Denver Bronco Analysis - Case Study Example

Table of contents 0 Case Study…………………………………………………………………………. 2.0 Analysis…………………………………………………………………………. 3.0 Recommendations………………………………………………………………. 3.1 Big Data and Analytics………………………………………… ………….. 3.2 Wearable Technologies like Google Glass………………………………….. 3.3 Data Collection ……………………………………………………………………… 4.0 Remarks………………………………………………………………………………….. Case Study Denver Broncos have had one the best records on regular season that has seen them to the playoffs. However, this is not the only thing that the fans are celebrating about. The IT organization has setup high quality mobile platform that serves more than 76,000 fans at the Mile High stadium. There is also a video feed that allows fans to connect with the Bronco coaches who also rely on their fans to know about the strengths and weaknesses of the team. In conjunction with Comcast Business, the IT team comprising of six members, have deployed various Cisco networking paraphernalia that allows fans to enjoy free internet on a wireless bandwidth while at the same time uploading videos to their various social media networks. Furthermore, there are scores of video cameras all over the field that concentrate on each player during the game. The videos are then transferred through a Comcast fibre optic network to the coaching staff where each player is analyzed. Bronco’s stadium boasts of 25,000 Wi-Fi connections, at least 1000 HD TVs and new numerous scoreboards. Analysis This is a massive achievement for the Denver Bronco team and its fans. Not only will it be fun to the watch games, but also the interaction will connect the fans more and make them more of a family than just mere fans. Plus the fact that the fans can easily interact with the coaching staff ensures that the staff is always alert of any errors posed by the players and they can also get a few coaching tips from the fans. However, the biggest challenge lies with the size of the IT team. It is too small. Six people managing more than 76,000 is extremely hard. The CIO should increase the number of IT experts to keep an eye on the large population as they are unpredictable. The 25,000 Wi-Fi could be an avenue for criminal activities and should therefore be monitored keenly. The least desirable number would be 100 individuals each managing 250 networks. Six experts is far much below from the least desired number with each member monitoring more than 4000 is inefficient. There is a lot of information moving through the network that it would be hard for even the keenest of individuals to notice any malicious activities going on. But, increasing the number of IT Specialists and reducing the number of connections that each individual is supposed to monitor will go along in controlling these malicious activities. It is also worth noting that such an open network can easily be attacked by hackers. Mike Tighe, an executive director at Comcast Business claims that Comcast is responsible for video control. The company connects the videos from the Mile High Stadium to the teams’ training facilities via Ciena optical switches. This makes both networks at the stadium and outside vulnerable to attacks. Information being transmitted is very crucial and when it falls to the hands of hackers it may be a big problem. For instance, interception of ideas and opinions of the fans to the coaching staff can be used by the team’s opponents to defeat them. Though cyber attacks in such a network are inevitable, the CIO should do whatever he can to reduce instances of these attacks. A system that is under siege by hackers can be easily destroyed without the hackers even being present. Hackers can use viruses to destroy all the programs and softwares that are the driving force of the network. The CIO should be informed of the newest ways of controlling hacking and also find ways of incorporating such methods into the system. Failure to monitor hackers would result to destruction of infrastructure and information worth millions of dollars. This would be a setback to the sporting franchise. Another problem lies with the speed of the internet itself. It is currently at 100 Mbps. This is quite low in a country that boasts of 1 Gbps internet speed, probably the highest in the world. However, the management plans to increase the speed to at least 10 Gbps in the near future. The CIO should not take long in implementing this as the people will start complaining of the slow speed and most of them will prefer surfing at home or even migrate to other stadiums that would have borrowed this concept and installed better internet equipment. For instance, the San Francisco 49ers sporting franchise is on the verge of completing a dual 10 Gbps connections in their new stadium. Recently, Russ Trainor, the VP of Information Technology for the Broncos, was astonished by the number of uploads that eclipsed downloads. This was mainly due to short videos and ‘selfies’ that have become very popular among people. Even though the installation may be expensive initially, it is actually cheaper in the long run and furthermore it fulfills the desired purpose it was created for. If the network is not upgraded early, then the future will be challenging for the Bronco management. This is mainly because of the growing popularity of mobile devices each day and the need for faster internet connections. This year alone, the worldwide shipment number of all mobile devices was 2 billion units and their numbers are set to eclipse by 2017 to the point of outnumbering all human beings on the planet. Failure to provide a faster internet connection will result in pauses, stuttering and poor quality pixelation. Recommendations There have been recent concerns about the lack of attendance in the NFL games. This may be due to increased ticket prices or improved home viewing experience. And it is therefore mandatory that the CIO together with other management staff create incentives that will go a long way in pulling back the fans to the stadiums. Coming up with faster internet connections that are better than the connections they experience at home will actually attract them back. Unlike other teams that are making infrastructural improvements in order to attract people back to enjoy the ‘new fan experience’, the Denver Broncos have already made adjustments to suit their loyal fan bases. This is a good move as it strengthens fan loyalty. However, there are various areas that the CIO can improve to ensure that the Broncos are always a step ahead of their competitors. Big Data and Analytics Big data and analytics should be adopted by sports franchises as they can make a difference in signing of contracts, scoring of points and even prevention of injuries. During a recent MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston, leading sports personnel like coaches and players discovered how data and analytics could influence so many things in sports like efficiency, and profitability if it was used extensively. Utilizing technology in all areas on the pitch will reduce errors that are always present when umpires and referees control the games. The less the errors the more fair the sport becomes and this is what should be on all CIOs’ minds. Wearable Technologies like Google Glass Wearable technologies like Google Glass can be utilized by CIOs to create a more thrilling fan experience in the games. Though viewing a game through the naked eye is exciting, the advantages that Google Glass has over the human eyes are far much more. For instance, fans can get different angles of the same play. A person sitting at seat number 5784 may want to see how the person at seat 89 is watching the game. Furthermore, the heads up display (HUD) allows fans to view from the best angles that may not be clear from the naked eye. It also allows them to have an instant replay in case of a distraction. Due to its recording abilities, the Google Glass allows users to upload short videos on their social networking pages. Fans can even switch seats via this Glass to enhance their fun during the game. Moreover, the CIO can also integrate the glasses with the RedZone during timeouts and commercial breaks. NFL RedZone is a popular web channel that highlights all NFL touchdowns in every Sunday afternoon games. Fantasy football can also be united with the glasses to ensure that the fans are never bored. Fans can keep track of all their fantasy players while at the same time watching another game. The google gadgets can notify the fans about their fantasy games and players through a small visual nudge on the screen. The CIO can organize ways of distributing the gadgets before the games and collecting them after the games to ensure that no mischievous fan elopes with them. There are also other devices like miCoach designed by Adidas that is attached to the players’ jerseys. The data collected from the jerseys will indicate to the coaches the best and worst performers. The CIO could also use this method to connect fans with their favorite players and keep track of how they are performing on the field. Touch sensors mounted on gloves, pads and other gears can offer valuable information to the coaches which they can then used during training to improve on the players’ weaknesses. CIOs can also come up with protective gear that keeps track of the health of the players. If a player gets an abnormal impulse, the gear can record and transmit the data immediately to the concerned officials so that the player can be checked immediately. A good example of health gear is the smart helmet. Accelerometers mounted on the helmets detect all forms of head concussions that may go unnoticed or brushed aside as not being serious. These gadgets transmit information to the computers and if the concussions are serious then immediate medical attention can be given. Data Collection on the Field Data collection is very important in all sporting events as it keeps track of movements, speed and distance. These statistics are important for future analysis and decision making. However, most of data collection is done manually. This is a slow process because of the movements in a game which are very fast. Cameras and audio recorders can be fixed from all corners and angles to ensure that no data disappears. Manual data collection is very slow, tedious and cumbersome. It should be done away with and replaced by technology full time. Remarks The sports arena is billion dollar industry that should not be dotted with errors all the time. It is up to the CIOs of all sporting franchises to ensure that the various teams they represent operate as smooth as possible on the technological front. The cost of tickets is very high currently and therefore most fans will be discouraged to attend the games when they could watch them at the comfort of their homes with no charges. To make the matches worth attending, the CIO should implement technological gadgets that enhance the viewing. Apart from the fans, it is also the duty of the CIO to integrate technology in sports to reduce chances of anomalies and biasness that are prevalent when humans officiate matches. Read More