July 2011 Cisco View
Cisco View: Cisco at the heart of London 2012
Neil Crockett, MD Cisco London 2012, looks at how the role played by network infrastructure technology in the planning and staging of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is vital to its success and beyond.
I can already imagine the scene on the evening of the 5th August. Millions of people around the world will be watching the men's 100 metre final, and as the winner crosses the finish line one thing is for certain we will want to share the stories, pictures and images that capture that magic moment in London, and a world class network infrastructure is a vital part of making that happen.
It's not just about enabling the ability to communicate the games related information in an accurate, fast and consolidated fashion at multiple venues. All of the Games operations depend on the robust and reliable network infrastructure in order to stage each event.
It's also about more than providing network infrastructure support for the commercial broadcasters. We are now living in the age of personal and social broadcast, with millions of us generating content to capture and share experiences wherever and whenever we are. Indicatively, by 2015 it is estimated that 70% of all internet traffic will be video. In order to keep pace with such evolution, Cisco will supply the latest generation of network infrastructure that underpins the LOCOG network for the Games.
The London 2012 Games need to be the most connected Games possible and Cisco, in partnership with other LOCOG technology partners, is part of making this happen. This is highlighted by a number of firsts: The introduction of a fully converged WAN and Admin network where data, voice and video are routed over the same secure wired and wireless network instead of needing separate ones, and higher performance Ethernet for the entire transmission facility instead of traditional wide area network.
This is what Cisco means by a Borderless Network architecture. Its vast network infrastructure capacity will connect nearly 100 locations, including 36 competition venues, 20 further venues such as the Olympic Village and operations centre, and approximately 50 other spectator and athlete sites including transport hubs, training grounds and ticketing booths.
There's a lot to do! And perhaps the biggest challenge for the Cisco team and LOCOG lies in one fixed date - 27 July 2012. On this day the London 2012 Olympic Games will officially begin, and, under the scrutiny of the World, every aspect must be perfect. The Olympic and Paralympic Games together are an event that brings the whole world together. LOCOG, with its partners, is determined to make London 2012 the Greatest Show on Earth.
With a network infrastructure of this size and importance, right at the heart of the Games, one of the biggest considerations is network security. The network has to be secure and highly resilient, especially because Cisco has provided LOCOG with remote access infrastructure equipment, enabling all employees to work away from the office. Cisco is therefore centrally involved in checking all aspects of the LOCOG network infrastructure thoroughly at a number of test events running between now and next year. But it's not just about technology. Outside of its London 2012 obligations, Cisco is also implementing a World Class Plus support model, ensuring all of our customers are not affected in any way with the anticipated jump in data traffic in 2012.
Cisco will also be supporting the legacy of London 2012 after the Games, helping to build a brilliant future for technological innovation in the UK after the Games. The British Innovation Gateway (BIG) is Cisco's five year programme of investment to discover and develop a generation of innovative hi-tech companies to create new economic growth in the UK. BIG will include two new Tech Innovation Centres in East London, connected with other leading innovation centres to allow collaborative working. In addition, Cisco's annual BIG iPrize will unearth the next generation of hi-tech innovators in the UK.
