“Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.” – George Will.  

For Americans, there’s nothing quite like the experience of being at a baseball game. The sights, the sounds, the smells, and the overall energy make going to a baseball game feel like stepping into a self-contained world. If you really think about it, that statement isn’t too far off from reality. Baseball stadiums are essentially microcosms of our larger society, and each component of the stadium contributes to the overall experience. The baseball stadium itself mirrors the functionality of a cloud network, acting as a perfect metaphor for how separate industries contribute for a greater purpose. By analyzing the individual sectors of a baseball stadium, we can understand how it mimics the behavior of a cloud-driven business network. Let’s round the bases and see how they compare. 

Campus – Thousands of fans gather for the big game with the expectation that they can connect to the network to share their experience over social media, find friends, and much more. Similar to the way students expect that the 5G and Wi-Fi network will support their needs in a secure and efficient manner.  

Contact Center – Customer service representatives gain insights from fans in order to improve experiences, in the same way business contact centers use analytical data to adjust business operations. 

Field Services – Just like the men and women who keep the baseball field beautiful and green, IT management works to ensure all network users can stay connected and fully functional. 

Healthcare – Having medical assistance readily available is a necessity for both guests and employees, including the communications capabilities delivered across reliable networks. The same can be said for application management teams, which ensure all IT systems are operating smoothly and securely. 

Retail – No trip to the ballpark is complete without grabbing some team merchandise! Retailers at the stadium are constantly analyzing customer behavior, which is not far off from how retail occupancy managers dive into data to understand traffic data and shopping patterns. 

Finance – Managing the flow of money coming in and out of the stadium is critical to the future success of any organization, and providing digital tools to improve the speed of transitions can keep large crowds moving much more quickly. 

Emergency Services/First Responders – With any large crowd, it’s crucial to be prepared for any emergency situation, which is why fire and police staff are always on standby at the ballpark, connected through network services.  Risk management teams provide the same service, which is to mitigate risks to ensure safety and security are never compromised. 

Hospitality – How do you keep the fans coming back for more? By providing the best possible customer service imaginable. This is just as true for guest users on Wi-Fi networks. Ensuring a network is running smoothly and seamlessly is the most effective way to be certain guests are always satisfied and ready to connect. 

The individual components of the stadium help contribute to the overall experience that fans and players have come to love, which is exactly what it takes to make a cloud-based network thrive. With everyone playing in the right position, the combination of talent guarantees a home run.