Integrated voice services, data and video from the high seas in the Barcelona World Race

Thanks to Cisco switching technology, It is possible to receive on land, Edit and produce multimedia information in record time (Photos, Videos and video conferences) from the fourteen ships manned by 28 skippers who are touring 25.000 nautical miles (46.300 Km.) from Barcelona to return to the same port passing through Tres Cabos (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Ovens) and Cook Strait.

Cisco has supplied the communications technology needed to support Barcelona World Race (BWR), The only sailing regatta around the world with two crew members per boat. The Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB), Entity in charge of organizing the competition, has selected Cisco as the provider of communications infrastructure and technology for the data center during the nearly three months of the race, that started the past 31 December 2010 and will culminate at the end of March 2011. The data center is of vital importance to FNOB, since it constitutes the neuralgic point where all the positions of the boats are received, the images, videos as well as emergency calls. The data center connects all the rescue centers in the world and can access the information of the ships immediately. Roman Welsch, Director of Technology of the FNOB and Barcelona World Race. has recognized that "having a technology provider of the stature of Cisco guarantees secure communications 24×7. Its proven technology and experience are essential for both the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona and the sponsors of the BWR, because without such technology it would be impossible to track the competition". All the technology used in the communications infrastructure is redundant to ensure at all times the availability of communication between ships and the organization, since in addition to linking communications, audio and video, The network is always ready for any distress call made from ships, as well as its processing to the nearest maritime rescue center. Infrastructure Cisco provides continuous technology support to the entire network through a redundant high-availability platform based on two Cisco Catalyst Series switches 4500 and a Unified Communications solution that provides the organization and participants with integrated voice services, Data & Video. Data Center Infrastructure Includes Cisco Family Switches 2960 and Cisco 3750 and two MCS multi-layer devices 9000 (Fiber switches for data arrays). "Thanks to Cisco switching technology, We are able to receive, Edit and produce in record time the multimedia information that arrives from the ships (Photos, Videos and video conferences) and thus send them to our website, to the tracking game and all the media that follow up", Welsch continues. During the months of the regatta, Cisco also provides free access to the public WiFi network (based on Cisco Family Wireless LAN Controllers 4400) throughout the port of Barcelona. By using a centralized infrastructure, Access points work in coordination facilitating wireless access and management functions, providing access to different mobile devices and providing them with advanced security and location technology. The Barcelona World Race, organized by the Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB), It lasts approximately three months, from the 31 December 2010 until the end of this month of March, The expected time to navigate the orthodromic, The shortest route on the Earth's surface. A total of fourteen ships manned by 28 skippers are touring 25.000 nautical miles (46.300 Km.) from Barcelona to return to the same port passing through Tres Cabos (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Ovens) and Cook Strait. The regatta can be followed in detail through this portal that offers all the news, Audio, videos and photographs and from where you can consult the classifications with speed data, evolution, Course and weather conditions updated four times a day. Evolution can also be followed by a Graphical interface Integrated into a world map , as well as through a 3D online game where you can compete in real time with participants. The first edition of Barcelona World Race was held in 2007/08, and the third edition is scheduled for 2014. It is a non-stop regatta in which external aid is allowed although subject to rules (Penalties).  

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