On the field, the New England Patriots are hoping to bounce back from a couple of down years with a new head coach and a retooled roster. Off the field, the Kraft Group, which owns the team, has partnered with technology solutions provider NWN on a comprehensive stadium revamp that includes AI, facial recognition, virtual reality, wayfinding, digital wallets, IPTV and other cutting-edge technologies.
The five-year plan encompasses all of the Kraft Group’s business interests, including its paper and packaging companies. The highest profile project is a network upgrade to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., which hosts not only football but also the New England Revolution soccer team, Taylor Swift and Beyonce concerts, monster truck jams, and is slated to host seven FIFA World Cup soccer matches in 2026.
“Gillette Stadium is used throughout the year for a variety of events, and it is key for this venue to be as accommodating for our guests as possible,” said Kraft Sports and Entertainment COO Jim Nolan. “Partnering with NWN ensures that we have the newest technological capabilities to exceed fan expectations. Their vast experience in the industry and ability to bring us new technologies – while supporting what we already have in place – is key to making our facilities a place where guests can always stay connected.”
The challenges are stacking up
Kraft Group CIO Michael Israel has a lot on his plate. He’s in the midst of migrating his end-of-life VoIP network to a new cloud-based Cisco VoIP platform. NWN is implementing and will manage that project.
A new, state-of-the-art training facility for Patriots players and coaches is under construction next to the stadium and is slated to open next April. That means the network and all of the advanced applications running on it need to be designed, tested and ready to go.
More immediately, the stadium will be hosting those World Cup matches over a span of six weeks in June and July, so Israel is working closely with FIFA to make sure that fans, many of them from other countries, have an optimal experience. He describes each World Cup match as the equivalent of hosting a Super Bowl in terms of the hype and attention.
The longer-term roadmap with NWN includes a refresh of the stadium’s 1,800 Extreme Networks Wi-Fi 6 access points to either Wi-Fi 6E or 7, a refresh of the network’s 80 Cisco physical and virtual firewalls, followed by a network consolidation project.
On top of all that, the Kraft Group is seeking regulatory approval to build a new stadium for the New England Revolution soccer team in Everett, Mass., which is just north of Boston. If that project goes forward, Israel will be operating two sports facilities that are 25 miles apart.
Demand for bandwidth is on the rise
While the seating capacity of the stadium is fixed at roughly 65,000, the demand for network capacity is constantly increasing. On the customer side, Israel pointed out that younger fans are engaging with social media during events, posting photos and videos, putting additional strain on the Wi-Fi.
At a recent Taylor Swift concert, there were 10,000 people in the parking lot who didn’t have tickets but were there for a Tik-Tok challenge, which put an additional and unanticipated burden on the network, he said. Israel said expects the World Cup matches will draw similar levels of fan engagement, and he is working to beef up wireless connectivity in fan zones outside of the stadium.
On the business side, the underlying Cisco network needs to be able to handle all of the new bandwidth-hungry applications, from facial recognition technology at entry points, digital wallet transactions at concession stands, wireless point-of-sale systems that require split-second transaction processing, IPTV, plus an AI-driven video system that can detect if a concession stand is running low on inventory, enabling a quick restocking.
The enhanced fan experience:
Here are some of the key features that fans will be able to enjoy:
- Facial recognition: Working with Wicket Software, the Kraft Group is planning to implement facial recognition technology so that fans can simply appear in front of a facial biometric reader and gain fast, frictionless entry to the stadium. Fans (typically season ticket holders) will be invited to use the system. If they opt in, they simply take a selfie and enable the app on their phone. The system can recognize a face in under a second, even if the person is wearing a hat, mask or glasses. The facial recognition technology benefits fans because they can get into the stadium without having to stand in line to show a ticket, and it cuts administrative and personnel costs for the Kraft Group.
- Wayfaring: Ever have trouble finding your seat or get lost trying the find your way back to your seat after a visit to the concession stand? Gillette is implementing a wayfaring application based on technology from Concept 3D and Esri’s mapping software that will guide customers to their destination or to amenities and services within the stadium via a mobile app.
- IPTV: Expansion of the IPTV network will improve the digital viewing experience for fans, including interactive features aimed at increasing fan engagement during live events.
- Digital wallet: Israel said he is also exploring digital wallet technology that will enable fans to making mobile purchases of products and services within the venue without needing to take out a credit card.
Benefits for players and coaches
One of the most exciting aspects of the tech transformation is the construction of a new state-of-the-art training facility that will also house football administration and personnel offices, meeting rooms and a press workroom. The core network infrastructure is a combination of gear from Cisco and Extreme Networks, along with HP Aruba ClearPass for authentication and access control, and Cisco WebEx for collaboration, according to Israel.
With AI-powered services from NWN, coaches will be able to provide players with updated meeting times, training schedules and playbook information directly to their iPads. Football teams spend quite a bit of time breaking down video of their own performance, and video of their opponents in order to prepare for the next game. Part of the update includes the implementation of virtual reality, so players can have a more immersive experience when game planning.
The training facility will also be equipped with AI-powered environmental system monitoring that adjusts temperatures, powers on devices when a person enters a room and changes lighting to optimize the workspace for coaches and players.
Beyond the football complex, the collaboration with NWN will enable the Kraft Group to upgrade the networks at its other businesses – Rand Whitney Containerboard and Rand Whitney Group — in order to improve collaboration, enhance network reliability and boost business agility.
Source:: Network World