NetEffect, a Las Vegas-based full-service provider of computer and information technology support and consulting services, was granted the first gaming license specifically for IT Service Providers by the Nevada Gaming Commission, according to a company report. The license allows NetEffect to provide management, support, security, and disaster recovery services for gaming board regulated hardware and software systems.

NetEffect was able to obtain the license due to a Nevada Gaming Commission amendment to Regulation 5 on Dec. 22, 2011. Historically, IT service providers have not been permitted to work on any gaming board regulated software or hardware.

“This is a significant achievement for our company,” said NetEffect President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Grace. “We already have a partnership agreement in place with Treasure Island’s IT department to support their non-gaming systems, and with our gaming license we now have the ability to do much more. Outsourcing IT services to NetEffect benefits the gaming operator because we can provide them with more sophisticated monitoring tools and better reporting capabilities. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

As a licensed IT Service Provider, NetEffect can monitor the gaming-related applications, automatically restart them if they stop, and proactively alert IT staff 24 hours a day. The data collected also allows NetEffect to provide availability and performance reports on these systems.

“We can help gaming properties achieve better uptime of their gaming applications,” Grace added. “This translates to a better experience for guests, and allows gaming operators to allocate their IT resources much more effectively.”

With the new IT Service Provider license classification, gaming operators can enter into a technology outsourcing relationship and not have to limit it to the non-gaming systems. They can, for example, easily outsource pain points such as their helpdesk and onsite support through a dispatch model during graveyard and swing shifts.

The IT Service Provider gaming license does not permit NetEffect to operate an interactive gaming site, but if online gaming is eventually legalized, the license will allow NetEffect to manage the hardware and software online gaming sites reside on.