39 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 utilising additional machine learning to prevent potential attacks on our platforms, with constant updates based on the latest vulnerabilities without impacting the overall infrastructure. n Containerisation The move to cloud computing has provided the ability to containerise our platform, making it much easier to manage and control. We can segregate all our various customers within the environment to ensure data does not cross boundaries, giving us much better control over auditing of the platforms. This segregation allows better resilience across shared security components which will benefit lottery operators. We have also started the move to granular containerisation of the applications themselves, giving us a much quicker build time and maintenance footprint. n Scalability As we bring on more and more customers to the Abacus platform, any environment we build will have the ability to scale easily with zero impact on the existing customer base. The cloud environment we now have in place allows for additional environments to be built and bolted to the current architecture. Our move to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) 3 years ago has simplified our entire solution, allowing the build of new platforms virtually with the push of a button. n Sustainability Given the current state of the environment, it's no longer enough for organizations to place a recycling bin in the breakroom and claim that they're doing their part to help the planet. Abacus is a carbon neutral company, and our move to cloud computing helps reduce our carbon footprint. Cloud infrastructures support environmental proactivity, powering virtual services rather than physical products and hardware, improving energy efficiency. Embrace the cloud It hasn’t always been an easy ride. When we first started working with the US market it became clear there was a problem around audit and control of the environment as laid out in the MUSL rule 2 guidelines. Part of the audit process required visits to review the security of our data centre, and with a cloud environment this is simply not possible. Additional wording and amendments had to be made to rule 2 to allow cloud computing to be used in the processing of lottery transactions. As a business we are constantly learning and the infrastructure we have in place today looks nothing like that original sketch on the train. That learning and improvement will never stop as we move forward, and additional monitoring and controls are constantly being added to the platform. For example, we have new machine learning in place to monitor our environment, allowing us to light up test environments when needed and take them offline when not, giving us greater control over our costs. This AI learning is also helping the monitoring of the security footprint of the entire hosted platform, giving us proactive control and reports on all aspects of security. As an industry we should always look to continually move with the times and embrace any technology that enhances scalability, security, and control of our environments to offer our customers the best solutions possible. Abacus have been quietly leading this charge for many years now and have a wealth of experience in embracing the cloud. n
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