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Wednesday October 4, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER C7 Business To reach this section call 845-3824 Fax:337-5567 Gaming software creator cashing in on Bingo dot com Entertainment Group Inc. carving out world-wide niche B A L A N C I N G A C T: Paul DeAngelis, owner o f Total Balance, along with Christine De B ellefeuille helps M ayor Ann M ulvale cut the ribbon to open the health centre at 282 Church Street. The facility offers a full range o f services includ ing m assage therapy, acupuncture, reflexolo gy, esthetic and homeo pathic treatments. Photo by Barrie Erskine S o what do you get when you cross the hightech world of the Internet with the old-fash ioned game of Bingo? Hopefully, a multi-mil lion dollar business with huge growth potential. The growth, in fact has already been explosive for dot com Entertainment Group Inc. (dceg) of Oakville, an Internet software development compa ny that specializes in the creation of Internet enter tainment and gaming software products, especially Internet Bingo. Starting out with a bare-bones staff of three last year, dceg has grown to 25 employees in the last eight months alone, and anticipates it will have to double its staffing by the end of the year. President and CEO Scott White who makes Oakville his home, is optimistic that the growth thus far is just the tip of the iceberg. His research shows that $70 to $90 billion is wagered in bingo halls throughout the world, with only a fraction of a percentage being wagered on line. With this in mind he and his colleagues see an unlimited potential for their Internet Bingo software. Dceg is not an Internet gaming company and it doesn't own or operate an Internet Bingo Hall or casino. The company simply supplies the tools which allow its licensees to operate Internet Bingo Halls and Casinos in jurisdictions where this activi------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Equipment maker sold PRO-ECO L im ited , an Oakville-based designer and builder of strip metal processing sys tems, has been sold to SM S Demag A G (SMS). The sale price was not disclosed. The transaction means PRO-ECO's Solon Ohio subsidiary will now be known as PRO-ECO I Strip Processing Syste' ms Inc. and will merge with SMS's Processing Lines Division in Mentor, Ohio. The new firm will be located in the existing Mentor facility and will handle SMS's continuous processing lines, such as hot-dip and electro-gal vanizing lines, pickling lines and tinning lines for the USA, Canada and Mexico. SMS Demag AG in Germany will continue to provide technology support and resources when necessary. ty is lawful. (Presently this does not include North America.) In short, dceg generates its revenue through up front license fees, as well as the assessment of roy alty fees which are based on a percentage of the operator's revenue. In addition to licensing the initial software, dceg provides its licensees with comprehensive support and maintenance services such as 24 hr. technical support, software enhancements, upgrades, comple mentary technologies and value-added e-digital pro grams including marketing, promotional and webbased technology systems. In less than three years, for instance, dceg 's Bingo software has been upgraded and re-engineered more than ten times to enhance the graphics and make the technology more efficient. As one of the oldest and most socially acceptable forms of wagering in the world, Bingo tends to have a community flavour that most forms of gambling don't possess. White says on-line Bingo is much the same. Bingo players tend to enter and stay resident in Internet Bingo Halls because of the community of on-line players as well as the entertainment value of the game. White and dceg 's Chief Technology Officer Perry Malone are big Oakville boosters. Both see the Town as ideally situated for high-tech industries, providing amenities and sophistication without the need for a frustrating commute to Toronto. They're also delighted to be right next door to a tremendous high-tech talent pool in the form of many talented Sheridan grads. Malone says dceg employs some of the college's animation grads who have made "amazing changes" to the look and feel of the company's con stantly-evolving software. As one of the first companies in the world to build software allowing multi-user Bingo to be played on the Internet, dceg learned that Internet Bingo halls tend to be community-based games which quickly develop into captive Internet com munities. White says this loyal user-base allows licensees to offer additional on-line entertainment, thus creating an ever-increasing demand for dceg's products and services. Centre will have top trades equipment The continuing shortage of skilled tradespeople in Halton and adjacent regions, was the catalyst in the formation of The Manufacturing Centre o f Excellence (MCE). The Burlington-based MCE will house state-ofthe-art manufacturing equipment for the training of skilled tradespeople in manufacturing technologies. To date, the MCE has coordinated the donation of almost $1 million in equipment from the private sector and Human Resources Development Canada has committed $348,000. to the Centre. Arthur Harrison, President of the Trilete Corporation believes the MCE will help both those being trained and the industries hiring Centre grad uates. Tom Logan, the MCE Trades PreApprenticeship Coordinator, said it's critical the stu dents learn on the kinds of machinery they are like ly to find in the workplace. "Employers that partner with the MCE will enjoy the benefit of being able to hire graduates with a really solid manufacturing foundation, as well as the benefit of being able to train their existing employees in new technologies." The Centre is also offering the third pilot pro gram for Women in Manufacturing Technologies to encourage under-employed and unemployed women to start lucrative careers in the skilled trades. Most programs begin in mid-October and free information sessions are offered. For more information, call (905) 333-3499 ext. 121. New Cham ber president The Acting Executive Director of the Oaklands Regional Centre has been elected President of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce for the coming year. Chartered Accountant Brian Barrington took the oath of office at the Cham ber's Annual General Meeting last week. Barrington has been on the Cham ber's Board of Directors for several years and last year served as one of three vice-presidents. "Now that I have been sworn into office, no longer can I say-if only I had the opportunity to do so, I would sure change some things around here," said Barrington. With over 1,100 member firms, Oakville is one of the larger Chambers in the province. "One of the main jobs of our Chamber is to keep the business environment in Oakville con ducive to owning and operating a profitable busi ness-building a community-and making the town of Oakville a better place in which to live and earn a living," said Barrington. R e s t a u r a n t JMoll ^ O a k v il l e B e a v e r ^ Oakville is a town noted for its restaurants. W e have more great restaurants per capita than virtually any other community in Canada! W e also have an appropriately discriminating collective palate. W e accept only the best. But what is the best? W e thought w e ' d ask you, our readers, to tell us w h o you think is the best, in our annual R eader's Restaurant Poll. After all, you ' re the folks w h o vote with your taste buds... and your dollars. Please take a moment to fill in the questionnaire b elow and return it to The Oakville Beaver. o o O nce/W eek M o r e than T w ic e / W e e k a Y O U C O U L D W IN DINNER FOR TWO A T O N E O F O A K V IL L E 'S FA V O U R IT E D IN IN G SPO TS! E n te r * T o d a y ! I D IN E O U T A P P R O X IM A T E L Y : (Check O ne). T w ic e / W e e k Less than T w ic e / M o n th a o T w ic e / M o n t h T e n + T im e s / M o n th w §P* M M S o m e t h in g Q u ic k Bite ___________ D in in g w ith th e K id s __ M o s t O rig in a l C u is in e B e s t S e rv ic e ___________ M ost U nusual D ecor B est V iew B est H a p p y H our B est W in e List TELL VS WHICH SPOTS OFFER THE BEST IN THESE CATEGORIES: F rie n d lie st S p o t _______ B est A m b ia n c e _____ _ B est N ew R e sta u ra n t WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE EATERY IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING ETHNIC OPTIONS. Italian ____________ Ind ia n ____________ G e rm a n /A u s tria n C h in e s e _________ G re e k _______ C o n tin e n ta l _ E xotic E thnic British Pub Ja p a n e s e _ C a rib b e a n M e d ite rra n e a n S p e c ia lt y Best Pizza Best B reakfast Best Brunch -- Sm org. Best A fter-Theatre Spot Best D esserts Best Salads Best Seafood Best Steak Best S pecialty Food Shop Best S andw iches Best C up of Coffee Best W ings Best Fish & Chips Best Ribs Best Caesar Salad Best Cafe Best Seafood Best Bagels Best Steak Best Pasta FANCY A PIZZA? A BURGER? A BIG. THICK STEAK? TELL US WHERE YOU HEAD FOR . . . Best Fajitas Best Wild Game Best Sandwich Best Wings Best Fish & Chips Best Ribs Best Burger Best Chicken Best Appetizer Best Patio Most Attentive Owners Best Deli Best Ice Cream Celebrity Spotting Restaurant Sports Bar Best After Theatre Best Food Presentation Best Waitress Best Waiter Place with friends Best Bar Best Lounge Lunch with clients Best Catering Dinner Buffet Best Beer Selection Best Shooters Best Submarine Most Romantic Entertainment Family Celebrations Out Of Town Best Chef Best Ceasar-drink Best Bruschetta Best Garlic Bread French Onion Soup Innovative I I I M v F a v o u r i t e R e s t a u r a n t O v e r a l l i s :_______ T h e M o s t Im p o r t a n t F e a t u r e o f M y R e s t a u r a n t is : a il roc D IN N E R F O R T W O N a m e CONTEST BALLO T M : _________________________________________________________________________________________ T he O akville B eaver 467 Speers R oad, Oakvieee , O nt. ( A P d d r e s s : _______________________________________________________________ h o n e N u m b e r : ________________________________________________________________________ mem f a x L6K-3S4 : 337-5568 warn mum m um mum mmm mmm m um mmm wmm mm* m um m um mum