Is this the stadium of the future?

BASEBALL is a game tied closely to heritage and tradition, the markers of a glorious past. But in California, the Oakland Athletics and Cisco Systems are working on the stadium of the future. Michael Moynihan reports.

THERE WAS a time when watching baseball wasn’t exactly geared towards spectator comfort. Fans turned up and perched in uncomfortable, exposed seats that were whitened by the sun and eventually called bleachers.

Needless to say, it’s a different ball game now. In California, the Oakland Athletics have always been a competitive side in the major leagues but have never been very popular. To maximise attendance they’re planning a move 20 miles south to Fremont, on the fringes of Silicon Valley.

Assuming the deal goes forward, it could take three to five years before the first pitch game is played. It won’t be cheap, either; the ballpark is estimated to cost from $400 million (€311 million) to $500m (€389m), not including land costs. Its seating capacity will be baseball’s smallest, at 30,000 to 34,000 (and would have a mere 9,000 parking spaces).

However, what’s interesting is the A’s decision to involve Cisco Systems in the relocation, and if the reality matches the plans, then the stadium will truly be the last word in spectator facilities. As Lew Wolff, co-owner of the A’s says: “From the time our fans park their car to when they exit the ballpark, technology will play a major role in how we deliver the best possible experience to our fans.”

The blueprints back up Wolff’s claims. Good sightlines and luxury suites come as standard in all stadia now, but ordinary fans going to Cisco Field will have an above-average experience: spectators will swipe electronic tickets stored on mobile phones, and even those in average-price seats will be able to view instant replays at those seats with laptop computers. Digital advertising displays will be able to switch images based on the buying habits of the people walking by — through data embedded in their mobiles.

Last month Cisco chief executive John Chambers gave a stunning presentation which demonstrated exactly how Cisco technology and intelligent networks would enable fans at the proposed stadium to buy and upgrade tickets through smart mobile phones, access real-time scorecards at their seats and buy pictures of themselves from crowd cameras and pay to show them on the Jumbotron (a large video screen) in the stadium.

Wireless access is an increasingly common feature everywhere — in hotels and bars, for instance — and you don’t have to look much further than the other end of the train line leading out of Fremont to find an example of how it’s used in a sports venue. The San Francisco Giants baseball team have offered WiFi access for fans throughout their stadium, AT&T Park, for the past three seasons. Fans can use the wireless network there to access the internet and what the team calls a “Digital Dugout” which offers video highlights, real-time stats from MLB.com, interactive games and team and ballpark information.

However, the proposed Cisco Field would be a big step forward. Cisco wants to enable applications which will let fans buy electronic tickets on their mobiles and access game-day video on their handsets if they arrive late. Kiosks at the stadium will use wireless personal area networks, or PANs, to identify ticket holders and sell them upgrades. Those PANs will trigger digital signs to display ads tailored to the preferences of fans who pass near them.

Video is another major focus. Fans will be able to watch and save instant replay footage delivered by wireless to their handheld computers, while restaurants and other retailers in the Cisco Field complex could sell access to game video via IP phones, some of it potentially delivered on Cisco’s wall-sized Telepresence video conferencing gear. Stadium employees will use other handheld communicators that use radio-frequency identity (RFID) technology to locate and talk to each other.

In all, 80 different technology applications are planned for the venue.

Just what sorts of PANs and location-based networks the services will support is yet to be defined; wi-fi, Bluetooth, near-field-communications, ultrawideband and other methods all compete to carry these applications.

Similarly, it’s not clear at this early stage who will actually own the services and customer interactions — mobile phone service providers, the baseball authority or retailers providing the various systems and services.

Still, those are details that are sure to be resolved. Cisco’s enthusiasm for the proposal can be gauged by the support shown by its chief executive and president, John Chambers: “Technology is changing every aspect of our life experiences and for Cisco. This is an opportunity to harness the power of our own innovative technologies to create a truly unique experience that transcends sports, connects communities and takes the fan experience to a whole new level.

“We have a vision for how to make Cisco Field the model for all sports franchises. It will help change the future of sports.”

As one might expect, there are complicating factors. Diehard A’s fans have old-fashioned concerns unrelated to wireless technology. Those fans worry that team owners are planning a move to Nevada (Las Vegas) or Oregon (Portland), with the Fremont plan used as leverage for funding from municipal authorities in those cities.

Similarly, computer industry observers say Cisco is taking something of a risk: it makes the routers, switches and other devices used to link networks and direct traffic on the internet but is trying to shed its image as a manufacturer of networking infrastructure applications in order to diversify into other lucrative areas. If the company showcase for top-of-the-range features doesn’t perform to expectations, the negative publicity could be damaging.

However, those are local details which are unlikely to inhibit the development of those facilities in other stadia. The proposals for Cisco Stadium have been noted by other organisations and sports, and even if this particular stadium isn’t built, those plans are sure to be adopted by other stadium designers.

Hang on to that paper ticket. It’ll be worth money some day.