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Sponsored Story: Connectivity — Cloud-Based Systems and Security

Ballpark DigestConnectivity is the hidden gem of Wi-Fi communications success around a stadium venue. After visiting hundreds of facilities over the past few years, we can say it’s clear Wi-Fi connectivity is the common denominator in linking all your stadium Internet connections.

Take into consideration all the stakeholders involved with your team: fans, MLB live-game streaming, media in the press box, your employees, management personal, and your POS system. You certainly have the incentive to provide the strongest connectivity possible!

The general mindset should be: how should we approach all our connection concerns to incorporate all the stakeholders and what is the most efficient and successful way to achieve a reliable solution?

Before we get into online connectivity, there is one major factor to consider; Stadium1, with its superior design, is built to operate the POS system offline (no connectivity) if necessary. This is very important as even the best Wi-Fi connections can go down anytime anywhere. Stadium1 will then sync up as soon as it regains Internet access either through Wi-Fi or CAT-5 traditional cabling, not missing a beat and assuring every transaction is accounted for and calculated correctly.

It is important to note Wi-Fi signals cannot do two things very well: penetrate through people and connect well through a cement wall. We have seen many signals before gametime be strong and at full strength only to be crushed as the fans filter in to the stadium. Remember, the wireless signal has a difficult time traveling through water and a human being is made of approximately sixty percent (60%) water.

Cloud Based Systems and Data Security — Here are some definite buzzwords in the market today regarding cloud-based systems from Wall Street to Main Street are turning their data over to data centers servers in the cloud. But how secure are they and are there different levels of security?

One of the most important design elements about Stadium1 is our choice in our data center, known as a cloud data storage facility. The technology we developed has a daily backup for our clients. Going one step further in our software design, we have built a software platform to perform redundancy backups at the local level. This leads to increased security and produces one of the most thorough system data backups in the sports technology industry.

So let’s talk tech — here are a few suggestions and specs that are economical and add a tremendous amount of stability and reliability to your stadium’s connectivity solution:

  1. The data through speed coming from you Internet provider should be a minimum requirement of 50/down and 20/up with a static IP address.
  2. Have a dedicated modem and dedicated switch feeding only the POS terminals and Wi-Fi node feeding the POS terminals.
  3. Setup the POS network on a separate subnet without public or office access.
  4. Be sure to ask what type of data center the vendor uses and how often the program is updated and backed up. Plus another important concern is if your vendor has a redundancy program built in on the local hard drive of the POS unit for further security and backup.
  5. There is a very big difference between a program written from a legacy program (software that used to reside on a server platform) and one designed from the ground up like Stadium1, written with the latest tools from Microsoft. So be sure to clarify this point with your potential vendors.

Once you get these answers your team and stadium will arrive in the new digital age in style and with the assurance your facility will be set up for success.

These are all things that will help the system run at optimum capacity and give all the groups working and playing in your ball bark a better experience all the way around.

In summary: Connectivity is an important component in stadium technology but one that is often overlooked. The software and hardware platform in place needs to work in concert with your Internet, Wi-Fi and systems connections. If one of these components falters it could bring the system to its knees. So follow these tips and your connectivity around the stadium will be streaming smooth and fast like a 100-mph fastball on the outside corner.
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About Stadium1: Our software was designed specifically for stadium operations. We were born online and created from the ground up with a solid foundation of utilizing the most advanced cloud-based software programming technology tools. The system was designed by a team owner with a world-class technology background. Specifically his background is creating a hardware and software solution focused on implementing the most easy to use, superior functionality and most profitable platform for a stadium venue’s operational needs.

Stadium1 exists in the market today with tools that can help teams increase revenues, reduce theft, and expenses. We link all departments together on a real-time platform so ownership can make more informed pregame, in-game and post-game decisions in a snap, based on our dynamic integrated technology and design.

This revolutionary technology is something you have to see to believe.

To learn more please contact Ed Mullen at ed.mullen@stadium1.com or call 561-704-1414.

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