William Hill establishes technology hub in UK’s Silicon Roundabout
26th November 2013 10:07 am GMT
UK bookmaker William Hill has opened a “centre of excellence” in London’s Shoreditch district, focusing on technological innovation and further developing the company’s mobile product offering.
The office will host 40 staff, and is designed to complement William Hill’s online operations in Leeds, London, Gibraltar, Tel Aviv, Sydney and Las Vegas, with the operator becoming the first FTSE 100 company to establish a base in the UK’s technology development hub in East London, known as the Silicon Roundabout.
William Hill Online managing director Andrew Lee described the opening of the technology centre as “a hugely significant step in the history of William Hill.”
He explained that the company was looking to “tap into Shoreditch’s eco-system of development talent,” adding that part of William Hill’s continuing success as a “very strong and successful brand” had been achieved by “evolving throughout [its] history.”
“Our goal is to provide a unique and exciting experience for our customers through digital innovation and differentiation – being in Shoreditch, at the heart of Europe’s technical expertise, will help us achieve that,” Lee said.
Plans to open a new office by the Silicon Roundabout were first announce by chief executive Ralph Topping following the publication of the company’s H1 results in August this year. Topping had admitted at the time that its mobile gaming offering, which accounted for 18 per cent of total gaming revenues, was not growing fast enough after the company’s Q3 figures were released in October.
In order to kick-start plans to improve and expand the operator’s mobile offering, the company is embarking on a recruitment drive, looking to hire “outstanding digital expertise, including high calibre mobile tech developers.”
“Mobile technology is moving rapidly – the frequency is quicker, the scope broader – so being in Shoreditch gives us the best possible chance to anticipate and prepare for future developments, by hiring the brightest minds in the country,” Lee added.
Shares in William Hill plc (Co. Data) (LSE:WMH) were trading up 1.23 per cent to 379.60 per share in London this morning following the announcement.
