Madrid, Nov. 20, 2006 - Cisco® announced today that Real Madrid Football Club is using Cisco networking, security and Unified Communications technologies to deliver video, voice, data and wireless services over a single network to its fans, corporate customers, employees and the press. The operations for the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are now completely managed from the main control centre using Internet Protocol (IP) technology, making it possible to prepare the venue and control all the infrastructure elements for a match with more than 80,000 spectators with as few as eight staff.
The deployment of the network makes it possible to remotely control the 256 turnstiles and the lighting in the stadium. The public address system, which also operates over the IP network, can adjust the volume of each loudspeaker to the background noise level, giving spectators the optimum sound quality during each match. Staff can improve crowd safety by monitoring busy areas through IP video cameras and direct spectators to the least crowded exits through programmable video screens.
The club has created a 4-terabyte on-demand audio visual archive containing a wide selection of footage of the team's matches, with all relevant statistics. This archive can be instantly accessed from any of the 1,100 network access points that have been installed in the stadium and throughout Real Madrid's "Ciudad Deportiva" sports complex. So a coach, for example, can show players a particular technique during training no matter where they are.
The project, which links seven Real Madrid Football Club locations including the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the "Real Madrid City" (Ciudad Real Madrid) in Valdebebas and the organisation's official shops, will save the club up to 50 percent in implementation and maintenance costs. Through a Cisco Capital finance scheme, the network infrastructure can be kept up-to-date more cost effectively to achieve optimum performance with the latest technologies. The implementation of the Cisco solution for Real Madrid was carried out by Getronics, a Cisco Gold Certified Partner.
Real Madrid's systems and technology manager, Enrique Uriel, explained: "Cisco and Getronics have helped us to shape our vision of the new Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, turning it into one of the most important entertainment and conference centres in the world. Our goal is for fans to arrive at the stadium and enjoy the match without worrying about all the stuff that's behind it. Cisco technology has provided us with an infrastructure that gives us real-time information in order to make decisions regarding everything that takes place in the stadium."
The converged network implemented by Real Madrid is the result of the organisation's innovative vision of IP technology, which was formed in 2000. This vision aimed to take advantage of transporting video, voice and data over a single network that also supports the necessary infrastructure for remote management of a wide range of services. Access control, public address systems, heating, water sprinkler control, humidity alarms, lighting, escalator operation control, video surveillance and interactive visitor information can all be operated by remote control without the user's being aware of the technology. Through the IP network, all the real-time information required to record and react to any situation is available to Real Madrid's management team from a single point.
The flexibility of the IP infrastructure enables Real Madrid and Cisco to develop solutions focused on the growing needs of the club. The Cisco Unified Communications system is integrated with Lotus Notes messaging system and the TETRA radio network, a high-security system used for communications by the Spanish National Police and Civil Protection Agency.
Speaking at the press event to introduce the network-enhancement project, Jordi Botifoll, vice president of the Mediterranean region at Cisco, added: "Real Madrid has given Cisco a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the power of the network as a platform. This platform allows businesses to generate new revenue through new services and securely connects everyone in the value chain to streamline processes and increase productivity."
