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As the world's greatest athletes sharpen their skates and skis in anticipation, technologists of Avaya (News - Alert), Official Supplier of Network Equipment to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, are teaming up with specialists to provide expert-level troubleshooting, analysis and issue resolution support, ensuring that the party of 3 billion never misses a puck drop or a luge run.

In less than 100 days, billions of viewers and 100,000 daily visitors are expected to watch the most technologically-sophisticated games in world history. No matter where they are in the world or their rooting interest, billions of devices, from Apple (News - Alert) iPhone 5s's to Dell laptops to Samsung TVs, will be turned on and looking for the latest scores, results and video from as far as a half a world away. For the 16-day party to be extended to the billions around the world, success is based on whether the TV and local devices can load the latest data and continue pushing video and rich interactive social media to the world!

Meeting the demands of device users everywhere, Avaya faced four formidable challenges:

• Design and provide a secure, robust, simplified network
• Ensure the network can cope with pervasive video, massive scale and huge traffic spikes
• Enable secure BYOD for athletes, media, the Olympic family, and IOC members
• Support and maintain the network throughout the Games' 16 days

Overcoming these challenges and deliverables require an enterprise-wide services organization that can support the implementation and operation of facilities that can handle never-before-seen communications traffic. In conjunction with Russian partners, company subject matter experts will provide on- and offsite support, linking the Games' International Broadcast Center, and NBC's Field Shop with Sochi sports venues, NBC Olympics headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut and NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York.

Collaborating with its Russian partners, the company has and continues to provide: 

• Detailed knowledge of solutions and equipment;
• Software associates who will manage large and complex provisioning, solution configuration, go-live support and user migrations; and
• Technicians who will ensure equipment installation conforms to documentation and guidelines.

While the network promises to offer a full and never-before-seen communications experience to athletes, dignitaries, sponsors and fans worldwide, it is may also deliver never-before-seen challenges for support specialists. The Sochi 2014 Winter Games will be the first where network access will be largely wireless rather than wired. Extensive indoor and outdoor WiFi (News - Alert) throughout both the Mountain and Coastal clusters will greet the majority of the networks users just as most arrive at the beginning of the Games.

While few guests will have been trained to use the network, it is simple to master. Some 170 technical specialists and other personnel associated with the Organizing Committee have undergone extensive training in implementation, configuration, administration and management, to ensure that the network works flawlessly though seen and unforeseen circumstances.

Many Avaya resources will work at the Games' technical operation center (TOC) to provide expert-level troubleshooting, analysis and issue resolution support, as well as assist with equipment and software deployed at the Games by all vendors, enabling the Organizing Committee to deploy its technical personnel for general networking support requirements.

Long before the first Olympian lands at the Sochi airport to start their quest for gold, Avaya specialists will be ready to provide the world's 3 billion party attendees with the best possible images, visuals, information and record-keeping. Support demands will surely be tested just as the skiers try to tackle the downhill. So many training hours in configuration, implementation, management, and troubleshooting, backed up by Avaya specialists, are all part of Avaya's participation in the Olympic Games and will ensure the best of all possible Games.

Will you be ready for your biggest service challenge in 2014? Do you have all of the necessary resources across the enterprise to solve that problem now?

Pat Patterson is Director of Services Marketing for Avaya, overseeing marketing strategy and execution for Avaya’s global portfolio of Support, Managed, and Outsourcing services. Pat has over 15 years experience in telecom, computer, and security industries spanning roles in marketing, channel development, product and service management. He has an MBA in Marketing and a Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina and BS in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University.