and use Citrix maintenance and ICON has proved they can work with our other preferred suppliers.”

A relationship built on trust
According to Carter, the need for a good relationship with a supplier and the ability to trust ICON staff was particularly important to Gala Coral. He says: “A lot of sales people will ring up continually. ICON staff don’t do that. They know if I need something I will speak to them. They don’t need to hassle me all the time.

“That really helps me to get on with my job. There are a lot of companies out there who all provide similar services, but when you find one you feel comfortable with, it makes life so much easier. ICON has demonstrated it can
deliver everything that I need – but also my account manager knows when to step back too.”