Feature Story

September 20, 2004

By Stacy Williams, News@Cisco

What do the Indy 500, the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park, the Marine Corps Marathon and the All-American Soap Box Derby have in common? While these sporting events are all as varied as the people who participate in them, they all employ Cisco secure, flexible wireless (Wi-Fi) solutions to help race faster, enhance fans' enjoyment and enable sports media to deliver news about events in real-time.

At Minute Maid Park, for example, home of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball team, Cisco Wi-Fi solutions based on Cisco Aironet Bridges and Access Points provide secure, wireless access to fans, vendors, media and staff across the entire ballbark. Fans who bring Wi-Fi laptops and PDAs can surf the web and check the latest pitching and batting statistics using Time Warner Cable's Road Runner service. Sports media covering the game can instantly submit photos and video to meet publication deadlines.

In addition to conveying more dimensions of an event to fans and media, Cisco Wi-Fi solutions can give participants a competitive advantage. This is especially true of events where the difference between first and second place can be measured in mere fractions of a second. The ability to receive and transmit data in real-time is especially crucial in the auto racing world, where continuous adjustments to the car must be made based on ever-changing track, weather and auto performance conditions.

At the Indy 500 and other top auto races, the Red Bull Cheever Racing Team uses a Cisco wireless network to transmit up to 180 channels of data in real-time from the nose of the car to pit crews and engineers. The Cisco Wi-Fi solution is a major improvement over the team's previous telemetry based solution, which left gaps in the amount and timing of data available for immediate decision-making. The Cisco Aironet and Mobile Router gear is hardened to withstand extreme vibration, heat and other inhospitable conditions, making it ideal for use at the track.

Cisco Wi-Fi solutions can be permanently installed or temporarily deployed to support one-time events where setting up a large-scale network is impractical. This is a distinct advantage at sporting events such as the annual Marine Corps Marathon or the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in Wales.

The remote and sometimes inhospitable locations for the WRC usually rule out installing wired systems and public access terminals. At the same time, spectators at the event demand real-time information about team positions and progress, and the latest news about their favorite drivers to maximize their involvement and enjoyment of the race. At the 2004 WRC event in Wales, Cisco, Inmarsat and Util4 are providing a fully mobile, ruggedized network solution that provides connectivity for participants and fans alike. Only a few years ago, it would have been impossible for fans to follow a race like this one in its entirety.

A Cisco Wi-Fi solution is also pivotal for the nation's seventh largest marathon, the annual Marine Corps Marathon. At the 2004 marathon, organizers needed a network that could be erected quickly for a temporary, outdoor event yet would prove reliable enough to meet high-speed data transmission requirements. Working with Cisco Systems, the marathon quickly set up a Cisco wireless network solution to deliver runners' times from monitoring stations along the route and to the marathon's site on the Internet. This enabled organizers to more precisely track runner times and transmit real-time data from multiple checkpoints for spectators, sponsors, and the media who wanted to know the immediate location of each runner. Cisco will be providing a similar set up for this year's marathon.

Even the 67th annual All-American Soap Box Derby, the downhill race in gravity-powered cars steered by 500 youths, is taking advantage of a Cisco wireless solution to enable intra-track communications, real-time scoring and webcast video of races for parents and families, and wireless connectivity for spectators and exhibitors.

In the world of sports, technology can be a decisive factor. Today, having a well-engineered racecar or proper running techniques may not be enough. Wireless technology is revolutionizing a number of sports, for athletes, the public and sports journalists. Wireless solutions are even helping trainers monitor factors such as an athlete's heart rate or oxygen uptake. No matter what the event, Cisco is at the forefront of the wireless in sports revolution.

Stacy Williams is a freelance journalist located in Phippsburg, CO.