At a glance
AEG, a world-renowned company headquartered in the U.S., operates and manages many entertainment complexes around the world. The Staples Center in Los Angeles is just one example of their enterprising and hugely successful ventures. The O2 is a new addition developed by AEG Europe.
The O2 arena, located on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, is the UK's newest and largest entertainment complex including Europe's largest digital cinema. NEC created a flexible, reliable and resilient infrastructure for voice, data and IT communications for The O2, enabling employees and visitors to access communications any time and anywhere. It also provided the venue with the capability to maintain a high degree of security and to monitor their staff by introducing RFID cards.
NEC successfully responded to all the challenges and needs of AEG Europe creating the number one international entertainment venue under one roof.
Installation background and issues
- The challenge facing AEG Europe was to establish a speedy, flexible, unified and reliable communications system throughout the venue. It needed an infrastructure that would support a variety of communications needs, and it had to be able to support communication between the 2,500 employees and the enormous amount of visitors at any location in the venue. Wireless internet connection throughout the venue was mandatory. Staff monitoring is another major challenge in a venue as large as The O2, as is time and attendance management system. The former was critical from security standpoint and the latter is important because it updates management staff information on the number of employees and the skills profile on site for different events. In the cinema complex, the best quality digital projections, and the best viewing experiences were required. Powerful and scalable servers would be required to support the entire infrastructure.
Installation results
- NEC provided a fully-converged IP communications solution with a single-integrated network infrastructure for all voice, data and IT communications. The company provided 573 units of VoIP key telephone throughout the venue and created 400 wireless access points, enabling users to always be connected at any location in the venue. It not only supports communication between employees, it serves as a communication network system for a large number of visitors.
- NEC also provided a unique and sophisticated time and attendance management system based on RFID cards. This system enables management to obtain up-to-date information on the number of employees. It also provides them with an employee skills profile which is available on-site for different events, ensuring the right people in place for every event.
- Additionally, the NEC Experience, a demonstration facility, has been added to help raise brand awareness of the solutions NEC has provided at The O2.
NEC proposal
- NEC provided servers, PCs, VoIP telephones, and an RFID card system in order to accomplish the best IP infrastructure – providing AEG Europe with the most technically-advanced communications solution.
- The O2 introduced the latest NEC digital projectors and a 22-meter NEC screen, the largest in Europe, creating the first custom-built digital cinema complex in Europe.
Introduction of products and solutions
Detail
(Sep 7, 2009)
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