Golf governing bodies The R&A and England Golf have appointed MAC Systems as their telecoms and network service provider with a remit to supply robust and flexible connectivity for the duration of a number of amateur events.
The ability to deliver uninterrupted connectivity for staff, scorers, media and broadcasters without impacting the host's own connectivity was an essential requirement in securing the contract. Also critical is the provider's ability to deliver multiple services regardless of location, length and size of the event. "It is vital for the technology services to be seamless and invisible to the actual events," said Audrey Denyer, Managing Director, MAC Systems. "Reliability is therefore a key requirement for The R&A and England Golf. If their services were to become disconnected in any way they would not be able to function."
During events The R&A and England Golf not only have central office premises but also secondary structures. For example, in the case of the Amateur Golf Championship held at Royal Portrush and Portstewart in June this year there was a requirement to deliver telecoms and connectivity between golf courses, multiple structures and the central office premise. "An area of concern was their ability to provide the right level of communication and service for the players, media, broadcasters and operational staff," added Denyer.
In the case of the Brabazon Trophy held at Seaton Carew the challenges were mostly down to the location of the course and the short duration of the event. "It was clear that at both events the organisers needed a flexible, robust communications solution while the continual challenge as with many organisations was to maintain a sensible budget," said Denyer.
Following a period of close consultation with various decision makers at The R&A and England Golf MAC Systems identified a number of cost-effective and flexible solutions to meet the particular challenges presented by each event. Working in partnership with Voiceflex, the solution for the Amateur Golf Championship 2014 deployed the Voiceflex Hosted VoIP Nebula IP product and Voiceflex data services. "The solution offered the ability to connect multiple structures across sites and provided flexibility in terms of reducing or adding extra users and applications as and when needed," stated Denyer.
The installation continues a close working relationship with Voiceflex as MAC Systems has deployed the Nebula solution at over 10 venues this year, and according to a spokesperson from R&A Amateur Events the partnership offers a win-win proposition. "MAC Systems understood our needs by proposing and providing relevant solutions," said the representative. "The combination of MAC Systems and the Nebula platform's flexible approach ensures reliable communications and connectivity regardless of the event's location and does not impact on the business of the host. It has made our communications simple and reliable, allowing us to get on with the business of running the event."
Denyer said: "Each year these two clients present us with unique challenges and it has a positive effect on the team to meet these demands."