Meeting the demand for new technology

April 27, 2015

Sacoa is providing solutions for a resurgent amusement industry, says Sebastian Mochkovsky

Over the last decade, Sacoa’s business in the US has grown significantly. Today, the country accounts for more than half of the Argentina-based debit card system provider’s total business.

It is why, explained director Sebastian Mochkovsky, the company has added local sales and support in the US in order to strengthen its marketing efforts and customer service there. It is a large territory to cover, however, so the company has struck the right balance between having staff on the ground and providing support remotely.

“One of our major challenges has been the perception of operators that there needs to be a support office across the street,” he said. “In fact, most support from any company is performed over the internet. We have mastered this over the years and, based on our many customer testimonials, we believe that remote online support is usually the most efective, fastest and least expensive way to solve any issue. Even with an office in the US, we do most of our work online there.”

It is no coincidence that the growth in Sacoa’s business in the US has come at a time when the industry itself is experiencing a period of resurgence. The economic downturn, which so profoundly impacted the sector in many markets globally, has resulted in a learner, more technology-focused industry.

“The whole industry in the US is in good shape because the economy has greatly improved,” said Mochkovsky. “With the improvement of the economy, people now have more disposable income to spend on entertainment. After the recession, this is the time to reinvent and improve a business, which is why FECs are remodelling and adding new entertainment.”

It is no coincidence either, that Sacoa is seeing the greatest demand for its services from these FECs, as well as bowling centres. Its strongest performing products are the ColorShot HDT reader, which is a 3.5ins HD touchscreen display with auto-orientation capability, a twin-head reader and e-ticket functionality, and the Online Party Booking Module. The latter is designed to be a highly- customisable platform featuring multiple store selection, scheduling, party packages, food, gifts and online payments.

In addition to the recent “explosive” growth of business in this industry, said Mochkovsky, RFID technology has become much more affordable and has enabled Sacoa to launch its first products outside of the standard magnetic strip technology.

“Our newest development, which is already in onsite beta testing, is the mPOS,” he revealed. “This is a mobile version of our Sacoa POS that can run in any Android tablet and acts exactly like a stationary POS by selling food and beverage or retail merchandise, as well as PlayCards. The mPOS accepts cash, credit cards or PlayCard credit as payments and can connect to a printer through Bluetooth or TCPIP for receipt printing.”

Sacoa’s portfolio of technology-based solutions is designed to bring tangible benefits to the operator, enabling them to optimise the performance of their location to unlock its full potential. Said Mochkovsky: “If an operator currently uses a card system, they should fully utilise all the features available to maximise earnings, like flexible pricing according to various times or the days of the week. Other industries, such as cinemas, airlines and hotels, have premium pricing for peak periods and discount for slower times. We think it should be the same for amusements.”

Although the US may lead the way in this industry, there are still opportunities to import ideas and best practices from other global markets, he continued.

“Each of them offers some different idea of how to make the presentation, like the Middle East with its ornate beauty or Asia with its eagerness to embrace new technology. We believe blending a number of the best aspects from around the world together with what Sacoa already does is best for the business.”

Sacoa, recognised as one of the industry’s leading suppliers, strives to build its presence globally by ensuring it keeps an ear to the ground.

“We are committed to delivering what the market needs,” said Mochkovsky. “Our constant goal is to present the necessary product according to customer demands.”