Modern, Upgraded Network Ensures Facility Has Bandwidth To Accommodate 200+ Events Annually
In just 30 days, Everstream, the Business-Only Fiber Network, stepped up and delivered on a critical project for the Cleveland Cavaliers — establishing the foundation for a successful partnership between the two organizations and setting a precedent rooted in follow-through, flexibility and trust.
The Cavaliers first partnered with Everstream mere months after the franchise’s comeback sweep to win its first NBA Championship. Behind the scenes, team personnel scrambled to prepare for the Cavaliers’ media day.
This annual event would be anything but routine, though. Media outlets from across the globe would compete for access to the 2016 NBA Champions as well as bandwidth to share those stories with the world — and the Cavaliers’ network connection was down.
“Everstream was able to bail us out, and we continue going back to Everstream because we trust that they will get the job done,” said Michael Conley, Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Cleveland Cavaliers.
The partnership between Everstream and the Cleveland Cavaliers has deepened in recent years. The Cavaliers sought to modernize their network and transform the digital infrastructure of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse while construction crews were busy overhauling the facility’s physical layout and façade.
Known as the Transformation of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, this major renovation project was intended to maintain the venue’s elite status. Successfully implementing the digital component was vital to ensure Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has the bandwidth and scale to accommodate myriad technological needs.
| SERVICES PROVIDED | CHALLENGES | OUTCOMES |
| Wide Area Network | Reliability | Expert Design |
| Dedicated Internet Access | Complex Details | Diverse Connections |
| Dark Fiber | Growing Bandwidth Needs | High Capacity |
FOLLOW-THROUGH
The technology needs and breadth of complex services required to run the Cleveland Cavaliers reaches far beyond updating the scoreboard. A strong, well-designed and reliable network is critical to daily operations, fan experience and brand reputation, among others.
Today, Everstream’s 100 Gbps-enabled Business-Only Fiber Network serves as a backbone for six facilities used by the Cavaliers organization and its fans.
- Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
- Gateway East Garage, the parking deck attached to the FieldHouse
- Cleveland Clinic Courts, the Cavaliers’ practice facility
- Esports Center, a state-of-the-art practice facility for the Cavs Legion Gaming Club
- Canton Memorial Civic Center, the home arena for the Canton Charge of the NBA G League
- A data center
Everstream focuses on delivering best-in-class network solutions while providing an unrivaled commitment to customer service.
“From a reliability standpoint, our job is to provide uptime, and having partners like Everstream that align with that goal adds peace of mind,” Conley said.
Across the organization, Everstream team members are encouraged to respond quickly to customer needs and live according to the company’s “do what you say you will do” culture.
“When I call Everstream, I feel like I’m calling a friend and saying, ‘Hey, I need help,’” said Robert Hageman, Director of Network Operations.
With each new location, service or circuit request, Everstream works side-by-side with the Cavs to ensure the optimal solution and network route are deployed. This in turn allows the Cavaliers staff to maximize their network assets from one event to the next.
“You can see Everstream’s culture in action because team members seem very empowered to take control and do what they need to do — and that’s what we needed,” Hageman added.
TRUST
Through the Transformation of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Conley and his team knew they wanted to upgrade and modernize the facility’s environment to offer the best experience possible to guests attending more than 200 events annually.
While the building is stationary, the events hosted at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse are diverse in terms of their needs, clients and fans. Each relies on Everstream’s high-speed, low-latency fiber network to deliver. The facility’s bandwidth must be ready to scale to accommodate various stakeholders all at once and in real-time without missing a beat.
“The circuit that we have is what every event uses when they walk in the door. We put a high level of trust in that circuit, and it has to work,” Hageman said.
Everstream provides the Cavaliers with a 10 Gbps network-to-network interface (NNI) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and a 10 Gbps burstable connection for the facility’s guest Wi-Fi, along with the MPLS network.
“Now that we have a strong foundation, it allows us to meet the dynamic needs of any game, act or event that comes through Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — more so than we’ve ever been able to do in the history of the building, which is really exciting,” Conley added.
FLEXIBILITY
Everstream prides itself on disrupting the big telecom status quo. Our entrepreneurial spirit allows us to remain flexible in our approach as we work to meet our customers’ unique business needs.
“Frankly, we need a partner like Everstream that is flexible and can deliver,” said Conley. “Time and again, that flexibility has included listening to our needs, understanding our challenges and addressing them through the means of a true business partnership.”
Cavaliers’ executives and staff relocated to temporary offices during the two-year Transformation of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, but still needed access to their network. Everstream delivered a dark fiber solution between the FieldHouse and their new location. This solution allowed staff members to utilize the network’s main core seamlessly and take advantage of the reliability of that connection.
As the Cavaliers’ staff settles into Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse post-Transformation, Conley and his team members are eager to use the breadth of technology now available to them to showcase the best of what the facility has to offer.
“We’ve become more sophisticated with our new network. We have a versatile pipe and we are able to provision bandwidth to different areas of the building in anticipation of the ever-changing needs of an event,” Conley explained.
The ultimate driver, though, is fan experience. From the moment the doors open for any event — long before guests ever get to their seats, fan experience hinges on bandwidth availability and uptime.
For the Cavaliers, bandwidth demands start in Gateway East Garage as visitors access parking passes and tickets from their mobile phones. By having a dedicated Wi-Fi network in the garage, the hand-held devices that employees use to admit guests operate more efficiently — improving both employee and user experience.
Next is the flow of foot traffic inside the facility as guests visit retail and concession areas pre-show or during intermissions. Once an event starts, guests head to their seats and demands for social media access increase.
“Everybody has customers; our customers are fans,” Conley said. “We have 20,000 social media handles coming through our building. The demand for us to meet the needs of the fans continues to increase, and we need to put on a good experience.”