Startup Zeetta Networks has won a contract worth £1.8m to build a large-scale demonstrator of its Software Defined Networking (SDN) technology at the Ashton Gate sports stadium in Bristol.
“Sports stadia across the globe struggle with connectivity and real-time evaluation of data”
The contract from InnovateUK follows trials at the stadium last year and will see the NetOS software deployed throughout the stadium. The project has broader implications as NetOS can be applied to shopping centres, hospitals, airports and other venues with complex operating networks.
The project will connect tens of thousands of devices including mobile phones, cash tills, turnstiles, display screens, air conditioning and heating as well as sensors and building management systems, all with software that is easy to set up, monitor and reconfigure in real time. Zeetta, a smart city spin-off from the University of Bristol, will also develop a programmable platform for new services by extracting data analytics from the network for new software apps.
“Stadia and other large venues, across the UK and beyond, are challenged by their consumer need for more data and faster response time particularly as they scale up their activities into new business areas,” said Vassilis Seferidis, CEO of Zeetta Networks. “This first-of-a-kind deployment forms a key part of our business plan by demonstrating our technological capabilities and the resulting commercial benefits for our customers.”
The move is not just about sport. Although Ashton Gate hosts both Bristol City football club and Bristol Rugby, it is also a major conference and events venues. Zeetta will build new business applications on top of the NetOS platform for the wide range of events at Ashton Gate alongside third-party providers.
“We’ve been working with Zeetta Networks for the last 12 months and it is exciting to see the potential uses of this system unfold,” said Martin Griffiths, chairman of Ashton Gate. “Sports stadia across the globe struggle with connectivity and real-time evaluation of data. I believe we are just scratching the surface of what this NetOS platform can deliver and look forward to seeing its implementation over the coming year. Using Ashton Gate Stadium as a live test lab I’m confident that we will be able to drive greater fan engagement along with significant returns to our businesses.”
