The Kia Oval Prepares its Network for The Ashes
With nearly 25,000 spectators each day, the Kia Oval IT systems needs to be in toptop shape and capable of handling hugely inflated levels of traffic from the tills in the bars, right the way through to the wireless and scoreboard systems.
London, Greater London (PRWEB UK) 7 August 2013
With almost 2 million global monthly searches related to The Ashes, the Kia Oval network must be robust and capable of handling the massive number of visitors who are seeking information ahead of the final which starts there on the 21st August.
MBA IT has been working with Surrey County Cricket Club throughout 2013, rebuilding and virtualising their server infrastructure, and now making recommendations to stabilise the network.
George Ralph, Technical Director at MBA IT said “The Ashes is one of the most celebrated rivalries in sport, with the Kia Oval being amongst the best known and most prestigious grounds. With nearly 25,000 spectators each day to the grounds, the IT systems need to be in tiptop shape and capable of handling hugely inflated levels of traffic from the tills in the bars right the way through to the wireless and scoreboard systems.”
It’s not just the back end systems that are relying on the network, as in a unique move, Oval sponsor Kia is providing interactive photo booths where visitors can choose their own simulated backgrounds and send the images directly to their social media channels, like Facebook and Twitter from a touchscreen terminal outside the booth.
George Ralph believes that technology like this will put even more pressure on the network, “Visitors will be expecting seamless access to services from within the grounds, and for interactive technology like the booths to be effective, the network must be available and performing at an optimal level at all times. During our network audit we have looked at the switches, routers, VLANs, firewalls all the way down to what individuals ports are managing. We have made recommendations for hardware upgrades where necessary. Our consultants have also been analysing the firewalls, key IP addresses and subnets with proposals for improvements. We are aiming for a watertight, resilient and performance improved network infrastructure.”
The final Ashes Test will take place from August 21-25 with England seeking to win the iconic urn at the ground where it was created, for the third consecutive series.
About MBA IT
MBA IT is a leading provider of IT support and services in London and Manchester. Advising, supplying, installing and supporting solutions within a wide range of businesses, from SMB to Enterprise, across all commercial sectors, MBA IT is a well established and respected IT partner.
With a data centre and 24 hour helpdesk in Central London, and an office in Altrincham, MBA IT provides outsourced IT Support and IT services. Some customers let MBA IT manage a single element of their IT operation, whilst others opt for a fully outsourced IT department. Whatever the requirement, MBA IT can provide a tailored solution which meets the customers’ needs.