VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CDW, a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare, today announced it has partnered with the Indianapolis Colts on a mobility solution that enhances team performance and operations, as well as the in-stadium fan experience. CDW’s IT implementation provided the team with the ideal mix of mobility and security needed to compete in the increasingly tech savvy NFL.
“We needed to upgrade our existing IT infrastructure to increase efficiency in our network and provide our fans with the ultimate game day experience,” said Ryan Fannin, the Colts’ director of football information systems. “CDW approached our needs holistically and provided the strategic thinking and advice that lead to improved team preparation, business operations and fan experience.”
CDW designed and implemented a significantly improved wireless communications system for the Colts’ headquarters and practice facilities. This new Wi-Fi network was needed to support players, coaches, employees, guests and the media accessing the network both indoors and outdoors.
The Colts were using consumer-grade wireless access points (APs), which provided wireless coverage to only a small portion of the headquarters and practice facility. CDW surveyed the sites and determined how many APs were required for full coverage and where to place them. CDW solution architects then increased the network coverage and capacity by replacing the old equipment with three new switches and covering the entire Colts facility with new APs.
A Better Fan Experience
Fans have also benefited – through a new Colts-themed mobile application. The team is now able to provide exclusive video replays to fans at the stadium, powered by servers configured by CDW. The Indianapolis Colts Mobile app automatically edits plays and delivers them to the fans’ mobile devices. Within five seconds of every play, fans can watch a replay from three different angles on their own device.
A Numbers Game
- Colts mobile app downloads as of mid-December: 130,000
- Fans that can be accommodated on the wireless network: 23,000
- Largest number of fans who have connected to Lucas Oil Stadium’s Wi-Fi network: 12,000
- Antennas powering Lucas Oil Stadium’s high capacity distributed antenna system: 500
- Percent increase in wireless coverage at the Colts’ facilities: 85
- Access points deployed around the facility: 50
- Seconds it takes for an instant replay video to appear on the fan app in the stadium: 5
The Colts’ IT department also purchased 130 iPad devices from CDW to replace their paper playbooks. The team immediately benefited from the new mobile devices by ridding themselves of their antiquated 20-pound playbooks. The iPad devices also allowed players and coaches to stream video of their practices and games outside of their facilities. The coaching staff discovered that with the new mobility of the iPad, players were spending more time studying their digital playbooks and viewing game film than before.
The devices also gave coaches the option of distributing digital playbooks to players with the press of a button, eliminating the hours spent preparing paper versions. The Colts also set up a cloud-based mobile device management system, which allows the Colts’ IT staff to manage and enforce security policies such as password protection and a remote wiping option for lost playbooks.
“The challenges the Colts experienced are the same issues that many businesses are facing with the rise of mobility in the workplace,” said Andrea Bradshaw, senior director and general manager of Mobility Solutions at CDW. “The Colts had a vision to maximize player preparation and enhance the fan experience during games and CDW provided the strategic approach and capabilities to make that vision a reality. We believe the technology and services give them a competitive advantage, both on the field and in the stands.”
Read more about CDW’s work with the Indianapolis Colts here.
About CDW
CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare. Ranked No. 31 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies and No. 270 on the FORTUNE 500, CDW was founded in 1984 and employs more than 6,900 coworkers. For the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2012, the company generated net sales of more than $10 billion. For more information, visit www.CDW.com.