Set with the challenge of delivering super-fast connectivity in a limited timescale, Roundhouse’s IT Manager, Adrian Howe and his team spoke to a number of ISPs about deploying two 100Mbps leased line connections. After initial rounds of tendering, Howe’s team faced the challenge of finding a supplier who could install connections in a short timeframe whilst staying within budget.

Howe said of the challenge: “This wasn’t a traditional IT partnership for us due to the fact that we needed a provider which could deliver a full SLA and have a good working relationship with third party companies, which in this case was Apple and LiveNation. Not only were we buying a connection on behalf of our clients, but we also needed to get the connections up and running in just a few weeks, which was a tough set of demands.”

Having been chosen to install and manage the connections, Easynet Connect worked closely with the technical teams at Roundhouse, iTunes and LiveNation to agree upon a 99.9% SLA for the connection and developed a responsibility map for each element of technology involved in the live streaming of the concerts.

Once in place the primary and secondary 100Mbps connection delivered excellent levels of availability and performance. The connection delivered consistent throughput during the month, with 70Mbps recorded from one point of presence in the US. The connection also achieved 99.999% uptime with just 15 seconds of downtime experienced during the month of the festival.

Howe Added: “With 31 days of back-to-back gigs from acts such as Ozzy Osborne, N-Dubz and Mumford and Sons being followed online by fans across the globe, there was zero room for error with the technology and everything needed to be right first time. The Easynet Connect team took a lot of the stress out of the process with a quick set up and the willingness to work with and report to multiple partners involved in the project.”
Howe added: “The biggest challenge of the iTunes festival was the short time scale for installation, where Easynet Connect delivered on its promises. This was a very high pressure project and the standards of technical support that Easynet Connect delivered were crucial in making the project a success.”

Following the completion of the festival, The Roundhouse was able to scale down the capacity of its connection, running just a single 100Mbps line to avoid excess capacity. The connection is now predominately used to support the Roundhouse’s ongoing live streaming programme, which includes online broadcasts of all Roundhouse-produced performances such as the International Frank Zappa Anniversary Tribute Festival; BlackBox, a series of music performances available exclusively online, and the Roundhouse International Circus Fest. The line is also used to stream the youth-led radio station ‘Roundhouse Radio’ to audiences online, as well as for other award ceremony and private event broadcasts. The Roundhouse can now also offer corporate and entertainment guests access to its increased bandwidth and the ability to use HD video conferencing services or hold large web-enabled gaming events.

Adrian Howe concluded: “The faster, more reliable connection is great for helping our youth members publish and promote their music online as well as improving our overall data connectivity. Having the 100Mbps connection means that our corporate guests can do more with The Roundhouse as a venue, helping us market ourselves and raising the funds we need to continue doing our work.”