To develop the Romandy Lottery locations, two different connection variants were chosen; a wireline and a wireless solution. In addition, our technicians installed TV screens for lottery games at 400 locations.
The Romandy Lottery operates lottery games and sports betting on the Internet and at physical sale outlets; it has always been a pioneer when it comes to applying new technologies. It also uses video streaming and therefore requires constant high bandwidth and technological reactivity. The Romandy Lottery won the 2019 DBA Design Effectiveness Award.
The cablex team in action.
Various teams from Swisscom and cablex were involved in the major customer project, which was implemented within two years. The administrative processing was handled by Swisscom's Key Account Management. The Enterprise Connect network solution made it possible to centrally configure the desired services in real time, to monitor them and to implement them quickly. Service technicians from Customer Field Service installed the new routers. The technicians were deployed alone or in teams of two, depending on the sub-project.
Why are we talking about a major customer project?
We supervised the project for three years and many or our colleagues employees were involved. The following installation work was carried out:
- 2017 to 2019: Migration of 1500 sales outlets to the Enterprise Connect network solution.
The installations were carried out by one technician each.
- Autumn 2019 (two months): Commissioning of 400 Romandy Lottery locations with additional installation of 1-2 screens per site.
Up to four teams of two people each carried out the installation, working in parallel to make the implementation of 400 locations possible in two months. The teams consisted of a connectivity technician and an apprentice or employees from other CFS departments.
- Spring 2020: Installation of 600 Enterprise Connect Mobile connections (without fixed network).
The installations were carried out by one technician each.
Giovanni Spina managed the project in French-speaking Switzerland for B2B Swisscom. In answer to our question about how the project went, he said:
"It was very difficult but enriching. To complete all the stages on time, it was necessary to plan all actions very precisely and coordinate them with all the teams involved. This required sound project knowledge.
In the face of enormous difficulties caused by Covid-19, the key to success was both the excellent cooperation between the teams as well as the technicians’ flexibility and their determination to complete the project on time and successfully.
But what really pleases us about this project is the fact that the customer was very satisfied with our work. This means that the Romandy Lottery will also use our services for possible future projects."
What specific work was carried out?
To develop the Romandy Lottery locations, two different connection variants were chosen; a wireline and a wireless solution. In addition, our technicians installed TV screens for lottery games at 400 locations.
- Wireline solution (Connection via Fixnet)
For the wireline solution, the existing router was switched off and dismantled. The new router for Enterprise Connect with a 230 V connection and Fixnet was installed and put into operation.
Next, the synchronisation with the Swisscom network was inspected, the lottery terminal was connected to the new router and all functionalities were checked with the contact person on site.
- Wireless solution (Connection via mobile network)
For the wireless solution, the mobile tool kit was also connected to the new Enterprise Connect router for data transmission via the mobile phone network. A Fixnet connection is not required here.
- TV screens for lottery games
The existing TV screens were deinstalled at 400 Romandy Lottery locations, and new, larger TV screens were installed. The screen settings configuration and the function test were carried out in conjunction with the contact person on site. In addition, a wireless or wireline solution as described above is required.
Special feature of this sub-project:
Until now, installing screens has not been a task for our CFS technicians. They were given the appropriate tools for this purpose. Our colleagues accepted the new tasks with interest and implemented them with the usual commitment.
Is the customer satisfied with the completed project?
Gabriel Fuchs is head of IT infrastructure at Romandy Lottery and supervised the project on site together with Philippe Stegmann, Head of Technical Service. Gabriel Fuchs was kind enough to answer some questions about the cooperation:
What did cablex's Customer Field Service technicians install for you on behalf of Swisscom?
The Customer Field Service connected our terminals in our 2500 sales outlets in French-speaking Switzerland. This included both sockets and Internet connections. The interior installations were carried out by cablex's electrical installation service.
What was particularly important to you when carrying out the implementation?
All our sales outlets are connected to our central system and cannot sell our products without being connected. For the Romandy Lottery, it is essential that connectivity is efficient and reliable, as the smallest problem can quickly cause visible disruption. For example, the Romandy Lottery sells a scratch card every 35 seconds, meaning that any interruption in connection causes a rapid and significant impact on our sales outlets.
Is there a special aspect or situation as regards working with cablex and Swisscom which you still remember positively?
Swisscom's Team Leader project managed the implementation of our "Loto Express" solution perfectly and made communication between Swisscom, cablex and Romandy Lottery much easier.
What did you like about working with cablex?
Communication worked well and any problems were quickly reported. Our teams worked very well together.
Are further expansion or conversion projects planned in your company?
We constantly review our solutions with a view to improving them, both in terms of efficiency and cost optimisation. We’re satisfied with the existing solution for the time being and are not planning any major changes in the immediate future.
