Implementing a Sports
Stadium Network

Situation:

Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT, home to UConn Huskies football, was one of the most anticipated structures erected in Connecticut in recent years. As the project neared completion, the state and its high-profile partner, Madison Square Garden, sought an IT partner to design and implement a complex data network for the stadium. This intricate system needed to provide ticketing, police and fire dispatch, standard office connectivity, inventory ordering capabilities, security camera monitoring, and act as a complete resource for all attendees and media representatives. The architects of this network would have to identify and manage the needs of various stadium tenants, communicating seamlessly with their respective IT departments and consultants as well as planning capacity for future growth. As an added hurdle, this entire scope of work needed to be completed for less than $500,000.

Response:

After receiving costly quotes from other companies, Connecticut and Madison Square Garden representatives approached IT Direct. The client awarded IT Direct the job, citing their project/client management skills and creative resourcing. IT Direct began by talking to all parties involved and getting functional requirements based on business objectives. We followed this with a comprehensive design to meet all of the functional requirements.

Using certified and tested system-pulled equipment, we were able to bring down the total cost while still meeting all of the objectives of the project, including system expansion and growth. As they continued implementing the complex network, IT Direct employees made sure to integrate the needs of all the vendors and consultants associated with Rentschler Field.

In the end, IT Direct completed the entire project for $200,000, or less than half of the proposed budget. The management team at Rentschler Field recognized IT Direct for the cost-effectiveness of the work and the overall quality of the job. In addition, all of the tenants associated with the new stadium were amazed at how easy it was to work with IT Direct and how flexible the company was in accurately addressing their concerns in the short time frame available. The stadium chose IT Direct to continue providing expansion designs and budget recommendations for the network – which IT Direct continues to do today.