CCLD Networks, the Georgia World Congress Center’s (GWCC) telephone and Internet provider, overhauled the facility’s event network infrastructure, completed in time for Microsoft’s annual employee conference.
A year in the making, the network upgrade was completed in June. Microsoft was the first client to benefit from the upgrade during its Microsoft Global Exchange (MGX) in July.
“Because the customer is the focus of everything we do, their overall experience while visiting our facility is a top priority,” said Mark Zimmerman, general manager, GWCC. “These days connectivity is a major part of doing business. We want to ensure that everyone can stay connected while attending events here. This upgrade to our event network infrastructure will enhance the attendee experience.”
The upgraded network provided what MGX attendees required to remain connected during their sessions and meetings. At the peak, 840 megabits per second (Mbps) of bandwidth was pushed through the network with an average of 400Mbps throughout the three-day event. The upgrade included the installation of 10 gigabit (GB) single mode fiber from the GWCC’s data center to the main distribution points in Buildings A, B and C. All network electronics provide 1 GB Ethernet connections to the end-user and a 10 GB back haul for data traversing the network. Spare fiber was installed to increase the back haul speeds up to 40 Gbps.
GWCC can continue hosting large technology events into the future due to the upgrade. The venue can also ensure that its events have reliable connections for presentations, video, speaker networks, social media and more.
As the fourth largest convention center in the U.S., Georgia World Congress Center is also known for its sports and entertainment.
