Channel partner NGR Technology Group helps Stanley refocus to customer facing business model 

London,
14th January, 2002

    One of Telia International Carrier's System Integrators and Value Added Resellers, NGR Technology Group, has installed the gaming industry's first MPLS enabled VPN at leading operator Stanley Casinos. The installation is part of a rebranding exercise and change in strategic direction by the gaming company. 

    The new system includes the MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), enabled Telia VPN (Virtual Private Network), Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Office, CRM modules from EndX and Telia monitoring software. The system links the company's national network of 33 casinos with a minimum 64k connection between sites, plus a 2MB links to Liverpool Head Office, London and regional centres.

    "We wanted to apply leisure industry disciplines to the business in order to modernise and create greater efficiency," commented David Davis, Director of Business Systems at Stanley Casinos.  "The industry is changing, gaming is becoming a more mainstream leisure activity.  Initially with the launch of the national lottery and, more recently, the publication of the Budd Review into the Gambling Industry, proposing far reaching de-regulation, opening up the industry to a much wider market and making it much more accessible" 

    "This technology has allowed us to react accordingly; to build knowledge and
understanding of the customer so we can service them as individuals. In-so-doing, it will also revolutionise our internal communications, enabling our people to recognise customers as our most important business asset."

    Previously Stanley had used a series of dial-up ISDN connections between sites, so the Telia VPN solution provides a more cost-effective option with 'always on' connectivity and the flexibility to upgrade bandwidth requirements when required.  The addition of the VPN being MPLS based also gives network operators the flexibility to divert and route traffic around link failures, congestion, and
bottlenecks.  From a Quality of Service (QoS) standpoint this means better management of data streams based on priority and service plan. 

    "No other gaming company uses this combination of software and communications infrastructure.  MPLS offers us 'any to any' connection, avoiding the need to always dial into the central hub.  We can  access member details from anywhere in the network, have greater efficiency of bandwidth costs and additional security. The QoS feature means we can prioritise data such that business critical transactions take precedence over other data on the network.  We are already one step ahead of the market with this new system," said Davis. 

    "During our tender stage, the Telia/NGR solution was a clear winner - it was the only one to offer MPLS, delivering a 99.6% Service Level Agreement (SLA), which gives us the resilience we need, and finally the ROI means we can expect savings in year two of operation.

    "As we look to the future and roll out new services such as Voice over IP, content delivery networking and video conferencing, this system ensures our core business demands are appropriately serviced." 
 
 

    Telia International Carrier provides services within IP, Capacity, Voice and
Infrastructure to the rapidly growing international wholesale customer segment. Today the company is the leading European carrier of transatlantic IP traffic to the U.S. It's wholly owned multi-fibre optic network, the Viking Network, provides high capacity bandwidth and offers end-to-end connectivity round the world. The network is a giant investment-intensive venture designed to expand Telia International Carrier to cover Scandinavia, Europe and the U.S. by 2001. The infrastructure in Europe is designed as a
multi-duct network connecting all significant cities in regards to IP and telecommunications. The Viking Network covers 30000 route kilometres throughout Europe and the U.S. connecting 40 major cities.
 
 

NGR Technology Group provides Technical Consulting, Systems Integration and
Support Services to a prestigious list of blue-chip clients that includes some of the UK's best-known corporate organisations. Core areas of expertise lie within the desktop, enterprise server and networking environments, providing skills to support IT deployment projects, fully outsourced enterprise-wide systems integration services and the on-going support of mission-critical environments. Today there is a growing emphasis on
introducing into these areas newly emerging technologies such as wireless connectivity, converged networks, VPN's, broadband applications and related services supporting voice, image and data. NGR services are delivered in a stand-alone or integrated fashion, utilising dedicated Account Management, client led processes and, where appropriate, Service Level Agreements, whether on a project-by-project basis or for on-going contractual undertakings.  The company's mission, whilst seeking to drive down project
costs, is to ensure an accountable, value for money quality service, that exactly meets client's technology needs.
 
 

Stanley Leisure plc - Gaming operates 650 betting shops through its racing division and is the leading casino operator in the UK, with 30 provincial casinos and three clubs in London: Crockfords, The Colony Club and The Mint. The casino division has increased 50% in size in the last three years, but trebled its business.  Stanley Casinos has also launched a number of on-line casinos aimed at the growing internet gaming market across the world - www.acropoliscasinos.com and www.avaloncasinos.com  Utilising the world famous Crockfords name,  Stanley will also soon launch www.crockfordscasinos.com a
bespoke online casino designed to provide a hint of the Mayfair experience, but accessible to all on-line gamers.
 

For more information please contact:

Caro Bamforth / Sara Campbell
Grant Butler Coomber
Tel: 020 8322 1922 
carob@gbc.co.uk 
sarac@gbc.co.uk

Helen Stott, PR Manager
Telia International Carrier UK
Tel: 020 7870 5549
hstott@telia.co.uk

Crawford Warnock
Grant Butler Coomber - Business Division
Tel: 020 8322 1922
Fax: 020 8322 1923
crawfordw@gbc.co.uk
www.grantbutlercoomber.co.uk