Nanocosmos CEO Oliver Lietz talks about a tailored approach to organic growth in an industry where ultra-low latency, reliability and optimising the user experience are critical factors in engaging and retaining players.
CasinoBeats: Nanocosmos is 25-years-old this year, and has been actively involved with the igaming sector since 2017. Can you tell us more about the company and its relationship with igaming, i.e. the products and services it provides?
Oliver Lietz: Nanocosmos has been working in the broadcast and streaming industry since 1998, and we have established ourselves as a leading provider of live streaming solutions for interactive online games since 2017. This is connected to a number of reasons. Firstly, our solutions provide ultra-low latency, a critical requirement for a seamless gaming experience.
Online games require minimal delay in the audio/video transport (ultra-low latency) to ensure a great user experience, a challenge we have actively addressed by creating a unique delivery technology running on all browsers and devices.
Furthermore, our strategic focus on compatibility has played a pivotal role in our success. We have directed our efforts towards optimising our platform for universal accessibility, catering to various devices and networks.
Whether users are on different browsers or devices like iOS or Android, our platform ensures consistent and reliable performance. Back in 2017 this was an open question, when the Flash player was available on desktop platforms, and HLS with longer latency on mobile.
Another critical aspect of our success lies in our commitment to managing the content delivery network and deploying an extensive network of widely distributed servers. This comprehensive approach is essential to guarantee uninterrupted streaming services at a global scale in any network, as disruptions during gameplay are unacceptable.
While initially catering to various sectors, such as live casinos, microbetting, bingo, and live slots, we have continuously expanded our offerings to provide added value to platform operators of live games.
Our dedication extends beyond addressing latency concerns; we are unwavering in our commitment to enhance the overall quality of the gaming experience, with additional tools like analytics and security tools elevating the standards within the igaming sector.
CB: What has been the main strategy for Nanocosmos since it moved into the igaming sector?
OL: I would say by favouring a tailored approach, we have grown organically to also include the igaming sector. For that, the combination of features our solution offers hits the spot. Key factors for successful audience engagement in igaming are: ultra-low latency live streaming, browser based, compatibility with all devices, global footprint, stable streaming as well as instant start with fast start-up times, and customer-centric operation with 100 per cent uptime.
Since the gaming market has expanded, it is also important that a solution is easy to integrate and includes security tools due the growing misuse of content misuse. Live streaming holds a complex workflow and having full control over it is key to keep high quality of service and experience. Yet, platform operators do not necessarily have the expertise to take care of this and appreciate ease of use, easy integration and great support.
CB: Tell us about the technological innovations that Nanocosmos uses to ensure that its live-streaming offer remains stable and reliable for global customers.
OL: One of our breakthroughs was 2018 with the recognition of a desperate need in the industry for a solution. The response we received at ICE London unveiled that there was a desperate need for an ultra-low latency live streaming solution that also works perfectly well on iOS.
From then on, we have systematically been targeting the overall streaming experience and worked on all ends to get the best out of it. Together with our long standing partners we grew their business on a global scale in volume and geography.
A pivotal decision was to work with our own self-managed content delivery network, offering automatic failover and autoscaling. The gaming world never sleeps, nor does our service, and this is what our clients value highly. Our servers are always up, always running.
Additionally, we’ve introduced an alerting system to notify customers about possible stream issues, along with comprehensive support packages and a multilingual global support team. We have support for all continents and all timezones and 24/7 – 365 – operations.
CB: Your annual September product launch coincides neatly with this year’s SBC Summit Barcelona. What will you be showcasing there?
OL: It is a set of new features that combined, we believe, sets a new standard in terms of high quality interactive live streaming. One of the most important ones for the SBC audience is the brand new fast start-up time. This is a big step for the smooth streaming experience, which is especially important for live games where rapid switches demand instant access.
Equally important is security, since an increasing amount of igaming streams have been the object of misuse over the last years. We will be showing nanoStream Cloud with secure tokens, webhooks and nanoStream Guardian, a feature that we launched this year for easy identification and blocking of unauthorised access.
Furthermore, in our latest offering, nanoStream Cloud 2023, we have introduced an array of new alerting mechanisms and robust monitoring features, empowering platform operators with precise control over the performance of their gaming services.
‘Next generation protocols’ are out! The internet industry has brought forth cutting edge new protocols for transport of live data. With these innovative protocols now available, we have responded swiftly to ensure that nanoStream Cloud remains at the forefront of technological progress. Our proactive approach includes comprehensive support for protocols such as QUIC, HTTP/3, and WebTransport, positioning us as a forward-looking and future-proof solution.
These cutting-edge protocols bring substantial advantages to igaming providers and their streaming services. By leveraging these protocols, our clients can deliver exceptionally fast and buffer-free streams, resulting in reduced latency. Furthermore, these protocols support adaptive bitrate streaming, enabling seamless adjustment of video quality based on network conditions and device capabilities.
Additionally, they provide enhanced network statistics, empowering igaming providers with valuable insights to optimise the streaming experience for their users. In essence, our adoption of these next-generation protocols elevates the quality and performance of live streaming services, setting new standards in the industry.
CB: You’re also lined up as one of the panellists at the event. Can you tell us more about that and offer a hint as to some of the topics you’ll be discussing?
OL: During the panel discussion, we’ll delve into the art of delivering high-quality live games and how to create engaging experiences with real-time streaming. I will provide in-depth insights, sharing the key factors that set operators on the path to competitiveness in the evolving igaming landscape. Expect a comprehensive exploration of strategies and technologies driving the future of live gaming.
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SBC Summit Barcelona, taking place from September 19-21 at Fira de Barcelona Montjuïc, will bring together 15,000 delegates, offering them a platform to delve into the cutting-edge via a dedicated ‘Casino & iGaming Zone’
