In the fast-paced world of online gaming and gambling, it’s rare to have complete control over the evolution of a product which can be a pain point for merchants. To maintain stability and drive growth, it’s important to exert influence over the small but crucial decisions you can control while clearly understanding that changes and updates will be necessary as the platform evolves.
Digital change without engagement disruption
Although it may not be possible to predict every possible alteration when creating an online gambling platform, careful consideration should be given to avoid making changes that would necessitate breaking a previous agreement because of unforeseen circumstances.
An example of this is the 3D Secure (3DS) customer authentication system for online card transactions. The initial version (3DS1) was compliant and widely used, but it was later found to be inconvenient for customers due to the pop-up window for entering details – which some users interpreted as a vulnerability. The second version (3DS2) addressed these issues with a more fluid authentication process, it had a different interaction with the browser and cardholder, which didn’t require manual input from the cardholder.
Giving organisations the house edge
When it came to 3DS, instead of informing clients that a new version was available and that the old process had to be replaced, Ilixium, found a way to integrate the new flow seamlessly into the original one – taking charge of all migration plans instead of passing them on to our clients.
When clients asked about the impact of 3DS2 on their operations and if they needed to make changes to their development plans, we could tell them it was under control and we would handle the implementation process. When 3DS1 was retired the following month, our clients were unaffected and did not need to take any further steps.
Adhering to the principle of keeping things simple for clients, we manage payment processes with backup plans in place for unforeseen events. Drawing on prior experience with similar challenges, we designed our application programming interface (API) – the software that facilitates communication between two applications – with the flexibility to accommodate future changes. In essence, this approach means finding a way to flip a switch to solve issues instead of passing the burden onto our clients.
Our approach is to provide safe and stable payment processing while still allowing for progressive innovation.
Avoiding an impulsive response
When assisting clients through digital changes, Ilixium considers three technical considerations: progress for the business, internal efficiency and long-term support as a partner.
Our approach is to provide safe and stable payment processing while still allowing for progressive innovation. Here, there are three technical considerations to juggle:
- Fostering business growth: Our priority is to cater to our customer’s needs and demands, so it’s crucial we continuously improve our products and offer new solutions as and when needed.
- Maintaining efficiency: Our approach to managing internal operations and maintenance means we consider factors such as potential regulatory changes and technical requirements to ensure that our solutions are not only customer-friendly but compliant and stable. This prevents making a bad bet that may appear advantageous initially but could potentially harm compliance and stability in the longer term.
- Providing long-term support: As a trusted partner in the online gaming and gambling industry, it’s our responsibility to deliver on our promises. If we don’t make smart wagers on technologies, features or regulatory shifts, we can’t help clients over a prolonged period. To achieve this, we rigorously evaluate our recommendations and invest in technologies, features and regulations that will support our clients over time. This way, our clients can have confidence in the solutions we provide.
Few businesses can bet on bold digital innovation without risking the stability of their core services or compromising customer satisfaction. When it comes to secure and steady payment processing, we place our bets on a forward-thinking but measured strategy that prioritises our clients’ needs.
