SOLUTION • CLIENT RELIABLE THRILLS Raw Thrills integrates Dell computers into its arcade video games, CUSTOMER PROFILE reducing failures by 20 percent and helping this small business COUNTRY: United States compete with large manufacturers INDUSTRY: Technology FOUNDED: 2001 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 35 WEB ADDRESS: www.rawthrills.com CHALLENGE Work with a hardware vendor that can deliver reliable, cost-effective PCs and outstanding support for arcade video games. SOLUTION Raw Thrills decided to work with the Dell OEM Industry Solutions Group to integrate Dell™ OptiPlex™ computers into arcade games and provide fast field support. BENEFITS Get IT Faster • Accelerated computer delivery time from three weeks to eight days Run IT Better • Reduced failure rate by 20 percent • Decreased repair time from six weeks to one business day • Saved 15 percent per PC—more than US$500,000 in just under one year For the price of a few quarters, you can get behind the wheel of a custom race car, take your motorcycle to Monaco, or go out on the hunt for game. Despite the rising popularity of home video game consoles, the team at Raw Thrills knows that there is nothing quite like the visceral thrill of a coin-operated arcade game. Raw Thrills is one of the few American companies that still provides that experience, with popular arcade game machines such as The Fast and the Furious and Big Buck Hunter Pro. “We CAN CALL DELL, AND A TECHNICIAN WILL GO TO THE CUSTOMER SITE AND RESOLVE THE ISSUE ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY, NO EXCUSES. THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE IS A trEMENDOUS ASSET TO OUR OPERATORS AND OUR OWN BUSINESS.” Andy Eloff, vice president, Raw Thrills The continued success of Raw Thrills depends Providing adequate service to Raw Thrills HOW IT WORKS on not only producing exciting games but also customers was also a major challenge. “The delivering cost-effective and reliable machines to white-box vendor didn’t offer direct support, so HARDWARE ™ ™ arcades, bars, and movie theaters. “We work in a if a PC inside a game failed, the customer had • Dell OptiPlex 740 desktop computers with ™ highly competitive market, and we need to be sure to send it back to the distributor for repairs,” AMD Athlon processors that we can offer games at a reasonable price,” says Eloff. “In some cases, the repair process SOFTWARE says Andy Eloff, vice president of Raw Thrills. “It’s took up to six weeks and cost additional money. • Microsoft® Windows® XP Embedded essential that we locate the most cost-effective During that time, our customer stood to lose ® components to build the machines. Games must approximately US$1,200 in game revenue. We • Linux also be extremely reliable. If a game fails to work looked bad, and the customer probably started SERVICES for a week or two, the operator loses revenue and to consider other games.” • Dell OEM Industry Solutions we stand to lose a customer.” DELL OptIPLEX COMPUTERS • Dell Support Reliability had become a serious issue for Raw DELIVER COST-EffEctIVE Thrills. The company was using a white-box PErfORMANCE vendor to build the PCs that serve as the computing With the number of service calls growing, the Raw brains for the games. “Our white-box vendor was Thrills team knew they had to make a change. “We buying some of the least expensive motherboards have used Dell computers throughout our enterprise available to reduce their costs, but many of those since day one, and we’ve had a very positive boards failed. We had a failure rate of 20 percent,” experience,” says Eloff. “The decision to use Dell says Eloff. “At the same time, the price of those PCs inside the games made perfect sense.” PCs kept rising.” “We KNEW THAT DELL COMPUTERS COULD HELP US REDUCE FAILURES, BUT WHAT We’ve exPERIENCED IS WELL BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS.” Andy Eloff, vice president, Raw Thrills The company works with the Dell OEM Industry DELL DELIVERS COMPUTERS DELL SUppOrt DEcrEASES REPAIR Solutions Group to order Dell OptiPlex desktop twO WEEKS FASTER THAN TIME frOM SIX WEEKS TO ONE DAY computers with AMD Athlon™ processors for Raw WHITE-BOX VENDOR If there is a hardware-related problem with the Thrills games. Each computer is equipped with The Raw Thrills team is benefiting from working service level they chose, the Raw Thrills team 512 MB of memory, a DVD drive, and an 80 GB with a tier-one vendor that can deliver computers knows they can count on Dell to resolve issues (minimum) hard drive. The Big Buck Hunter line fast. “Week to week, the number of games we build rapidly. “With Dell, we can deliver much better runs on the Linux® operating system while The varies greatly,” says Josh Sharpe, controller at Raw service than we could before. Dell Support has its Fast and the Furious game line runs on Microsoft® Thrills. “It took up to three weeks to receive orders act together,” says Eloff. “We can call Dell, and a Windows® XP Embedded. A 256 MB ATI Radeon™ from the white-box vendor. But with Dell, we can technician will go to the customer site and resolve X1300 graphics card delivers the performance have the computers within eight days. By receiving the issue on the next business day, no excuses. required for the games. the computers faster, we keep inventory off the That level of service is a tremendous asset to our books and we fulfill customer orders more quickly.” operators and our own business.” “Controlling cost is our top priority,” says Eloff. “Our engineers have become experts at squeezing as “Dell can also easily deliver the quantity we need,” In the arcade industry, this level of service could much performance as possible from cost-effective says Eloff. “The white-box vendor could only provide be a game-changer. “Unfortunately, many arcade components. The Dell OptiPlex 740 computer gives a certain number of computers at a time. We haven’t game operators are used to lousy service,” says us the performance our engineers require at the run into any capacity issues with Dell.” Eloff. “But once they see how quickly Dell can price our business needs to remain competitive.” provide service, I anticipate that it will help us gain DELL OptIPLEX COMPUTERS market share. By working with Dell, we can com- REDUCE FAILURE RATE BY While some companies might be concerned about pete and win against some of the major players in 20 PErcENT the commitment of large hardware vendors to small the industry. We also know that Dell support will Since switching to Dell computers, the Raw Thrills businesses, the Dell OEM team is proving to Raw scale well as we gain customers.” team has seen the failure rate decline dramatically. Thrills that they deliver the same level of service no “We have 3,500 Big Buck Safari games out in the matter what the size of the customer. “The Dell OEM RAW THRILLS REDUCES COSTS field with Dell computers inside, and we’ve had only team understands our needs, and they treat us like BY 15 PErcENT, SAVING MORE ten hardware-related problems in the past eleven a major customer,” says Eloff. “We know that if we THAN US$500,000 months—that’s a failure rate of less than a third grow as a company, the Dell OEM model will grow Since moving from a white-box vendor to Dell, the of one percent,” says Eloff. “We knew that Dell with us.” Raw Thrills team has been able to significantly computers could help us reduce failures, but what reduce the costs of building games. “For years, the we’ve experienced is well beyond our expectations.” price of PCs had been going up with our white-box “CONTROLLING COST IS OUR TOP PRIORITY….THE DELL OptIPLEX 740 COMPUTER GIVES US THE PERFORMANCE OUR ENGINEERS REQUIRE AT THE PRICE OUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE.” Andy Eloff, vice president, Raw Thrills vendor,” says Eloff. “By switching to Dell OptiPlex team sends us several computers so we can figure computers, we have been able to save 15 percent out what will be the best technology fit at the right per PC—that’s a total savings of more than price for the game,” continues Sharpe. “Every time US$500,000 in just under one year.” we select a new Dell product, we know that we will get something that’s very reliable. We know Dell Raw Thrills can invest that savings into the develop- has thoroughly tested each new component so we ment of new games. “If we save even US$25 on can save the time and money required for testing each PC, we can reduce the price of the game and and avoid the costs of dealing with failures down still spend some money on the game’s enclosure to the road.” make it more attractive,” says Eloff. “By saving on the PC inside, we can make a more compelling game DELL HELPS RAW THRILLS for the operators and create a better experience for STAY COMPETITIVE the player.” “There’s no doubt that we play in a competitive field,” says Eloff. “We are a small business DELL ENABLES RAW competing against both large overseas companies THRILLS TO UPDATE that make arcade games and home consoles. Our TECHNOLOGY frEQUENTLY goal is to deliver fun, exciting arcade experiences The Dell partnership enables Raw Thrills to access for players, and reliable, cost-effective games for the latest technology during the game development operators. With Dell, we can achieve those goals process, helping the company maximize game and stay competitive. The Dell team helps keep us excitement and minimize costs.