Owner of the New England Patriots, The Kraft Group, is working with Dell to build a stadium-wide edge computing, analytics and Wi-Fi infrastructure to provide fans with a consistent Wi-Fi experience in every part of the site, and provide analytics facilities for ground management, physical site security, and for retail concessions across the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

With the twin aims of providing an engaging game-day experience for fans at the Gillette Stadium, and of improving the ground’s security and safety, Kraft has tasked Dell with building a modern edge computing infrastructure throughout the site. This will be used to capture data at the edge and use real-time insights to provide fans with an improved experience, whether they are in their seats, on their mobile devices or in parking areas.

From the moment they enter the property, fans can use their mobile devices to be guided to open parking spots and their seats. Once in their seats, fans can use their mobile devices to order concessions without missing a moment of the game, quickly access fan-cam views and interact with games and social media.

To enable these improved fan experiences at Gillette, the Wi-Fi network is continuously analyzed to improve connectivity and apply resources where needed to ensure a seamless stadium-wide experience. Rapid analytics at the edge are being employed to help concession stands run more efficiently with real-time alerts that flag low inventory and speed restocking. Physical security and safety at the stadium, a key requirement at a large sports ground, is improved through a real-time view throughout the stadium to help keep both fans and employees safe.

“Sports and business never sleep. With our diverse portfolio, it is critical we continuously modernize our infrastructure technology to keep pace with all the industries we support,” said Michael Israel, CIO, the Kraft Group. “Our information technology is critical to supporting global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ensuring our nearly 10,000 employees have the tools they need to drive our growth around the world. Our work with Dell creates a platform to help us capitalize on emerging opportunities like edge computing and enhancing cyber resiliency and safety of facilities.”

“Devices like mobile phones and inventory tracking technologies are changing the way fans experience an event, and edge technology has opened doors we didn’t think were possible even a decade ago,” said John Byrne, president of North America Sales, Dell Technologies. “The Kraft Group engaged us to create a modern infrastructure that scales with its growing businesses and powers endless innovation around the fan experience. Now, they’re poised to run data-rich analytics, which is key to creating a fun and safe experience for fans, whether they’re in the stadium or tuning in from home.”  

The Kraft Group is taking a cloud-native approach with cybersecurity analytics solution for threat detection and response. The company’s IT team is using Dell data protection solutions and software for proactive health monitoring, predicative analytics and machine learning across its Dell systems to help ensure smooth operations across businesses.

The Kraft Group has reduced its overall storage footprint by 40% using Dell PowerStore storage systems deployed at the edge and in the data center. The new approach has also led to decreasing IT expenditures by 25-30%. The group has also replaced ageing infrastructure with Dell VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure, supporting its commitment to sustainability by reducing the Kraft Group’s data center by over 20,000 square feet.