Images: OOLIO
Tracing its roots back to 1973 with the introduction of the first PC connected to a cash register, OOLIO has grown into one of Australia’s largest privately-owned, founder-led, and top-performing technology companies.
Specialising in industry-leading point-of-sale (POS) and payment systems for the hospitality sector, OOLIO has a well-established presence in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Denmark, catering over 20,000 venues.
We caught up with Tim Morgan, chief executive of swiftpos OOLIO, to find out what sets the company apart.
TheStadiumBusiness.com: For readers who may not be familiar, can you provide some background on OOLIO’s history and the services it provides?
Tim Morgan: “OOLIO’s product suite includes renowned names such as swiftpos, bepoz, deliverit, idealpos and ordermate, along with its newest offering, the OOLIO platform. Globally, more than 20,000 venues have now chosen OOLIO and one or more of its products.
“Over the past three years, OOLIO has experienced significant expansion, including a strategic buyout of MSL Solutions in February 2023. The combined capabilities of both businesses provided unprecedented market reach across different sectors of the industry, encompassing venue partners operating QSRs (quick service restaurants), restaurants, multi-site venues, stadiums and arenas, convention centres, casinos, pubs, clubs and hotels.
“With increased scale, OOLIO anticipates accelerated growth in key areas such as payments and the strengthening and expansion of our global operations. As part of the ongoing integration and streamlining of OOLIO’s business units, MSL Verteda, the UK operation, was rebranded as OOLIO Group UK Limited (commonly referred to as OOLIO or OOLIO UK) in October 2023. Our presence in the UK and European markets is well established with more than 20 years of expertise in supporting a diverse customer base with the best technology solutions for their POS needs.”
TSB: Where does swiftpos sit within OOLIO and what does it specialise in?
TM: “swiftpos is OOLIO’s premier and globally proven point-of-sale platform. Designed specifically with the needs of major event venue operators managing stadia, arenas and convention centres front of mind, the swiftpos platform excels in time-critical and demanding F&B service environments. It is an enterprise solution that provides ultimate flexibility and scalability, ensuring every touchpoint is frictionless and customer-centric.
“In OOLIO’s product suite, swiftpos stands out as the POS technology offering engineered and suited to stadia. swiftpos is a leading solution across world-class sporting venues and convention centres. It now dominates the Australian market and is pleased to be making strong inroads into the UK, Europe and Asia.
“By delivering cutting-edge technology and robust tools, swiftpos ensures that every celebration, event, or game day runs smoothly. When bundled with OOLIO’s Pay product, we offer a dynamic end-to-end platform that brings exceptional service to the stadia and arenas worldwide.
“The main countries that swiftpos operates in are the UK, Spain (leading football club in LaLiga), USA, Australia (MCG, Marvel Stadium, Suncorp Stadium, Gabba, ICC, RAC Arena), Asia (Kai Tak Stadium), New Zealand (Eden Park) and Denmark.”
TSB: How do the needs of a stadium or arena differ from other venues?
TM: “Major event venues such as stadiums, arenas and convention centres face unique operational challenges due to their scale and the intensity of service during events. These venues demand a combination of volume handling, surge activity management, and speed to maximise sales in limited services windows.
“Smart digital stadiums are no longer just a trend; they are a growing reality. Rapidly evolving fan expectations for seamless transactions and better customer engagement require a reimagining of what POS can look like.
“swiftpos is purpose-built for this market, offering excellent out-of-the-box functionality and redundancy that set it apart from competitors. OOLIO’s ongoing development commitment and investment in the swiftpos product ecosystem have seen it evolve beyond traditional terminal transaction methods. Whether it’s self-service, self-checkout, QR code ordering, suites and events catering, advanced ordering, event day ordering, Q-busting, or pop-up outlets, swiftpos ensures every touchpoint is easy, intuitive, and engaging for the fan.
“Not only does swiftpos facilitate quick and efficient transactions, helping fans return to the action faster, but it also provides powerful insights for management. This includes real-time reporting, mobile ordering capabilities, and integration with other systems like ticketing and loyalty programs.
“This is why swiftpos is the trusted hospitality platform for OOLIO’s major event venue partners, as it continues to deliver on the promise of being feature-rich, robust and reliable – meeting their needs now and into the future.”
TSB: What makes OOLIO unique in the sector?
TM: “With decades of experience in developing and refining POS systems, OOLIO has built a solid foundation of knowledge and reliability. Many of our team members have direct experience in the hospitality industry, ranging from service staff to sales and operations personnel, as well as managers and owners. This frontline involvement gives us unparalleled understanding and insight into the myriad business drivers and challenges faced by our venue partners. We are hospitality at heart, and our ability to think hospitality informs our approach to everything we do.
“OOLIO is not just a POS provider; we are a technology partner with a comprehensive product suite that caters to different types of venues and operational requirements. We deliver end-to-end solutions tailored to meet our customers’ needs.
“Our global footprint allows us to reach a diverse customer base while also supporting international venue operators, providing a guaranteed consistency. OOLIO’s overarching philosophy and mission to empower hospitality businesses and facilitate celebration remain unchanged. Our ability to quickly adapt and respond to regional and local market needs makes us stronger than other players.
“With over 500 employees across its various business units, OOLIO is fast becoming an employer of choice. We are recognised as a company committed to developing the skills and knowledge of our entire team while supporting them in their career development. The diverse pool of talent we can call on consolidates our overall performance and positions OOLIO as an industry innovator striving for continuous improvement.
“The hospitality industry is full of disruptors and entrepreneurial thinkers who look to the future and ways in which technology can improve business operations. OOLIO, being founder-led, believes in developing roadmaps that are customer-centric with a responsive approach to evolving needs. We also actively seek to identify exciting opportunities for entirely new products that have the potential to shift the dial for our customers and shape the market sectors in which we operate.”
TSB: What sets swiftpos apart from others?
TM: “The complete swiftpos ecosystem, designed with hospitality at its core, puts the fan experience at the centre of everything. swiftpos helps major event venues achieve their goals through transformation, modernisation, and innovation.
“With extensive out of the box functionality, swiftpos is also extremely adaptive in meeting specific operational needs that can change from venue to venue, and country to country. The swiftpos roadmap is one that is developed hand-in-glove with our customers. OOLIO’s responsive and agile approach to development enables us to deliver industry leading solutions and product updates that benefit all our partners.
“We believe in maintaining the strength of core swiftpos platform capabilities while always looking to the future and ways in which we can improve and enhance its functionality across all modules.
“OOLIO’s technology, particularly through swiftpos, works to extend point-of-sale systems beyond the counter to deliver an outstanding experience at every engagement. swiftpos’s solutions reduce transaction times, enhance inventory management, and improve operations.”
TSB: How much of an impact did the pandemic have on the sector, both from a venue and customer perspective?
TM: “The pandemic had a profound impact on the stadium and arena sector, with many venues facing prolonged closures and reduced capacity. From a venue perspective, this necessitated a shift towards more flexible and contactless POS solutions to meet evolving health guidelines.
“From a customer perspective, there was a growing demand for mobile ordering and payment options to minimise physical contact. OOLIO’s technology adapted swiftly to these changes, ensuring that venues could continue to operate efficiently in a post-pandemic world.”
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