How Switches are Used by Golden State Warriors, Bell Centre, Carilion Clinic, Combell, and Pavlov Media : Case Studies

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High-performance switches are critical for large enterprises, cloud providers, and data centers that need to manage the flow of data across a variety of networked devices.

Quality switching hardware supports complex infrastructures that require stable, reliable, and secure management of network-wide traffic. As environments scale, attention should be given to the networking hardware components needed to support that growth.

Take a look at the following case studies that illustrate how different organizations are taking advantage of switch solutions:

1. Carilion Clinic

Carilion Clinic is a non-profit medical system serving the residents of southwest Virginia. With eight hospitals and over 100 ambulatory clinics, Carilion Clinic was facing challenges that included reliably delivering voice services, electronic medical records, and imaging applications. As it became clear that existing antiquated network hardware wasn’t able to keep up with increasing traffic load, Carilion Clinic turned to Cisco.

With Cisco Nexus switches in the data center, supported by Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series switches, Carilion Clinic immediately saw a dramatic improvement in network performance, desktop connectivity, and user experiences.

“Because response time is 10 times faster, users immediately notice the difference when they access applications over the network; the larger the file, the more dramatic the impact. It’s great to get the kind of positive feedback we’re hearing from the physicians,” said Michael Smith, director of network services at Carilion Clinic.

Industry: Healthcare

Switch Solutions: Cisco Nexus and Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series switches

Outcomes:

  • Better application performance
  • Ability to prioritize available bandwidth and assign traffic priority
  • Intelligent switching capabilities serve current and future needs
  • Improved network uptime to support busy staff working 24 hours a day

2. Combell

As part of team.blue, Combell hosts one-third of the websites in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. With plans for expansion across Europe, Combell needed the ability to quickly and affordably scale their network infrastructure without compromising performance and reliability.

To create a dense, highly scalable core network, Combell engaged Juniper and their lines of Ethernet switches. With these switches working in tandem with other Juniper solutions for routing, automation, and management, Combell can quickly perform service provisioning and scale virtual machines, storage, and bandwidth as needed.

“We want to provide the fastest and most reliable performance available,” said Arne Van Theemsche, network and Linux system engineer at Combell. “The Juniper network is the glue in our whole story.”

Industry: Web services

Switch Solutions: Juniper QFX10000, QFX5000, and EX4600 Switches

Outcomes:

  • Able to provide reliable web hosting for large and small business clients
  • Scaled infrastructure to meet growth
  • Automated 80% of infrastructure provisioning
  • Deliver services quickly and at a lower cost

3. Pavlov Media

Since their start in 1992 out of a University of Illinois dorm room, Pavlov Media has grown to be the nation’s largest provider of internet and video services to off-campus student housing. Being responsible for a 24/7 call center that monitors and manages all troubleshooting, Pavlov Media is always concerned about call volume.

Keeping track over every single device on their networks while handling any incidents that arise drove Pavlov Media to choose D-Link managed switches. In addition to offering full command-line interface (CLI) configuration control, 10 gigabit uplink capability, and 1 gigabit to the desk, D-Link Ethernet equipment promised to meet Pavlov Media’s requirement to last a minimum of 10 years.

“Not only does D-Link have an excellent technical team, it has a great pricing-to-value ratio, and their products are highly reliable,” said Mark Scifres, CEO at Pavlov Media.

Industry: IT communications

Switch Solution: D-Link DGS-1510 Series and Gigabit Stackable Smart Managed Switch

Outcomes:

  • Reduced call volume by 5% while the number of supported beds has increased by 30%
  • Fewer network complaints and fewer misconfigurations
  • Estimated 10% reduction in call length
  • Reduced configuration time from 45 minutes per device down to two minutes per device
  • Device configurations are backed up multiple times each day, making it easy to look for changes that affect performance

4. Golden State Warriors

Moving from their previous home in Oakland to the Chase Center in San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors wanted to take the opportunity to create unparalleled fan experiences.

With the help of Aruba switches, the Golden State Warriors have the connection speeds required to securely collect and analyze data from over 7,500 connected devices to deliver personalized guest experiences like navigating the arena, food ordering, and special offer notifications.

“Aruba networking [has] given the Golden State Warriors an IT infrastructure that is fast, flexible, and responsive, with plenty of room for future expansion,” said Mikhail Zubovich, system administrator for the Golden State Warriors and Chase Center.

The Chase Center services 1,111 television screens, 36 eateries, and 18,000 seats as well as countless point-of-sale terminals across an 11-acre campus.

Industry: Sports and entertainment

Switch Solutions: Aruba CX 8400 and Aruba 3810 Series switches

Outcomes:

  • Created the ultimate fan experience, giving them choice and control
  • Delivers actionable insights to enhance fan experiences and support revenue streams
  • Offers a contactless, safe, and convenient stadium experience

5. Bell Centre

Operating as the largest hockey arena in North America, and the third-busiest event center in the world, the Bell Centre in Montreal needs to rely on the latest resilient, high-performance network technology. For over a decade, the Bell Centre has engaged Extreme Networks to support their digital strategy; when it came time to upgrade the network, they continued the relationship.

One of the largest requirements when upgrading was the establishment of a completely open wireless network capable of serving connectivity to thousands of smart phones at a single event. The Bell Centre has confidence in the network switching delivered using Extreme Networks solutions to handle the network demands generated by services like ticketless entry, in-seat meal ordering, and point-of-sale systems.

“We run on one strong, flexible network for all the digital assets we have at the Bell Centre,” said Pierre-Eric Belzile, VP of information and communication technology for the Canadiens Hockey Club at the Bell Centre. “Regardless of the operation, Extreme Networks can handle it. I don’t see any limitations.”

Industry: Sports and entertainment

Switch Solution: Extreme Networks VSP 7000, VSP 9000, and ERS 4000 ExtremeSwitching Series switches

Outcomes:

  • Now able to support online fan engagement with increased social media sharing and exposure
  • Configuration for each day’s events is completed quickly
  • One IT professional can handle all network configurations
  • Digital advertising revenue opportunities have increased
Jillian Koskie
Jillian Koskie
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, writer, business analyst, and usability design expert. With over 24 years in these roles, she has enjoyed applying her considerable skill set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors, including legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Koskie is pleased to act as a trusted advisor, contribute articles, voice opinions, and offer advice to numerous organizations, news outlets, websites, and publications.

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