Millions of new fans have become engrossed in Formula 1® motor racing recently, after the commercial successes of the blockbuster hit F1® The Movie and Netflix’s emotive Drive to Survive series, which showcased the characters and the drama behind it all. And for more than a decade, Tata Communications has had a front-row seat on the way technology is interwoven with the world’s most demanding sport.
As the Official Broadcast Connectivity Provider of Formula 1 ® for the past 13 years, Tata Communications has seen how digital networks enable both instant data delivery and split-second collaboration. That seamless connection is what defines racing success on and off the track.
But Formula 1® is far from the only organization where network performance is key. Whatever your sector, the need for speed seems to remain the same.
“Everybody wants everything connected at the snap of a finger now,” notes Raj Singh, global CIO at automotive technology company Visteon. “People’s expectation of the network, the bandwidth, the ability to connect quickly – all that has changed at lightning speed. What used to be acceptable even three or four years back is no longer the case.”
Singh goes so far as to compare network connectivity to “professional oxygen.”
As he puts it: “Humans need oxygen to breathe. If there’s any disruption to that, guess what happens? The same thing is true for us and the network. Any disruption, and there’s an immediate negative impact on the business.”
That all begs the question – what can CIOs in other industries learn from Formula 1® and its approach to technology and network connectivity? Here are four lessons that stand out.
Performance at speed makes the difference
Tata Communications is the Official Broadcast Connectivity Provider of Formula 1®
Formula 1® is famously the most technologically advanced and tech-dependent sport in the world. Each team has its own networking equipment, while Tata Communications operates a broadcasting unit.
Dino Trevisani, SVP and Head of Americas region at Tata Communications, points out: “For every race, what is in effect an entire data center has to be moved from circuit to circuit. It has to work in climates ranging from tropical rain to desert heat. It has to be up and running fast, with security and stability as standard.
“That is a huge technical feat to accomplish once or twice – let alone 24 times, in 21 different countries, over 9 months of the year.”
Everything in Formula 1® is about that same combination of outstanding performance and great speed. Moreover, both factors are non-negotiable – whether you’re a team, a driver, or a race partner, you can’t have one without the other.
Achieving that level of performance at speed relies on technical expertise, finely honed processes and a constant willingness to learn and improve. It’s an object lesson for any CIO looking to attain best practice.
Real-time data depends on resilience and consistency
Across every Formula 1® race weekend, more than 600 terabytes of data are transferred. As a comparison, that amount of data might be created by a mid-sized enterprise in another sector over a matter of months or even years. What makes Formula 1® more unusual still is that its data is needed in real-time, and travels across the globe with an average latency of just 200 milliseconds.
Indeed, if the communication link between Formula 1® drivers and pit crews stops for even a few seconds, the whole race has to stop. That’s because the sport is so dependent on getting information to and from the driver and engineers fast, for the safety and control of all involved. It’s a textbook case of real-time data relying on mission-critical network resilience.
From a Tata Communications perspective, this means our up-time has to be 100%, all the time. The resilience and consistency of the network underpins everything else. As more industries depend on high-speed and ultra-low latency connectivity – from robot-powered factories to 5G-enabled hospitals – this same approach to ensuring dependable real-time data is likely to become widespread.
Rapid feedback loops drive optimization on the go
One of the most remarkable aspects is the constant push for perfection in Formula 1 ® – including in the middle of the action.
Tata Communication’s Dino Trevisani remembers: “I was at one race where you could hear the engineering team talk to one of the drivers. The car’s power was going down, and the engineers had analyzed things and identified the problem.
“Now they were telling the driver which buttons to press to fix it – all while he was going round the track at 180 miles an hour. They were literally repairing the car on the go, using tech and data to diagnose problems and identify fixes.”
Even if the speeds aren’t quite the same, this kind of rapid feedback loop is a model that’s becoming more and more common. That’s especially the case in increasingly tech-enabled sectors like retail and manufacturing.
Data is gathered from the field (whether it’s reaction from customers, inputs to CRM or finance systems, or feedback from digital sensors). Organizations digest it, analyze and respond. And the entire process is optimized to improve performance.
It requires an agile mindset and openness to change, alongside the right technological infrastructure. But taken as a whole, this rapid feedback loop can create a new way of working that drives optimal outcomes and keeps the organization at the cutting edge.
Driving toward success
Ultimately, Formula 1® is a case study in what’s possible when the bar is set high and the stakes are even higher. From ultra-fast connectivity to rapid feedback, the same principles can be applied to benefit organizations in any sector.
Because while they might not be hosting a Grand Prix, CIOs can still give their staff and their customers a championship-level digital experience.
To learn more, visit Tata Communications’ website.
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Source: News