Anixter Technical Services Group Recommends Technology and Products for Racetrack, Hotel and Data Center Construction in the Middle East
By Anixter*
The owner of a facility where a famous thoroughbred horse race is organized in the Middle East wanted to build an imposing stage for his annual event. Stage operators increased the prize money from $4 million to $10 million, seeking to attract more attention and more spectators to the race, while also highlighting the state-of-the-art facilities.
This racing space, with capacity for 60 thousand people and designed to be open all year round, also included exclusive restaurants, a museum, an IMAX theater, a racing club and a shed with a marina that connects with a nearby port, thanks to which visitors will be able to reach directly from the sea to the facilities.
Because it was such a modern facility, everything in the buildings had to be fully enabled with IP technology, including IP video surveillance and access control and audio and video solutions. A multimedia system tracks the horses during the race and transmits the information to the monitors around the facility.
To connect everything, two data centers were located that manage the network, operations, energy, building management, and audio and video networks. The owner's goal was to design and deliver a fully integrated voice, data, and video solution for the facility that had an interoperable design and open architecture.
The customer wanted the entire network to operate with a 40 GbE backbone that would have the possibility to upgrade to 100 GbE, when this technology became available. It was planned that the 10 GbE trunk would be used for the operation of the video surveillance, access control and workstation ports, as well as other devices enabled for the IP protocol.
Having worked with Anixter on a previous project, the chief information officer of the new racing scenario wanted the company to be involved in the selection of technologies and products to be used in the new construction. The executive wanted the best product solutions available on the market, in addition to a fully interoperable network.
The Anixter solution
Anixter and the stage designer discussed the technical and installation challenges posed by the project and divided them into different segments. The first segment addressed was networked cabling infrastructure and the applications and systems that would be supported. Anixter evaluated potential technologies and limited the selection to a few manufacturers. Anixter also performed the same process for video surveillance and access control systems.
To give everyone a better idea of what IP functions can bring to a sports arena, Anixter brought about 15 representatives of the new scenario with the integrators' management team, at Wembley (UK), to talk about the challenges and obstacles involved in implementing an IP solution. For six weeks, the customer and Anixter evaluated different product options that could meet their technology needs.
The initial phase of the project involved the installation of structured cabling. At this point, Anixter collaborated with a manufacturer of active network components to ensure an adequate switching architecture. Throughout this process, Anixter took care of power, cooling, and data center design requirements.
To help the client understand the different technologies that were part of the project, Anixter organized the Data Center College™ course, which allowed key customer personnel to get on top of the technology. Technical experts from Anixter's RCDD (Registered Communications Distribution Designers) Technology Solutions Group (TSG) were responsible for the presentation of the Data Center College program, as well as all technical material. This aspect added a dimension of independence that the client appreciated.
As Anixter had a greater stake in the project, the owner decided to incorporate more features into the sports arena. These functions include a graphical display with data from the horses during the race, transmitted to portable devices or screens distributed around the race track.
A fiber optic network was designed to run along the race track and connect to the control boxes that take the input and output fiber and convert it into an unbalanced signal that extends to a coaxial cable and antenna every 35 meters (115 feet). An RFID (radio frequency identification) chip located on the horse is transmitted to this antenna to transmit the location on the graphic display. Anixter spent additional time providing the technical specifications for the tracking systems, as well as the necessary cabinets and infrastructure.
For this project it was essential to promote sustainable building practices to obtain points from the Green Building Council of the United Arab Emirates. During the project installation, Anixter implemented the reverse logistics method to recover the waste and scrap produced at the project site and send it to a recycling center. After the products were recycled, Anixter quantified the amount of separate material and sent this information to the project contractor to accumulate credits to obtain points for green building.
Project results
From the client's perspective, it was invaluable to have a single point of contact throughout the entire project execution. Anixter spoke with all project participants—end users, architects, and integrators—about how to reduce overall implementation costs by minimizing processing costs, providing one-time purchase orders, managing transportation costs, and having on-time deliveries.
Likewise, Anixter coordinated the delivery of shipments only at the time they were needed, in order to help avoid storage in the facilities and enhance productivity. Anixter's global partnerships with the various manufacturers made it possible to obtain fair prices for the customer.
Anixter's technical expertise allowed him to make fundamental contributions to the overall design of the network architecture. The client also received educational counseling, which included the Data Center College program. By educating the customer on the various technologies and best practices, Anixter not only provided product recommendations, but also a foundation for the customer to be able to make informed decisions.
As a global company, Anixter also brought financial stability to the project. By maintaining relationships with local installers, Anixter was able to handle tight schedules and requirements.
With the local distribution center, the customer and integrator were able to visit the facility and take a look at the inventories and give the go-ahead to the products before they were delivered to the construction site. This kind of global reach and local support was instrumental in ensuring the right products reached the construction site.
The track was completed in time for their World Cup event. Physical security solutions helped ensure that everyone could enter and leave the sports arena safely. With a record attendance of 85 thousand people the stage provided total security to enjoy the hospitality of the event.
Technical expertise
Anixter's global network of highly qualified security specialists, from the Technology Solutions Group, is supported by more than 1,900 distributors worldwide. All of them are ready to help you make informed decisions about the product offerings available in today's changing market for security solutions. Anixter works to meet your needs and requirements, allowing you to concentrate on your business activities.
Anixter has a wide variety of resources dedicated to keeping its customers up to date on the latest products, standard applications and new technologies:
- Anixter Infrastructure Solutions LabSM with verification testing from start to finish of the project and performance reports
- Compatibility testing to confirm product interoperability
- Technical knowledge of complete systems for surveillance and access control
- Deep knowledge of information technology and telecommunications standards
- Technical support with regional security managers and local networking and security experts
- Training and educational opportunities through Anixter UniversitySM
- Chairman of the Technical Committee of ONVIF (Open Forum of Network Video Interfaces), a position that allows him to be up to date on the latest developments and make contributions to the ONVIF specifications
SUMMARY
Customer
A Middle Eastern racing authority
Challenge
Establish networks and security requirements for race scenario, hotel and data center.
Solution
Technical Services Group (TSG)
Anixter UniversitySM
Results
- Network infrastructure adaptable to future developments and open architecture.
- Physical security solution completely based on Internet Protocol (IP).
- Financial stability to execute the project on time.
- Sustainable building practices to obtain ecological credits.
Anixter's technical expertise was a fundamental contribution to the overall design of the network architecture. The client also participated in different types of information orientation, including Anixter's Data Center CollegeSM program. By providing comprehensive information on the various technologies and best practices, Anixter not only provided the customer with product recommendations, but also laid the foundation for them to make informed decisions.
