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Cutting-edge technology and interactive content are powerful features
[June 28, 2011]

Cutting-edge technology and interactive content are powerful features


Jun 05, 2011 (The Kansas City Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Livestrong Sporting Park is the latest in a long line of American stadiums that promise to be state of the art.

But to Sporting Kansas City, state of the art means more than just the 146 miles of 10-gigabyte fiber optic cables that serve as the tech backbone of the stadium. It's more than the 300 or so Panasonic high-definition TVs, the two high-definition scoreboards and the high-def video boards that circle the field.



It also means more than the 16-megapixel security cameras that can zoom in so close they probably should take you on a date first, the high-speed ExacTap beer taps that can pour a pint in 4 seconds and drain a keg in 15 minutes, the touch-screen smart board in the locker room, the high-density lighting system that won't cast a shadow on the field or the iPads that will control the viewing experience in the 37 suites.

While all of those are components of the team's shock and ahhh campaign for the first month of the season, the ownership group believes the phrase "state of the art" is more about creating a new fan experience using the technology available and building the capacity to expand those experiences in the future.


"The stadium is going to give us a ton of different opportunities to position Sporting Kansas City and just Kansas City broadly as a leader around sports technology and technology for soccer in general. We're excited about the platform this creates for us long term," Sporting Kansas City president Robb Heineman said.

Asim Pasha, Sporting Kansas City's chief information officer and chief architect, said the goal is to "shift the way fans interact" with the game, giving the fans "the ability to connect and engage" with the team, those around them and the game on the field.

While there is a fair amount of technology that goes into bringing you the improved interactions, the most important could be whatever device (smartphone, tablet, whatever comes next) you bring to the stadium with you.

The first phase of the team's plan is the Sporting Explore app that will be available free on to all Android and iPhone users. It's part Foursquare (you can check in at the stadium, at your section or even at your seat with a scanable QR code), part trivia game (a running trivia contest involving pre-loaded questions and dynamic questions based on the action on the field) and part airline miles (fans can earn "membership" points based on check-ins and correct answers, then use those points for prizes and opportunities).

The app, designed by the club and Kansas City mobile technology company Moblico, will be available for download before Thursday. There shouldn't be many connectivity issues inside of the stadium -- there are more than 150 WiFi access points and an on-site cellular network with AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and Clearwire antennas.

And that app is really only the beginning.

According to Pasha, the team has designs on a series of micro-function apps that would allow you to watch video highlights from your seat, share pictures of your experience at the game and order merchandise or food directly from your seat. All will be part of a larger membership platform that will allow fans to share pictures, video and experiences.

Many of those could roll out as soon as later this summer.

The possibilities for expansion are also heightened further by the impending arrival of Google Fiber. Because of a non-disclosure agreement, the team can't reveal what it plans to do with Google's ultra-high-speed internet. But the stadium will be the first in the country with access to it.

To see more of The Kansas City Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kansascity.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

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