When Jay-Z officially opened Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, with a series of concerts in September 2012, he wasn’t just unveiling new music – he was helping to introduce people to technological enhancements redefined as next-generation.

According to Chip Foley, director of building technology at Forest City Ratner Companies (the developer of Barclays Center), the goal to make Barclays Center one of the most high-tech venues in the sports-entertainment category could not have been done without such partners as Cisco, High Point Solutions, Sony Electronics and Daktronics.

“It has always been our goal to make Barclays Center the most technologically advanced arena and we needed great technology partners to make that happen,” said Foley. “The High Point Solutions team was the right fit and remained agile and ever dedicated to the venue’s success… When we began building Barclays Center, we knew that we had to work with Cisco if we wanted to make the venue a premiere location for sports and entertainment. Cisco is delivering technology that is new to consumers, providing an unforgettable fan experience.”

The tech enhancements have been experienced by people attending Brooklyn Nets games, boxing, tennis, college basketball, the recent NBA Draft and concerts by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Rihanna and of course, Jay-Z.

Those enhancements include:

•Barclays Center’s official mobile app, which provides artist, event and transportation information, and a guide to Brooklyn. Future updates will include real-time video viewing and the ability to order concessions from your seat and pick them up without standing in line. Barclays Center said this is the first arena app in the world to “deliver live video to the latest smartphones and tablets.”

•Free connected stadium Wi-Fi, which allows fans to use the Barclays Center app, access the Internet and “share their game-day experiences via social media with the thousands of fans at Barclays Center, and with millions more around the globe,” according to Barclays Center.

•StadiumVision, which includes 700 HDTVs and some 100 concession menu boards that provide such content as on-court or on-stage action, concession specials (Barclays said that all boards update simultaneously and are integrated with point of sale), out-of-town game scores and traffic updates.

•Wi-Fi-connected iPads in Barclays Center suites featuring 60 channels of HD content (Time Warner Cable) and NBA League Pass (DirectTV).

In addition, and much to the delight of marketing partners, Barclays Center worked with Daktronics to provide more than 8,000 square feet of LED signage, including a 70,000-lb., 1080p HD scoreboard that hangs from the center rafters and a 360-degree LED marquee known as the Oculus located outside the venue and surrounding the main entrance.

Barclays Center last month signed a deal with NeuLion, a leading enabler and provider of live and on-demand content to Internet-connected devices, naming the firm as the exclusive provider of digital internet streaming services at the arena.

The new service will provide fans both in- and out-of-market with live, HD video for select Barclays Center events (excluding NBA games) delivered to PCs, smartphones and tablets. Via NeuLion, customers can also buy digital tickets to Barclays Center events.

“Barclays Center’s sophisticated technology is fitting for the borough of Brooklyn,” said Foley.

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