World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc. announced this week that it has reached an agreement with the Silicon Valley software development company CyberArts to provide technology and software for re-launching WPTE’s online gaming business.
“This relationship will make it possible for us get to market faster with a superior product,” said Steve Lipscomb, founder and CEO of WPTE. “Now, like most companies that have been successful in the online gaming space, we will be able to build a unique offering and control our own destiny. We have been searching for a powerful alternative to our current technology for some time and are convinced that this is the perfect solution.”
CyberArts developed the software that currently powers the poker room for Mansion.com, and has a solid track record in pioneering Internet gaming technology, with a ten-year history of developing and operating GamesGrid, the world’s first graphical online backgammon club.
CyberArts claims that it has built a ground-breaking platform to support the next generation of online gaming. The company has customised its unique platform for sophisticated marketers requiring strong branding capabilities, flexible and innovative functionality, and support for multiple languages and currencies.
Chris Derossi, co-founder and CEO of CyberArts explains, “We are very excited about the prospect of providing the product that can take the WPT‘s online poker offering to the next level. We believe our Foundation Software, coupled with WPT’s innovation and commitment to the poker player will create an unmatched gaming site.”
Derossi is known in the poker world as the co-author of “Winning at Internet Poker for Dummies,” one of the popular titles from the ” … for Dummies” series. He has more than 20 years of leadership at top technology companies including Apple Computers, where he served as chief architect of OS 7 before starting CyberArts. The project will be managed by the company’s co-founders Derossi and Ken Arnold.
The announcement of the CyberArts software agreement signals a new phase in the development of WPTE’s online gaming business as the company takes control of its own online gaming operation.
Since February, 2005 the World Poker Tour’s online gaming business has operated under a licensing arrangement with WagerWorks, Inc. The CyberArts deal will enable WPTE to develop, manage, market and handle customer service for the online poker business from its own international headquarters.
During the transition period from WagerWorks to its own software, WPTE will continue to work with WagerWorks and explore possibilities for future collaboration. Launch of the new version of the World Poker Tour’s online poker site will be in 2007.
“This deal will finally allow us the opportunity to innovate the online gaming experience and deliver a product worthy of the World Poker Tour brand,” concluded Lipscomb.