SAN JOSE, Calif., September 6, 2005 - Are you ready for some football? Cisco Systems, the Arizona Cardinals and Insight are teaming up to run a Cisco IP Communications system throughout their training facility in Tempe and their new football stadium, scheduled to open in 2006.
The solution, implemented and managed by information technology (IT) solutions provider Insight, will benefit fans, players and staff, providing conveniences unmatched by those at any other National Football League stadium. Approximately 750 Cisco IP phones will be utilized at the new Cardinals stadium, which will open in August of next year.
In July, Insight enabled the Cardinals' Tempe, Arizona training center with seamless voice, data and video communications. Digital video technology operating from the converged network will allow team members to participate, via video, in real-time training sessions from both the stadium and their Tempe training facility simultaneously, which brings a new dimension to the process of game preparation. Video-enabled Cisco IP phones for executives will facilitate video conferencing and staff at both facilities will be able to send data, game film and marketing materials from one facility to the other, saving time and operational expenses. The systems at both facilities will be fully linked, fully integrated and fully redundant.
In the new stadium, Cisco IP phones with touch-screen LCDs in the stadium suites will allow fans to pick players off of a virtual roster during a game to engage in a fantasy football game. Using the phone's touch-tone color screen, fans will also be able to buy tickets for future games, shop at the Cardinals' online store, order food and beverages and pull up football statistics.
Insight will also be implementing a wireless network into the new stadium, giving the facility the capability to support virtually every form of wireless communication available. This wireless infrastructure will facilitate uninterrupted cell phone usage and wireless Internet access within the stadium, giving fans with Wi-Fi-enabled laptops and PDAs the ability to enjoy fantasy football and surf the Internet during games.
"The Cisco IP Communications solution, along with Insight's IT infrastructure, gives us flexibility that we didn't have in the past," said Cardinals Vice President/General Counsel Michael Bidwill. "Since the technology is now entirely IP-based and software-driven, the stadium can be customized to meet the needs of multiple users. The field and the roof are both retractable, allowing for events such as tradeshows, conventions and conferences. This will make it one of the most versatile, multifunctional sports venues in the entire world."
