Synectics

Marking ten years since its entry into the Canadian gaming market, integrated surveillance solution provider, Synectics, is to demonstrate its field-proven technology at the location of its original North American casino installation.

Synectics will be exhibiting at the Canadian Gaming Summit (16-18 June) taking place at Caesars Windsor, a premier Ontario gaming property that has monitored their facility with Synectics’ technology since 2005.

Over 25 Ontario Lottery & Gaming (OLG) owned and/or operated gaming properties now use Synectics’ video management, integration, and scalable data storage solutions.

The Province is one of the most tightly regulated gaming surveillance environments on the planet and is widely regarded as the ‘gold standard’ by the Canadian gaming industry. With operators from across the country set to attend the summit, system reliability, flexibility and resiliency are likely to be topics high up on the agenda.

John Katnic, Vice President of Global Gaming at Synectics, said: “Our long-standing relationship with OLG is one of the reasons that we’ve developed such robust solutions for real time data replication and hardware failover, such as our ‘backfilling’ capability which eliminates the threat of data loss or single point of network failure. Operating in such a highly regulated environment for such a long time has pushed us to meet very exacting standards.”

Synectics has recently completed major surveillance system overhauls for casinos including Woodbine Racetrack, Ajax Downs, and Great Blue Heron Casino, and has also upgraded Caesars Windsor’s original Synectics recording system with a hybrid solution that incorporates the latest IP video technology.

A surveillance system upgrade and install program is also currently being rolled out across the Province’s bingo halls.

In addition to learning more about system capabilities, delegates attending the Canadian Gaming Summit will be able to see live demonstrations of Synergy 3, Synectics’ evolved command and control solution. The open platform enables alarm, transactional, security and video data to be monitored, recorded and managed from a fully integrated and customizable operator environment.

Synergy 3’s open platform design also enables gaming properties to gradually introduce IP technology while still utilizing legacy analog cameras and switchers, a key benefit for the Canadian market.

Katnic explained: “Migration to IP and introducing new technologies - such as high definition cameras - is the trend moving forwards. But market maturity, the economy and logistical challenges mean that few existing properties can fully abandon analogue systems and go all IP at once. Most will make the transition in stages as time and budget permits.”

“Hybrid systems that seamlessly integrate analogue and IP video are, for many, the ideal solution as they facilitate manageable progress while maximizing the utility and value of their legacy investment.”

Another trend impacting the Canadian gaming market, reflected by a new education session track at the CGS, is the growing emphasis on food and beverage revenue. With the plenary session on meeting consumer needs in a changing market, broader data integration to support profitable operations is a compelling area for future-focused gaming properties.

Katnic said: “More sophisticated data integration with player systems, point of sale, and hospitality related subsystems, gives casinos better situational awareness that reveals more timely insight into consumer behavior while boosting security. Making sensible use of the exponentially growing alarm, transactional and video data now available is a key objective of our U.S. and Far East gaming customers. It’s certainly going to be an opportunity for the Canadian market moving forward.”

For further information on Synectics’ integrated surveillance solutions, visit stand 103 at the Canadian Gaming Summit