Aruba Mobile First Platform Replaces Cisco Infrastructure to Bring Enhanced, Connected Stadium Experience to 75,000 Fans Per Game
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company (NYSE: HPE), today announced
that the Carolina Panthers have installed a new Aruba Gigabit Wi-Fi
network to bring fans an improved, connected stadium experience and
streamline operations for stadium vendors.
With fans bringing an increasing number of mobile devices into Bank of
America stadium, the Panthers’ organization recognized that their
network needed an overhaul. “Our existing network couldn’t keep up with
our fans’ needs nor the density requirements we had,” said James
Hammond, Director of Information Technology for the Carolina Panthers.
“We know the in-stadium experience has to surpass at-home game watching
for fans to continue coming to games. It was clear that we needed an
infrastructure upgrade in order to deliver the kind of connected stadium
experience fans expect.”
Hammond noted that the stadium’s vendors, who rely on the network for
their operations, also needed more Wi-Fi coverage and bandwidth, and
were eager to see connectivity improvements.
As part of the organization’s motto of “Committed to Excellence”, the
Panthers undertook a three-phase upgrade plan. The first piece of the
plan was completed last off-season when the Panthers rebuilt their DAS
system to provide better cellular coverage in the stadium. Part two of
the plan was the Wi-Fi upgrade for which the Panthers evaluated Ruckus,
Cisco, and Extreme before choosing Aruba. Working with partner AmpThink
for the deployment, the Panthers installed over 1,220 Aruba
802.11ac access points
in a
stadium-tested, under-the-seat deployment and Aruba
Mobility Controllers. They also implemented AirWave
network management to optimize network performance and quickly
resolve any connectivity issues, as well as the ClearPass
Policy Manager for securely authenticating mobile devices. ClearPass
also delivers the PCI compliance required for stadium vendors and their
many PoS and IoT mobile devices.
The first three home games of the season have already demonstrated the
benefits of the Aruba Mobile First Platform. Over 20,000 unique
devices/users per game have connected to the network with traffic
hitting a total peak of more than 3 Gbps, with additional capacity to
support well over 20 Gbps.
With the new network in place, the Panthers can now support the growing
demands of their fan base, deliver secure and reliable Wi-Fi to stadium
vendors and have the foundation they need to head to the third phase of
their technology upgrade. The Panthers will be updating their mobile app
with new features that will continue to enhance the fan experience and
are planning to deploy Aruba’s
Mobile Engagement Solution with Aruba
Beacons to provide in-stadium location services and introduce new
revenue generating opportunities. With the beacons in place, the mobile
app will allow fans to receive proximity-based notifications as well as
quickly locate and navigate to the nearest food vendors, bathrooms and
other stadium amenities.
According to Hammond, continuing to ensure fan satisfaction is the most
important benefit of their new Aruba wireless network, which also leads
to simplifying the continued upgrades the Panthers will pursue. He said,
“As our owner, Jerry Richardson, says, ‘the fan is the most valuable
member of our team’. As an organization, we want to demonstrate that
commitment at our stadium.”
To read more about best practices for high-density environments like
Bank of America Stadium, download Aruba’s Very
High Density Validated Reference Design guide.
About Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, is a leading provider of
next-generation networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes
worldwide. The company delivers IT solutions that empower organizations
to serve the latest generation of mobile-savvy users who rely on
cloud-based business apps for every aspect of their work and personal
lives.
To learn more, visit Aruba at
http://www.arubanetworks.com
.
For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook,
and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products
visit Airheads Social at
http://community.arubanetworks.com
.
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Pavel Radda, +1-408-419-0294
Senior Director of Corporate Communications
pavel.radda@hpe.com
OR
LSH Communications for Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Lori Hultin, Principal, +1-818-879-4651
lori.hultin@hpe.com