Credit: Dreamstime
Data#3 has signed a managed services deal with Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) to ensure IT critical infrastructure and Wi-Fi network allow 80,000 fans to access the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The services provider has been contracted to provide support for MCC’s entire network, back-office and stadium.
In addition, Data#3 will also use its Hub platform to manage assets, lifecycle management, support arrangements, case-logging and incident management.
The two parties began working together before having negotiated the contracts due to fears that the IT network would not support its upcoming match, which was just weeks away.
If the systems failed, then MCG would neither be able to scan tickets or use scoreboards - the critical infrastructure required to open a sports venue, according to MCC general manager of IT and innovation Rey Sumaru.
“It is critical to have right business partner -- we don’t get a second chance to get it right,” he said. “The consequence would be that broadcast partners could not televise matches, the media couldn’t file stories, and we couldn’t get 70-80,000 people inside. Our access controls all depend on the network.”
Over a two-week period, Data#3 identified which legacy equipment was due for renewal or approaching end-of-life. MCC then used Data#3’s cloud-based Hub Platform to gain complete visibility of its environment and status.
“Today, the expectation of a seamless, digital experience is universal,” Data#3 chief executive officer and managing director Laurence Baynham said. “It is fantastic to see the MCC harnessing the power of people and technology to deliver the first-class services that sports fans have come to expect.”
