State Farm Arena, home to the Atlanta Hawks, is taking a new IoT management solution from Verizon Business to help organise, scale, and optimise its IoT infrastructure. The US basketball team is described as the “marquee launch partner” for the solution, branded Verizon Sensor Insights; other unnamed customers in food refrigeration and insurance are also on board, it said. Verizon Business was recruited as the team’s ‘wireless and technology’ partner ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The solution includes approved/certified sensors and gateways, plus cellular connectivity and a central management portal. It uses Verizon’s ThingSpace IoT platform. It has been installed in the technical equipment hub at State Farm Arena to monitor and manage the temperature and condition of sensitive technical equipment and to better track waste disposal and resource efficiency, and to generally enhance stadium operations.
It stated: “The Atlanta Hawks are already gaining actionable insights into the technology equipment health and IDF room environment to better predict maintenance needs and create a smarter and more efficient arena, with plans to expand into new use cases in the coming months.” The new Sensor Insights offer is pitched to businesses of any size, the carrier said – “including small and medium businesses” (SMEs). It covers management of non-cellular IoT fleets, as well.
A statement said: “Sensor Insights allows customers to activate, onboard, and manage sensors and gateways, and manage cellular and IoT connections across multiple IoT protocols including LoRaWAN [and] BLE – all from an easy-to-use central web portal. Users gain near real-time alerts and trend analysis for optimized operational decision-making.” It will cover Wi-Fi connected sensors, as well, presumably – and likely devices on any other network technology, also.
Verizon Business’ deal with the Atlanta Hawks last year was a renewal of an existing arrangement, also; it preceded some 4G/5G radio densification in the arena – with a “focus on providing 5G using premium mmWave spectrum to the entire bowl and select VIP lounges and suites”. Otherwise, Verizon Business has also installed accelerated access lanes (“Delta Fly-Through Lanes”) at various gates at the arena, as well as cashierless checkouts at the team store.
The access lanes, in operation since October (2024) are intended to streamline ticketing and entry. They use facial authentication technology from US firm Wicket. They have speeded-up the ticket scanning process for members, it said, so average ticket redemption times are now six seconds. So far, 2,000 fans have enrolled, and 10,000 tickets have been scanned; repeat usage is 72 percent among members, it said.
The checkouts use “5G edge technology” and (“AI-powered”) computer vision technology so fans can purchase food and beverages without waiting in lines. Verizon Business explained: “Customers simply enter the store, select their items, and exit – with purchases automatically processed through their mobile payment method.” The retail solution was developed with spatial intelligence and autonomous retail solutions provider AiFi”, it said.
Kim Rometo, chief technology and innovations officer at the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena, said: “State Farm Arena is constantly looking for ways to push the boundaries of innovation and improve the experience for our fans and staff. By implementing Verizon Sensor Insights, multiple stakeholders can proactively monitor and manage critical operational aspects, ensuring a more seamless and efficient experience for everyone.”
Scott Lawrence, chief product officer at Verizon Business, said: “We are thrilled to have the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena as an early adopter of Verizon Sensor Insights. This deployment is a great example of how high-performing organizations use IoT and other connected technology to improve efficiency and enhance business operations.”
