Adelaide Oval sees efficiency gains with IT overhaul

Adelaide Oval has undergone a major IT infrastructure transformation, courtesy of enterprise cloud OS provider Nutanix. The effort is part of Adelaide Oval’s wider strategy to diversify its business and increase digital engagement with patrons.

As part of the overhaul, Nutanix — and Adelaide IT partner Nuago — replaced the company’s hardware-based environment with hyperconverged infrastructure, which now runs the Oval’s point of sale, CRM, disaster recovery, business continuity planning, database management and other systems.

Adelaide Oval ICT Manager Bruce Malcolm said the previous IT infrastructure was no longer fit for purpose and was prohibitively expensive to maintain.

“We may not have game days and other events right now, but when we’re back up and running, we need an IT system that enables us to deliver the right experience for spectators and clients,” he said.

“Scalability is vital — most of our trade happens during short 15-minute windows where sales go from virtually nothing to peak in a matter of seconds. That requires considerable IT capabilities to maintain, which will only increase as sporting and hospitality events are further digitalised.”

The upgrade has helped Adelaide Oval realise a 50% gain in IT management efficiency. In turn, it has refocused its resources on more pressing business developments issues, such as the technology requirements for The Oval Hotel, anticipated to open in September 2020.

Since the transformation, energy costs have also declined by 32% through reductions in physical footprint, heating ventilation and air-conditioning expenditure. This is a significant achievement in terms of the Oval’s Sustainability Management Plan.

The organisation has further improved efficiency and lowered licensing costs by adopting the Nutanix AHV hypervisor. Additionally, it has enhanced data backup and recovery through Nutanix and a multicloud data protection solution from HYCU, which has turned data protection into a one-click experience.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Funtap